Orchard View Labradoodles Puppy Blog

Surprise! Marlee's Babies Are Here!!!

2010-12-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

Marlee gave us an early Christmas present...EIGHT beautiful babies born five days earlier than we expected! Nature knows best and we just try to keep up, I tell ya. ;)

We have 4 boys and 4 girls. Here are the stats.

Pink Girl-Chocolate Phantom-11.8oz

Green Boy-Caramel Phantom-10.4oz

Red Boy-Chocolate Phantom-13.4oz

Purple Girl-Chocolate-11oz

Yellow Girl-Chocolate Phantom-10.4oz

Orange Boy-Chocolate-6.4oz (He's small but active!)

Lt Blue Boy-Chocolate-10.4oz

Teal Girl-Caramel/Cafe-9.2oz

We will be updating the website with individual pictures tomorrow! Thanks for looking!

Pictures of Puppies!

2010-12-16T08:26:00.001-08:00

For your viewing pleasure...I'm taking a nap now... :)

We have been blessed!!!!

2010-12-16T06:22:00.000-08:00

We have 7 FABULOUS puppies here and I'm thinking Mia is done, but there could be another one hanging out in there.

So here are the stats:

Chocolate Phantom Boy 14.4oz
Creme Boy 14.6oz
Chocolate Phantom Boy 14.8oz
Chocolate Phantom Girl 14.0oz
Chocolate Phantom Girl 14.4oz
Chocolate Solid Girl 13.8oz
Chocolate Solid Girl 13.6oz

I will post a group picture as soon as I know for sure Mia is done and she'll let me take her babies for a photo op. I'm so happy and tired. :)

Update!

2010-12-16T04:42:00.000-08:00

As of right now, we have 2 chocolate boys, 1 creme boy and 1 chocolate girl. :) They are soooo sweet! Mia is doing all the work, I'm just the secretary.

An interesting observation, the chocolates have phantom markings! This means they have lighter coloring on their faces and legs, just like their daddy Bo.

Stay tuned!

We have puppies!

2010-12-16T04:03:00.000-08:00

One chocolate male and one creme male so far...stay tuned! Mom is doing fabulous, puppies are healthy! :)

Mia's Puppy Update

2010-12-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are again! Welcome to my Blog, for those that are new to Orchard View Labradoodles. :)

I had a great time reading over the past blog entries...I can't believe it's been 6 months since Rosie's puppies were born. Now we're expecting THREE litters in the next month...wow. But, don't worry...this is what I do and I'm looking forward to meeting wonderful puppies and their forever families. I'm so blessed to have AMAZING friends that I've gained from this job.

So, to the details. Mia's temperature this morning was 98.6...which is the DROP we're looking for to signal labor will start in the next 12 hours. This is a tried and true method of helping to determine when the blessed event will occur. Now, keep in mind that means within 12 hours labor will begin...it can be 24 hours or more until the first pup is actually born. But it's still exciting!!

Stay tuned...and as I always say, no news is no news. If there's something to report, this is the place I will post. Also, I'm on FaceBook so if you want to friend request me, send me an email first to let me know you're interested in a puppy so I know to accept your friend request. I will just ignore if it's a name I don't recognize.

Thanks for reading!

2010-06-28T12:09:00.001-07:00

Big Changes!

2010-06-22T11:22:00.001-07:00

The puppies are 3 weeks old today...and wow! how they have changed in the past week. They are now walking, playing, growling, barking...peeing, pooping...

Soooo....that means it's time for potty training! Already! I started to notice some wet spots on the bedding and I caught a few of them toddling off to a corner to go pee. So cute...but that's my cue that they are desiring to leave the "den" and go out to do their business. This is when my job becomes a bit harder, but I'm always amazed at how instinctual this behavior is.

Dogs really don't want to soil where they sleep!

Step 1: Place puppy pads in the whelping box and hope they use them.

Yay! The dark spots in the corner means they left the bedding to go pee!

Step 2: A few days later, place the soiled pads in the litter box with wood pellets on top. That way they can follow their nose to the right place!

Look at those smart little Labradoodles! :)

Step 3: Well, this isn't really how it's supposed to work but Rosie got quite unnerved by the whole thing so I let her in the Xpen to visit them.

That promptly ended the potty training session.

I guess she figured that's the answer to everything!

So, that was fun...back in the whelping box they went to talk about

this new excitement in their lives...

...and then settle in for an afternoon nap.

So now the litter box is placed by the whelping box and enclosed with an Xpen. The removable side of the whelping box has been lifted out and the puppies can see more of the outside world. They are making it to the edge of the litter box, but soon they'll be getting all the way in.
This is just the beginning of this fun project and it's a great way to get puppies ready for house training when they go to their forever homes at the end of July.

Hope you enjoyed this little peek into their day! New 3 week individual pics will be coming soon!

Puppy Update

2010-06-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

Here are some nursery pics taken today and yesterday. The puppies are growing and getting cuter and cuter every day. A few brave pups are starting to hobble around on their little legs rather than squirming on their tummies to get places. Their eyes are beginning to show signs of opening...I can see the eyelids even though they are still sealed shut. I am beginning to see signs of independence when the pups leave mama and the group after nursing. Some will stick around and lay with each other, others will hobble off and find a nice quiet place to rest. They take turns so it just seems to be whatever mood they're in at the time.

Enjoy the pictures and have a great weekend!

Orange Boy always puts his arm over Lavender...so sweet...

As you can see, Rosie is shedding her undercoat BIG time...it's due to hormones and the change of season. Pink Girl doesn't care...she's just content as can be.

The Group! This is a good chance to see their different coat colors.

L to R: Orange Boy, Pink Girl, Lavender Girl, Scarlet Girl, Pink Checks Girl,

Yellow Girl (laying the opposite direction as all the others...wonder what that means...hee, hee), Blue Checks Boy, and Turquoise Girl.

Updated Weights for June 12, 2010

Scarlet Girl: 2#3.6oz

Pink Girl: 2#4.8oz

Blue Checks Boy: 1#14.4oz

Lavender Girl: 2#1.0oz

Orange Boy: 2#4.6oz

Yellow Girl: 1#14.8oz

Turquoise Girl: 2#2.8oz

Pink Checks Girl: 1#13.0oz

For future reference, Tuesdays will be my individual picture taking day. That's when they turn a new week in age, so be watching the website for updated pics in the afternoon!

