Some severe storms rolled through this morning and we had a little disruption in the sleep/eat routine. I watched the intense red on the weather radar move upon our area and decided to put the puppies in a transfer box (with a hot water bottle and polar fleece blankets) and take them and our big dogs downstairs for safety.  I had to wake Biff up (he had been on duty overnight and had only been asleep about an hour) to keep the puppies warm while I came up to monitor the storm.  We weren’t hit too hard compared to some of the reports I’m seeing on T.V. from nearby areas.  We’re back to our morning routines now and everyone’s doing well.  We have two boys and one girl, all weighing in a little heavier each time we put them on the scale.

Here’s the puppy set-up for these first 3 and 1/2 weeks…  There’s a warming lamp next to the whelping box that we can move around and adjust as needed.  Those two white things on the rug are the temperature sensor and read-out so we can keep the temp in the low 80’s. Finley’s body provides the best warmth for the puppies, but they scooch around constantly and we want that whole space to be warm enough for them. This area is near the kitchen, so we don’t have to go far for everything else we need.

The puppies are doing great on day #2 of their lives. They nurse and nap, nurse and nap, all night, all day.  In between, they drag themselves around Finley’s body parts. They lie along her belly, on her neck, across her legs and alongside her back. We watch the goings-on, supporting them minimally as Finley provides most of what they need. Our main job is to to provide Finley what she needs – cool cloths to keep her comfortable, many small meals of beef, chicken, fish, dog food, yogurt (with a little ice cream mixed in) and water (with unsalted chicken broth.)

It was a huge surprise that she only had three puppies! Her first litter (2013) contained 12 puppies and we expected (and hoped for) about eight to ten from this breeding. When she started getting big, we feared that it might be another big litter. So it was a shock when she was x-rayed the week before she whelped, and we learned that she was carrying only three puppies.  We are grateful they arrived safely and are all healthy but are tremendously sad for the families that were hoping for a pup from this breeding.

What a difference it makes in caring for just three! The first thing I realized is that we’re not constantly counting to 12 to make sure no one is underneath her. We’re weighing them twice a day to ensure that they’re growing, but we won’t need to do any supplemental feeding as we’ve done with litters of 12. Still, Biff and I are tag-teaming 24/7 so that one of us is always near.

They began arriving just minutes past their “due date” but Finley’s puppies are here and they’re healthy, moving, nursing, sleeping and eliminating well.  We pulled an all-nighter so Biff is sleeping now and I’m on puppy watch, making sure they lock onto nipples regularly and supporting Finley who, for the next few weeks, does most of the work.  She’s a great mom and has only left them briefly to go out to do her business.  Then she zips right back to the whelping box. “Puppy families” will hear from us soon via email or phone with more info.

Summer’s arrived and we’re counting down the days ’til Finley’s due date – June 8th. That’s Chev in the wading pool.  He knows how to cool himself off when the temperatures rise.  All three dogs have spent part of the day with me, napping on the porch between times out in the backyard. That’s Finley stretched out in the photo below.  Biff and I were both able to feel the puppies moving last night and this morning.

Here are two more views of Finley, taken today as she nears the end of her pregnancy. She appears ready for her upcoming role as a “milk machine.”  Again, apologies if the photo below is a bit indiscreet, but it’s amazing to see how much her underside has changed.

We’ll post again after the puppies have arrived.  Whelping is a bit of a marathon to experience, but we’ll post as soon as we can afterward.

Biff set up the whelping pen this afternoon and has been gathering supplies we’ll need next week.  It’s getting close!

Finley’s belly continues to expand as she’s two weeks from her due date (June 8th.) The last photo is a tad indiscreet, but it’s the best evidence of her impending motherhood.

She eats really well – Red Paw dog food supplemented with raw meats, eggs, some liver, and raw veggies.

Finley’s at 5 weeks as of today, a couple days past the halfway mark in her pregnancy. She’s looking good as a second-time mom and is as active as ever.

She, Chev and Xupe continue to spend lots of time sniffing for the elusive bunnies that visit the backyard and fenced garden.  The rabbits must be nesting under the old shed as that’s often the focus of their hunt.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms out there – moms of human children and “moms” of canines.  Offspring of both types need love, attention and a lot of patience.  Best to you all!

We’re close to the half-way mark in Finley’s pregnancy. She’s looking a little full on her underside and her nipples protrude more than usual.  Her energy is unchanged and she’s been getting plenty of exercise chasing down the rabbits and birds that have made the mistake of nesting within reach of the dogs.  Out in the backyard, there’s something living under our old shed that all three of our dogs have been trying to get at for a couple of weeks. It certainly keeps them entertained when they’re out there.

The vet calculated June 10th as her due date.  Biff and I are going to be ready sooner than that, knowing puppies could easily arrive a few days earlier.

Just a quick update that we’ve had a few clues that Finley is indeed pregnant.  Her interest in food spiked about a week ago, noticeable because she’s never been much of a food hound.  Biff and I both noticed that her nipples have gotten a little pronounced in the last couple of days, a subtle sign that there’s something going on in her body.  She’s as active as ever when she’s outside and this was true in her previous pregnancy.  She’s just as snuggly, too, as she’s always been.  That’s all we know at this point. We’re waiting on Mother Nature.

Here’s one of Chev’s most recent offspring, Drake, whelped in Iowa and now living in Wisconsin with his Griff-loving people.