June 15, they'll be 2 weeks old! :)

Thanks for reading, following and looking!

I still have 4 puppies available if anyone would like an Application!

2010-06-08T14:25:00.001-07:00

We are 4 days old!

2010-06-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a great picture of all the pups together!

Blue Checks and Orange are the 2 boys.

Here are their weights today:

Scarlet Girl: 1#4.8oz

Pink Girl: 1#3.0oz

Blue Checks Boy: 1#3.4oz

Lavender Girl: 1#4.8oz

Orange Boy: 1#4.2oz

Yellow Girl: 1#3.8oz

Turquoise Girl: 1#5.4oz (oink, oink)

Pink Checks: 1#3.6oz

They are all gaining wonderfully and are very quiet, content puppies. The only time I hear them cry is when Rosie gets up to go potty and they make a little squeal. They quickly huddle together and then they're quiet again.

I have slept all night in my own bed (!) for the past 3 nights...ahhh...

I'm feeling ready to go tackle some weeds in my flower beds that all this rain has produced!

So, enjoy the picture, thanks for looking! Have a wonderful weekend!

Rosie's Puppies 1 Day Old :)

2010-06-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

The puppies had a wonderful first night and Rosie is once again proving what a great momma she is. She only leaves the whelping box to drink, eat and go outside. She is very attentive to each puppy and they are all thriving equally well. So far, there is no "runt" or "boss" when it comes to nursing.

Enjoy the pictures!

Now that all the pups are dry I can better identify their colors.
Here is how I am describing them with their ribbon color, coat color and their birth weight in order of appearance:
Scarlet Girl-Creme (1# 0.4oz)
Pink Girl-Red (15oz)
Blue Checks Boy-Apricot (15oz)
Lavender Girl-Red (15.6oz)
Orange Boy-Red (15.6oz)
Yellow Girl-Creme (14.2oz)
Turquoise Girl-Apricot (1# 1.2oz)
Pink Checks Girl-Apricot (15oz) She looked Red last night, but she's not as dark as the others so we'll call her Apricot.

We still have 3 puppies available at this time! Email me for information!

Rosie Pups-Newborn

2010-06-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed tonight! :) Rosie has 8 wonderful, healthy babies...6 girls and 2 boys. I will get a better picture when there is daylight, but I wanted to post this for now.

I will be resting easy tonight!

#8 is a Red Girl!

2010-06-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

She might be done...we'll see...

Apricot girl!

2010-06-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

She's still panting...

Red boy and Creme girl just born!

2010-06-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

Rosie is doing great, puppies are beautiful. I'm sure I can feel a few more in there...I will post a pic as soon as I'm sure she's done.

Stay tuned!

Another Red Girl!!!

2010-06-01T18:24:00.001-07:00

there are more to come!

apricot boy!!!

2010-06-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Rosie's doing fabulous, puppies are coming out with arms waving and ready to nurse. Oh, they are gorgeous!

2 girls so far...

2010-06-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

One creme, one red! yahooo!!!!!

I don't think "panted" is a word, LOL, is it?

2010-06-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

I was so tired when I posted that last blog entry...I read it again and thought "Panted and Nested?!" Is that proper English?? :)

Thanks to my wonderful SIL and the coffee she brought me, I'm a little more alert now. Rosie is still pooping, panting, nesting, sleeping...her temp is 98.7...all those things point to puppies soon!

Ever heard of marathon labors in humans? Rosie wants to be part of that crowd that has the mother of all Birth Stories to tell..."I was in labor for 36 HOURS!!!"...yada, yada, yada...

Stay tuned...

2010-06-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Rosie panted and nested all night long with me sleeping off and on beside her. At around 4am she settled in and seemed to get some rest. She's waking up and moving around, lots of BMs. Now we're just waiting for those pushing contractions to start.

Stay tuned...

Welll....

2010-05-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Rosie has been panting for 2 hours now. That is a good sign. She's acting more alert and hasn't slept in the past few hours either.

I cut all the ribbons for the puppies' collars so I can tell them apart. I have 6 girl colors and 5 boy colors. ;)

Stay tuned...

My Theory :)

2010-05-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

I *reeeaaallly* thought we'd have some pups by now...

So, I've come up with an explanation as to what may be happening here...

Obviously, I'm way off on Rosie's ovulation date. Her first tie was on day 12 of her cycle, which is completely normal. Usually, a dog is in what's called "standing heat" the day that she ovulates. This is the first day that she will allow a male to breed her. The day that she ovulates is counted as day 1 for pregnancy, even though the eggs don't get fertilized until 3 days later when they are mature. The gestation period of 63 days is actually the age of the eggs from the time they're released from the ovary. So normally, a girl is bred on day 12, 14, and 16 if possible, so that on day 15/16/17 when the eggs are ready there are sperm in there waiting to do the job. Ok, that's how it *normally* works.

Last fall, Rosie was bred on day 12 and 14 and didn't get pregnant. Now I understand why not. Rosie must not ovulate on day 12, even though she will allow a male to breed her. Rosie is a very submissive girl and it's not surprising that she would stand earlier and later than most girls. This time when it was time for her to be bred, I took her up to Robin's house and his wonderful owner kept Rosie there so we would not have another miss. I love ya, Sharon! Rosie and Robin tied on day 12, 14, 16, 18, and on day 20 when I was there to pick her up they tied again before she left. Crazy...she obviously was already pregnant at that time and day 20 is extremely overkill and most girls wouldn't even stand for a male at that point. I know Maggie wouldn't have! But Rosie is absolutely the sweetest girl you will meet. I mean it. :) Robin must have thought so too, because they developed quite the friendship while she was there.

Another point that confirms my theory that Rosie is a late ovulator, is that on day 54 I took her in for her puppy count Xray. Normally this is a good day and all the puppy bones are ossified and the vet counts skulls and backbones and tries to match them all up for an accurate count. Well, on Rosie's Xray the vet felt comfortable saying she could count 5, but there were other bones that were just too faint to match up. Plus with her size of belly, the vet just said "I know there are 5 and I know there are more." This was probably due to the fact that Rosie was more like day 51 or so and I have never tried to get an Xray that early because you run the risk that not all of the bones will be seen.

So, in hindsight...I should NOT have counted 63 days from the first tie. I should have added a few days because now it all makes sense that Rosie's eggs are probably not 66 days old right now...or we'd have puppies!!!

Now I feel better. Well, not really but it helps me pass the time to try and figure out what is going on! :)

I hope you can see that I'm an extremely patient, positive person. I've thought about screaming a few times, but that wouldn't really be productive. Thought about chucking that thermometer in the dumpster, but then I'd have to go buy a new one.

So in the end, all I can really do is wait...and take you all along for this ride called "Dog Breeding" otherwise known as "Guess What?...You're Not In Charge!"

Blessings Everyone!

Hangin In There...

2010-05-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Rosie is taking her sweet time and there are no changes to report. Puppies are moving and all is well. :) I will post an update AS SOON as there is something to report. Hang in there everyone...

2010-05-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Rosie's so pretty...even at 65 days pregnant...

So, her temp dropped to 98.6 this morning which is usually what I would consider low enough to mean labor would begin at some point today. She's not really showing any other signs, however, as of right now...not really sure what to think about it. If she were early, I'd say today must not be the day...but since she's not I'm thinking today really SHOULD be the day! :)

This is a testament to Rosie's layed back nature...she's late coming into heat, late ovulating, and late whelping. But, in reality, who am I to say what's late?? She's perfectly healthy, perfectly happy, and practically perfect in every way. hee, hee

And *I* have decided to keep my sense of humor about this!

Rosie Day 62

2010-05-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

The worst part about waiting for something is waiting. :)

The best part about waiting for PUPPIES is that you know they have to come SOMETIME!

I think I'll focus on that, they have to come sometime. I think Rosie would agree with me on that. She's sleeping a lot, eating a little, licking a lot, moving around a little...well, generally acting like a mom who's belly is full of puppies. Earlier this evening I was spending some quiet time with her in her whelping box and feeling the puppies move around in there. I think they're already doing puppy wrestling moves! It was like a Jackie Chan movie going on in there...yikes. She just slept right through it all. That's the kind of girl she is. :)

More to come...I promise!

Rosie Day 59

2010-05-24T11:58:00.001-07:00

Well, she's looking a little more tired today, isn't she?

She's sleeping a lot and I believe I would be too if I looked like she does. :)

Her temp has been stable at 100.4-100.6 so we've got a pretty good baseline temp going.

There's not a whole lot more to report! But...keep checking....

you just never know when things will get fun around here.

Rosie Day 57

2010-05-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of a very pregnant girlie. :) We are on the homestretch now, enjoying this last week of pregnancy watching the puppies roll around in there. I am so ready for this.

Today is the day that I begin taking her temperature a few times a day, waiting for that drop to 98.something that signals impending labor! The puppies can be born any time now, but the longer they cook the better for them.

This is the place to look for whelping information and pictures. While you're waiting, you can look back at the April 2009 blogs to see pics of Rosie's past puppies. :)

Rosie's Xray on Wednesday was not very informative. The vet felt comfortable saying for sure 5 puppies, but there were other bony parts that were too faint to match up and count. So we left it at "we know there are 5, and we know there are more". That's good enough for me, last year she had 7 and I'm thinking she'll have at least that many looking at her size this time.

We'll know for sure in a week anyway!

I will post daily from this point on. Check back for more details!

Rosie's Pregnant!

2010-04-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yay! We are so pleased to announce that Rosie's pregnancy has been confirmed! We had an ultrasound today and we know she has at least 4 pups, vet said probably more. :)

She's filling out really well and acting quite hungry all the time. I'm so excited!

Rosie is in heat!

2010-03-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Finally! ;) Monday was the first day of Rosie's heat and I'm so excited. I will be taking her up to spend a few days with Robin so we can have the best chances for conception. I'm constantly reminded that I can do all I can, but ultimately it's out of my control whether we have puppies or not.

Spring is in the air here. I cleaned out my little fountain pond and got it going again. That always means good things.

I will update as news happens. :)

Not the one I was expecting!

2010-03-08T16:34:00.001-08:00

Well, I have been waiting and watching...waiting and watching...expecting Rosie to go into heat sometime in February. It's now March and she's still not cycled. It's not unusual for girls to go 7 months between cycles and on the 10th it will be exactly 7 months since her last heat in August. I can't wait to be able to say that Rosie's in heat!

I got a surprise yesterday from Alice's guardian mom...Alice is in heat!! She's a little early at 11 months old, but it's probably because she's a very tall girl and I think she's pretty much done growing. Alice is a wonderful F1 from Rosie and Bo's April 2009 litter. So, since she's having her first heat now, I'll be able to get her OFA Hips and Elbows tested in early May. If all goes well with that, we'll be looking for a superb Poodle stud for F1b puppies for an October breeding!

In other news, I have selected Marlee's boyfriend for her first litter of puppies this summer. Digby is a chocolate F3 with great boning and a wonderful fleece coat. He is owned by Cris at Virginia Labradoodle. Marlee's coat is quite curly and I selected Digby not only for his excellent test results, but also for his wavy coat and nice square stature. This should produce wonderful pups in our first ALL CHOCOLATE litter.

I'm at my happiest when there's a whelping box full of puppies. I've worked so hard to get to this point where girls from our program are now ready to produce their own babies.

I have great hopes for this year!

Getting ready for spring!

2010-02-23T20:29:00.000-08:00

We are anxiously waiting for Rosie to cycle for her spring puppies! Last spring she had a beautiful litter of F1 Labradoodles in Apricot, Creme and Black. They were wonderful puppies to raise and one of them, Alice, will hopefully be a breeding female for us later this year.

This time around we decided to breed Rosie to a Red poodle to begin our new line of Red Labradoodles! This is exciting for us and it will be really fun to see what colors she produces with this stud.

In other news, Marlee has now joined the ranks of our breeding girls. She passed her CERF exam for her eye clearance, and she also got a preliminary OFA rating of "Good" for her hips and her elbows are "Normal". This means when she has her 2nd cycle, around May, she'll be ready to give us more amazing puppies. We are looking forward to our first litter of Multigen Labradoodles for those that are interested in the non shedding traits that Labradoodles are so known for.

Our foundation female, Maggie, is now retired from breeding. She gave us beautiful F1b puppies in her career and she was the mom of the very first litter whelped here at Orchard View Labradoodles. We are happy to give Maggie the gift of retirement and, even though we'll miss her, we'll be happy for her when she joins her forever family. She's a great girl and we know she deserves to be a true pet in a family where the people outnumber the dogs. :)

This year we will be looking for a few good homes for our guardian family program. If you are interested in finding out more about that, please email me for more details!

I will update AS SOON AS Rosie goes into heat for those of you waiting so patiently. I'm going to have a serious talk with her over the next few days, we'll see if it works.

River in Action! :)

2009-12-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

River is 6 weeks old now! Wow...what a difference a week makes. All of a sudden she's a running, playing, funny little girl. When we toss her toys, she'll run after them and slide across the kitchen floor. It's so cute! She loves to follow Maggie and Marlee all over the house and she acts like she's just one of the dogs now. Where did my baby go? She weighs 11 lbs and eats 3 meals each day of hard and soft kibble combined. She's still trying (kind of) to nurse when Maggie will let her. Usually once in the morning and once before bed. That will probably be all done by the time she's 7 weeks old.

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In the background of this pic, you can see the whelping/puppy room entrance. I put a crate in there the other day with some blankets and a stuffed animal that River has lived with. I just left the door open to see what would happen. Well, a few hours later I realized that River was no longer in the kitchen so I peeked in the puppy room to see what she was up to and I couldn't see her. When I found her, she was all curled up in the crate taking a long nap. That's the beginning of crate training! The next step will be to catch her napping in there, and while she's sleeping I'll close the door. Then as soon as she's awake, I'll open the door and greet her with a treat and a lot of praise. By the time she's 8 weeks old, she'll have plenty of positive crate experiences that her new family can build on and gradually increase her time in the crate during the day. She'll be old enough to spend the night in the crate as she sleeps through the night now, but daytime crate time has to be increased gradually. The general rule is 1 hour for every month of age, up to 8 hours. Any longer and you run the risk of UTI's in young puppies.

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In the picture above, you can see the empty plastic water bottles she has chewed on. These are the best, cheapest chew toy for puppies and dogs! My adult dogs LOVE a new water bottle to crush! The squeaking sound and the feel of flattening the bottle makes for great chew time. Just make sure you remove the cap and plastic ring (choking hazards!) and the paper or plastic label before you give it to your pooch. In the summer, I like to fill them half full with water and freeze them and the dogs will chew them outside for hours trying to get that ice! Cheap entertainment for Labradoodles!

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River loves to play with her "littermates". They are pretty stinky now, but they smell like LOVE to her and I know they bring her comfort. This is exactly how she would be playing with a sibling if she had one. We are working very hard to teach River what her teeth are made for, and that doesn't include chewing on people! We divert her to a chewy if she bites us and she's getting the picture that we don't like it. We also don't let her demand attention from us by standing on her hind legs for any reason. If she does stand up on us, we gently place her back down on all fours and set her bum on the floor BEFORE we give her any affection or praise. We want her to learn that good things happen to dogs that SIT! She'll get it, she's super smart.

River is still using the litter box 100% of the time. I have not had to clean up a mess off the floor ONE SINGLE time..amazing! She's such a good dog and we love her so much.

She's going to make her owners so happy in a few short weeks!

Thanks for reading!

River's 4 Week Pic!

2009-11-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

Isn't she just darling?! She really is that sweet in person, too.

River is now 8lbs. 14oz and she has all of her teeth and is eating softened puppy kibble. I just soak it in water, keep it in a container in the fridge, and serve it to her on a plate. She eats it right up. I'm not sure why, but she just skipped the puppy mush stage and I don't mind at all! It's much cleaner this way! :)

She's still a perfect potty-er, never messing in her bed. She uses the litter box and now I've opened up her area a little to give her more room to walk around. She's funny to watch when she wrestles with her stuffed "littermates" and barks at them like they really are other puppies. So cute! I can't believe how the time is going by with her. I think this week she'll get her first bath. That should be fun!

Thanks for reading!

River 3 Week Update!

2009-11-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

Here's River!

I took these pics last night as I was attempting to introduce her to puppy mush. She doesn't seem too interested in eating solid food yet, but we'll keep trying. She's more than happy to just keep nursing, I guess. Maggie is still enjoying her time with River and neither of them act like they're ready for a change. I was able to get River to lick some of the mush off the plate so I'm sure she'll get the hang of it really soon.

She weighs 7lbs. 13oz as of yesterday. Her growth rate has really slowed down compared to some singletons, so she might not be as big as I predicted. She plays with her stuffed animals and growls and barks when she's feeling fiesty. Marlee loves to get in the whelping box with her and River thinks she's a big stuffed animal. I make sure Marlee is completely relaxed with her and if she shows signs of impatience, I make her leave.

In the picture above, you can see the litter box behind River. What I've done is put up the pen around the whelping box and made an opening for the litter box. River is using the litter box 100% of the time, I've been so amazed at her. She wakes up, toddles her little self over to it, and does her business. No messes or piddles in the bedding AT ALL!!! She's so smart, I tell ya!

In this pic, she was trying to figure out why she was out of her area. She's so easy and sweet. I'm already sad about saying good-bye to her in a month, but I know she's going to be an amazing pet for her new family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

River's 2 Week Pics!

2009-11-16T16:25:00.000-08:00

Here are puppy-girl's newest pics! Her wonderful family has decided to name her River and that's what we've been calling her. She's so pretty, but not very still for pics! She's walking around the whelping box on all 4s now and starting to go potty on her own without mom's help. It's time to potty train ALREADY??? Yep, it is! :) Mom's still cleaning up after her so it's not messy or anything, but now is the time to start introducing her to the concept of leaving her "living area" to go to the "potty area" when she's ready to go.

In other news, Marlee is in heat! This is good news, it means she'll be having her next heat in May and she'll be the perfect age for her first breeding. We're excited for Marlee to produce our first ever ALL chocolate litter of Labradoodles. I'll keep updating on her progress as well.

Enjoy the pics of River!

Thanks for reading! :)

Jazzy Pics 1 week old :)

2009-11-09T20:38:00.001-08:00

Momma Maggie watching her little one sleep.

Jazzy, 1 week old.

Jazzy's eyes are almost all the way opened now so on Friday when I take her 2 week pics you'll be able to see her eyes. She's so sweet! Today when I weighed her she was 3 lbs. 14 oz. What a girl! She's doing exactly what she has to do to keep mom's milk supply up and going.

Thanks for looking!

Jazzy is 5 days old!

2009-11-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

And she weighs 2 lbs. 5 oz. Wow...big, healthy, funny puppy girl.

She's showing some signs of independence. I checked on her a little while ago and found Maggie and her napping on opposite sides of the whelping box. Funny, Maggie likes to hang out in there with her girl even if she's not nursing.

In other news, Marlee is showing signs of coming into her first heat. She's 13 months old and right on track for a summer breeding if she goes into heat now and again in May. Once she's out of her heat this time, I'll be taking her in for her OFA Hip/Elbow Xrays and her CERF Eye Exam. After that, she'll be a cleared breeding female and we'll be looking for Mr. Right Chocolate Boy for our first ALL chocolate litter. Next year should be exciting and full of Chocolate.

I posted pics of Jazzy on the website along with our Planned Breedings for 2010!

:)

Jazzy 2 days old!

2009-11-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a pic of Maggie and her puppy. :) She's very sweet...Darin suggested we call her Jazmine and Jenna and I both said "Jazzy!" So, she's Jazzy now and she's a sweet girl. Barely makes a peep, I actually haven't heard her cry yet. Might be because she's gained 4 oz. since her birth 2 days ago! Sheesh, mom's doing a great job, I'd say. :)

Tomorrow I will get a better close up of Jazzy and post it on the website. Promise...

:)

She's done...

2009-10-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Looks like Maggie's all done and we have one, sweet, curly, black female. I will get a pic ASAP and put it on here.

She's nursing great and making happy puppy noises. I'm so proud of Maggie! When I saw those 2 little paws sticking out with no sac, I knew I had to move quickly. With every contraction she pushed and I pulled and her sweet puppy was born squirming and wiggling. So cute.

So strange to just have one puppy in the house.

:)

1 puppy born!!!

2009-10-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, curly, black female weighing 1# 5.2 oz. She was born feet first and she's already nursing!

I'm waiting to see if there are more...

Day 64

2009-10-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Maggie's in labor!! We had a rough night and neither of us slept, but very soon it will all be worth it. This is where I'll post birth info so keep checking back!!

:)

Day 63

2009-10-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last night Maggie woke me up at 3am to go outside. Very unusual. I finished the night sleeping on the couch with her pretty much laying on top of me. Found out this morning she had a #2 accident in my sons room during the night. Very, very unusual.

So, I work at my kids' school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I came home at lunch today to check on Maggie and she hadn't eaten her breakfast and the blankets and towels in the whelping box were all messed up in a big pile. She was excited to see me, but not in a happy way, more like a "where have you BEEN?" kind of way. I decided I better not go back in to the school.

When I let her out to go potty, she made a straight path to the porch and went underneath it and dug out a huge hole to lay in. Yikes. I coaxed her out of there and brought her back in. She was moaning and whining and following me around. I gave her a bath because she was dirty from the hole she dug, and brought her back into the whelping room to see what's up. She was nervous and unsettled. So, I am now sitting in the whelping box with her and she's sleeping soundly. Poor thing, I think she was just mad at me for leaving her. I better stay home from this point so she doesn't get upset again.

More later... :)

Day 61 (This is where it gets graphic!)

2009-10-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

WARNING!! From this point on, the fun begins and the subject matter gets gross. lol

So, today is Day 63 (normal dog gestation) from Maggie and Bo's first tie. I just like to add a few days to that because I don't know if she actually ovulated on that day or not. So, we'll call today Day 61 so we don't get disappointed when she doesn't have her puppies tonight. Because she's not. :)

However, I came home at lunch from helping out at my kids' school and took her out and she did have a long string of mucus hanging out of her after she pottied. That's a good sign! Her temp has been normal with no changes or fluctuations.

She's eating, sleeping and eating some more. We'll see what happens tomorrow!

:)

Puppy Movement

2009-10-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

I can watch Maggie's puppies move. I'm really feeling like there is more than one puppy in there. She has continued to fill out as every day goes by and she's sleeping a lot as well. I've begun to take her temp in the mornings to get a good baseline for her. She's Day 60 today so she can really go into labor at any point. The temperature is such a good indication for when labor will start. When it dips below 98 degrees, we know puppies will be born within 12 hours or so.

The weather is so strange today. It's 55 degrees outside, windy with dark clouds filling the sky. We're supposed to get rain, too. Maybe the storm will put Maggie in labor. :)

Maggie's Litter

2009-10-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well...took Maggie in for her X ray today and we could really only see one puppy. It was so faint and it seemed to not be very big for it to be the only one, so I'm being optimistic that there are more in there. She's eating and napping a lot and acting very pregnant. Following me around, laying down wherever I am in the house, even laying right outside the bathroom door. I've felt puppy movement in her tummy in different locations, which is why I feel there may be more than just one. But, I've learned to hope for the best and prepare for...well, life. :)

Check back for more updates!

Update!

2009-07-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Since I last posted, Henry has gone to his wonderful home and they love him. Alice (Purple Girl) came for a 2 week visit while her family went to Disneyland and it was great to get to know her again. I'm looking forward to when she can produce pups for me, she's a wonderful girl.

We got some fencing done so that's exciting. And...

DRUM ROLL...

I found a stud for Maggie! He's a gorgeous brown and white parti poodle with a wonderful pedigree and Excellent hips. :) Now Maggie just needs to go into heat so we can get this party started. lol She should go into heat any day, she's usually very on schedule. Cocoa (the stud) will be coming here to visit and then he'll go back to his home in La Grande, OR. I'll be taking Bo to doggy daycare for a few days because I don't think he'll be able to handle another boy around. This is his harem after all.

So, till Maggie gives us the signal, we wait. As soon as I know, I'll be able to give an expected breeding/due date for the puppies. I am accepting applications at this time for anyone interested in a Maggie/Cocoa litter.

Enjoy the summer, it's half over! :)

Down time

2009-06-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well, all the puppies but one have gone to their forever homes. Black Checks Boy (now known as Henry) is with us until the 11th of July when his forever family gets back from vacation. It's been fun having him here with me, I get a chance to train and get to know a puppy from Rosie to see what the temperament is. He is highly trainable, I must say! I have been taking him out on a leash and I have a spot right by the door that I hang it on when I bring him back in. Today he went to the door and pawed at the leash to tell me he needed to go out. Good boy, Henry! He's 12 weeks old now and getting tall and lanky. I like to look back at the puppy pics when they were rolly-polly things.

**sigh**

So, as you remember Maggie had the one sweet boy, Mack, back in April. She nursed him for 3 weeks and then I moved him in with Rosie's litter and she picked up the mothering role. Maggie's milk was dried up by the time Mack was 4 weeks old and she was off the hook, mothering-wise. She enjoyed spending time with all the pups and would always go right to Mack and sniff him out, but she really allowed Rosie to feed and clean him for the last bit of nursing the pups do as they transition to solid food. Her coat is back to being shiny and healthy and she's put on a little weight in preparation for her next heat.

Since Maggie looks so good and she's only had 2 litters, 10 pups in all, we're going to go ahead and breed her this summer for her last litter of Labradoodles. She brings an energy and intelligence to her puppies and they are fun to raise. Her first litter with Bo produced amazing nonshedding puppies that were so smart and trainable. I'm going to try and find a different stud for her this time, just for variety's sake. :) I'd like to find a brown and white parti poodle stud for F1bs, or a brown and white parti F1b for F2s.

I'll keep this blog posted as any news comes. I'm expecting Maggie's heat in July or early August if her cycle stays as predictable as it's always been.

Darin and I are working on some fencing plans for the property, very exciting stuff. Right now my fence is my voice "Get back here...Hey, dogs, COME, ...Maggie, Rosie, Bo, Marlee...!!" Ugh. With busy highways and gopher fields surrounding us, it's going to be wonderful to get the puppy area fenced and the large dog yard completely fenced with all the gates for easy access.

Keep checking back here for updates on Maggie. I am accepting early applications and deposits for anyone that's interested. Email me for info!

:)

2009-05-27T18:12:00.001-07:00

Puppies in the Pool!

2009-05-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here in a while, figured I better check in so everyone knows I'm still here! :) I'm just enjoying every minute with these pups, they're getting so big! The group will be 8 weeks on Friday, and Mack is 7 weeks today. Wow. I can't believe the time has gone by soooo fast.

I'm in puppy love and I'm already feeling sad about the pups that will be leaving this weekend and on Monday. Alice and Raven will be picked up on Saturday, and I'll be delivering Navajo on Monday to Bothell, WA. I'd love to have a buddy come with her for the car ride if anyone wants a puppy and lives near Seattle! ;)

Also, anyone who's interested can come and see the pups on Saturday as well! I have 1 female and 3 males still available. They are super sweet and ready to love you. I'll be hosting a visiting/pick up day from 11am - 2pm, email or call me and we'll talk!

I posted a slide show of the puppy pics I took today. I set up the playpen in the grass, filled up the kiddie pool and let them play in it. In true water-dog fashion, they drank it, sat in it, dug in it, drank it, wrestled in it, drank it some more then took a nap. It was fun, they all love water as do their parents. The big dogs got jealous and ended up in my fountain pond...grrr...they know when I'm busy with the puppies and they get my attention one way or another. I didn't edit the pics at all...some are weird and of nothing...but it's fun. Also, excuse the yard tools, I removed a rose bush last night.

Thanks for reading, looking, waiting patiently for pictures...

Puppies on the Porch

2009-05-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

The puppies have been enjoying the covered porch now that the weather is more stable. We had 65 degrees with a mild breeze today, so they've been able to have a little more room to run and romp. The dog house is good for hide and seek, the pool with blankets in it is great for naptime, and the baby gym with hanging toys serves as their paw-eye coordination activity! :) In front of the toy you can see the litter box with red cedar chips and paper. They're taking to that pretty well and it's a lot cleaner and smells nicer than the piddle pads. Rosie likes the set up, too...as you can see. The day is coming when I will have to start to limit her time with the pups-gradually-so they become independent of her. We don't want them crying for their momma when they go to their forever homes. :)

Here's Mack, trying to catch some Me-time. Each pup has moments when they just want to get away from the crowd and they find a spot to hang out and just observe. It's important to give them that time and watch for clues that they need to get away.

Mack again, trying to see if Rosie will stand still long enough for him to latch on. He does nurse from her, even though she's not his actual mom. She's an awesome girl, I couldn't ask for a better mom for the pups. She's so attentive and patient with them.

There's a wrestling match going on here, and Mack is trying to decide if he wants to get involved. You can't see it in the picture, but his tail was wagging the whole time.

Play time with the baby gym.

Here's one of the boys...I think he's looking for the perfect resting spot.

Notice in the yard all of the white stuff on the ground?? Our huge 40 year old cottonwood trees are releasing their cotton. It flies around like snow for a week every spring. Then we mow and bag it and it's gone, but it makes a mess while it's here!

Well, I hope you enjoyed that little snapshot of a day in the life of an Orchard View Labradoodle puppy! It's a good life, I tell ya. :)

More puppies...

2009-05-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

These pics were taken just minutes ago...the puppies were active and playing so I thought I'd post these as well. I couldn't resist...these puppies are soooo sweet.

Look at this face!

Here's Yellow Dots Girl, she has those eyes that melt your heart....

Pink Checks Girl, biting mom's ear...

Mack, younger half-sibling to the group! lol
He's hanging out with Orange Dots Boy...

Rosie lets the puppies climb all over her. She loves them so much!

Turquoise Girl is on the right, sleeping.

Purple Girl is laying between Pink Checks Girl and Orange Dots Boy.

In the very back of the group is Black Checks Boy. He kind of has his back to the romping group.

He likes to go off by himself and rest. He's very quiet.

I think he'd be great for a smaller, calm family or couple.

More of the group...

Pink Checks Girl playing with the toys...

The puppies love this baby gym!! They bat their paws at Big Bird

and chew on the moving parts...

So, as you can see these pups are super sweet and playful.

If you'd like to see more pics of any individual puppy that you're interested in, please email me!

As always, thanks for looking!

Puppies, Puppies!

2009-05-05T10:22:00.001-07:00

Here are some cute pics of the puppies being their cute little selves!

Rosie didn't really know what to think of this whole thing...eating food. Her babies are growing up so fast! :)

More pics are coming soon. The puppies are growing and changing every day!

Thanks for looking!

Puppy Pics

2009-04-27T11:44:00.001-07:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I don't have to say much! :)

This is our current activity...piddle pads. Here's Mack doing his thing!

Blue Dots Boy is giving Orange Dots Boy some love...

Yellow Dots Girl cuddling with her sibs...

Look at this, Mack is just loving it!

He looks like he's actually smiling!

Some more potty action...I watched from the door as this puppy left the others to go potty!

Yay, Puppy!! I think it's Orange Dots Boy...

This one is sweet, I let Marlee go in to see her "little brother" Mack.

They are full siblings from different litters. She's so interested in him...

they were actually licking each other.

I love this picture, Pink Checks Girl was just staring at me.

Rosie's such a good mommy...

Here's Purple Girl in a cute pose...

This one's funny, Blue Dots Boy is trying to bite his sister's tail...

Turquoise Girl and Yellow Dots Girl do not even care that

they are being climbed on.

Black Checks Boy is sleeping in the corner,

content to stay out of the action for now.

Here's another sweet picture of puppy cuddle time.

Puppy Play Time...

More Puppy Play Time...

As you can see, I have the best job in the world! I get to see these darling things all day and hold them and love them and...get ready to let them go to all of my wonderful puppy families!

I still have three sweetie boys waiting to find out who their forever families are, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

On Wednesday, the older puppies will have their first puppy mush meal. Mack has to wait a week, but as you can see he's not starving. :) It will be fun and messy, I'll be sure to post pics of that as well. Mack is spending more and more time with his siblings so he builds his muscles and learns to socialize. He's very sweet and they love him! Rosie also loves him, when he's with them he's one of her puppies. All is well is Puppyville! :)

I hope you enjoy these pictures!
Email me and tell me what you think! I love to hear from my puppy families!

Puppy News!

2009-04-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today Rosie's puppies are 2 weeks old! I can't believe it! They all have their eyes opened now and that makes for some funny moments in the nursery. Once they see what's going on around them, they start making little growling and barking noises when something startles them. So funny! They are walking around more in the whelping box and very soon I'll be introducing them to the piddle pads to start paper training. That's when my job gets interesting!

Here are some cute pics for you to see!

This is Orange Dots Boy taking a long snooze...don't you wish you could sleep like that?! He doesn't have a care in this world!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

People don't believe me when I say that I usually find the 2 little black girls together! I'm not joking! Look at them, they are actually hugging! There is no product placement here, this is exactly how I found them all. :) I think maybe they remember each other, Turquoise was born right before Yellow Dots and they are the only black puppies. Funny...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is what I call a puppy pile! Pink Checks Girl is on top this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mack is doing great also! He's 9 days old today and growing...and growing...he's now bigger than his half siblings that are 5 days older than him! He's doing what he has to do, though, if he didn't nurse as much as he does Maggie's milk supply would be diminished. He's a smart boy!

This picture I just thought was the cutest thing I've ever seen. I make sure and put Mack in with the other pups at least once per day so he can puppy pile with them. I had just put him in and he belly crawled over to the pups and inched his way on top of the pile. He stayed in this position for a while! It looks like he just loves them and is so happy to spend time with them.

Isn't that sweet?!

Well, everyone have a great weekend! I'll be taking some pics of the puppies this weekend to show you how cute they are with their eyes opened. :)

Settling in

2009-04-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

All of the puppies are doing great! They had their dew claws removed on Thursday and all went well. Rosie's pups turned a week old yesterday, that's kind of amazing to think about. They are moving around in the whelping box a lot more and Rosie's starting to spend a little bit of time out of the box. Yesterday I went in to visit her and she was laying on the floor right next to the box. It's all part of that gradual move towards independent puppies. They interact with each other in some really cute ways, climbing on top of one another, burrowing under one another...very cute. In a few days they'll start opening their eyes and then they really start moving around. :)

Mack is doing great. He's 3 days old today and quite the content guy. He's very special. He never makes a peep except happy noises when he's nursing. Maggie is doing a wonderful job. I was concerned that he'd be alone a lot because with her last litter of 9 she didn't hang out in the whelping box too much with them. I think it kind of overwhelmed her. But this time I think she knows he needs company, she lays with him in the bed even when he's not nursing. I have a heat pad on low under the bedding and some small stuffed animals in there for him to climb on and snuggle with. I'm trying to give him the same environment that a litter of pups would have. He's not lazy, that's for sure. He does a great job of finding mom every time. I have to stop myself from helping him because I know he needs to do it on his own so his muscle tone develops and he gets the neurological stimulation he needs. As long as her milk supply stays up, he'll do great. In a few weeks he'll be able to play with his half siblings for some real rompin' puppy fun!

We're all settling in and I'm loving my job right now. :)

Happy 6th Birthday Mason!

2009-04-08T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hello, Mason! Our names are Turquoise Girl and Yellow Dots Girl! We are 6 days old today and we heard from your mom that today is your birthday. We are really little puppies right now, but pretty soon we'll be big enough to go to our special new homes.

Guess what? One of us will be living at your house! That's right, Mason, you get to take one of us home with you very soon to live with you and be your best friend!

Happy Birthday! Have a great day!

God is so good!

2009-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

We have a PUPPY!!!

Maggie had her puppy at 12:45pm today. Wow.

I'm a little shaky right now because this birth took everything Maggie and I had, we literally birthed this BOY together. CHOCOLATE BOY, that is!!!

AND he's 1 lb 6.4 oz...

That's actually bigger than two of Rosie's 5 day old puppies! Wow.

AND he was born with the sac already broken, so when his face presented and his tongue was sticking out...I freaked! Well, not really, but my heart flipped and I realized this wasn't going to be textbook! I touched his tongue and he stuck it back in his mouth, so I knew he was alright.

His whole face was out, but Maggie stopped pushing, so I grabbed the Vaseline and slathered him up and with the next contraction I pulled and Maggie pushed. He was out in 2 more pushes.

I'm so relieved and grateful. I will take a pic soon!

:)

Maggie's in labor...

2009-04-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

Please say a prayer for my girl...she's doing ok but I don't want her labor to stop or for the puppy to be too big...

Thank you!

Puppy Update!

2009-04-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

Rosie and her pups are doing great! She is a power nurser, those pups have 24/7 access to her and they love it! They are gaining between 2 to 3 ounces per day, which is a lot when you only weigh 1 pound. :) There are some more pics on my website for those of you that come here first...check it out, they are little angels! The vocal one right now is little Turquoise Girl. She makes all sorts of noises when she is nursing, but I know exactly when the milk has let down because all is silent then. Sweet!

Maggie is doing great also. She's started some nesting behavior, she hasn't eaten lately, and this morning we hit the magic number, 98.6, for her temp. I was supposed to take the puppies in for their dew claws this afternoon, but I'll have to postpone that until tomorrow. I want Maggie to feel safe and if I leave her labor could stall. I still keep hoping there are two puppies. I can't say "puppy" when I talk about it...always still say "puppies". I think we'll know soon.

So, thanks for sticking with me through this journey! I'll update later today with any news, of course. And remember...no news means no news! :)

Love is a newborn puppy...

2009-04-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

Rosie's puppies are here! We are ecstatic, exhausted, grateful and proud.

Here are the stats:

7 F1 Standard size puppies

1 Apricot Girl, 1 Cream Girl, 2 Black Girls, 1 Apricot Boy, 2 Cream Boys

In this picture you can see the three different colors. The pup right by Rosie's ear is what I'm calling Apricot, the one in the foreground is Cream and of course the Black one is on the bottom of the pile. They are so cute and curlier than I thought they'd look. Rosie did so well, and as you can see she's going to be a great mom.

This picture I just had to take of this beefcake boy! Look at that face!

I'm really tired...I'll post weights and more info about the birth tomorrow. Or, I guess it's already tomorrow...later, anyway!

Quick update

2009-04-03T16:37:00.001-07:00

Rosie's in labor. She's been panting since 2:30pm. I'll update more later!

:)

Just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts.

2009-04-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

Rosie Day 65...

We're still within the normal dates for whelping...I'm giving her a little slack because the first tie between her and Bo was rather short and probably didn't take. So, we'll assume she's more like 64 days...

Whatever the case, she's still pregnant!

BUT- I will say that we're making progress:

She was quite restless all night (I'm on the 2nd pot of coffee...) and this morning she's already had 3 BM's and she's straining long after, which means she's feeling pressure from the pups.
Her temp this morning was 98.6...that's what I've been looking for all along.
She's finally nesting. She's pawing at her blankets and even using her mouth to form this perfect circle and then she curls up in it.

So, I'm not going to interject my opinion or forecast ANYTHING. I'm just giving the facts! lol

My kids are going to go spend the day with Grandma because they're getting stir crazy and I'm instituting a quiet zone in the house. I'm just peeking in on Rosie and I've determined that I'm going to stop staring at her. She might be one of those girls that needs her privacy in order for labor to really start. Maggie wasn't like this at all...she loved the attention and was very demonstrative about her labor symptoms.

Let's not forget about Maggie! She's on Day 60 and she looks great! She actually looks like she's had a litter and is nursing them. Her tummy is just not that big. I don't really have much more to say about her, other than she's eating a little less and she has let go of some mucus. But that's all normal for being a few days away from her due date.

Well, everyone have a great day and thanks for sticking it out with me on this Labradoodle Whelping Rollercoaster...

Stay tuned!

It's a great day!

2009-04-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

"So...I've been thinkin'...you've got this nice, big whelping box...and-you know-it's just me and one puppy...we won't take up much room...I promise. Whadaya think?"

Today is Day 64 for Rosie. *Usually* puppies are born on Day 63...but that's ok! :) I slept on the floor in the whelping room last night and I realize I've made this room really comfortable for the mom and puppies, but not so much for me!

I did not know a dog could sleep this much, I tell you! Every part of her looks like it's going to explode but she's just sleeping, sleeping...I keep thinking she's just going to wake up and start pushing puppies out.

It's gotta happen...the puppies are rockin' and rollin' as I type...

One thing I want to say, is how much I appreciate everyone's patience and good wishes lately! I had to send a very hard email to a few people to tell them about Maggie's singleton litter and what that meant for their puppy plans, and everyone's been great with a really understanding attitude. I appreciate my puppy families! :)

Ok, so everyone have a great day! And remember "No news is no news!" This is the first place I'll post a puppy update, I promise!

Ya know, life is funny...

2009-03-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I mentioned Maggie wasn't looking all that pregnant, did I not? I've got good instincts, I guess. She's pregnant....

But there's only *ONE* puppy! One little puppy on the Xray, all sprawled out with all the room in the world in there. I saw ribs, the tiny bones in its tail, even the legs and feet. It was all stretched out and super cute! As cute as bones can be, anyway.

So, needless to say the reservation list for Maggie's spring litter is closed. lol

However, my vet said it would be easy for her to recover and I could feel good about breeding her later this summer/fall when she cycles again. So if any of you were thinking about a Maggie puppy, but you weren't quite ready yet, this could just be your chance! :) Her next litter would be ready to go to forever homes in December. It's never to early to do your Christmas shopping!

I was pretty bummed this afternoon, but it's sinking in now and I'm doing ok. I came home and told Rosie I needed some joy, so PLEASE can I just hold a puppy?! She looked at me funny and then layed back down to sleep. I also let Maggie know that it wasn't her fault. She looked at me for a second and then took off running after Bo and Marlee. I bet she doesn't even know she's pregnant since her body is barely registering the fact that there's a puppy in there.

We'll see how this goes, Maggie's due next Monday on the 6th. I'm going to do some reading up on singleton whelping...

Take care everyone!

:)

Day 61..

2009-03-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Look at that face...

Rosie is still pregnant. :) Which is a good thing, I guess, because that means the puppies are still cooking in there. Her actual due date is Wednesday and I opened this blog with the idea that she might not make it to that day. I'm officially rescinding that statement! lol

Maggie is going in this afternoon for her xray to count puppies. She's the opposite of Rosie, she's barely showing and at times I'm worried about where those puppies are in there! I have to remember this is how she carries her puppies and that she doesn't put on any additional weight (besides puppy, fluid, etc.) and she stays active and energetic until the actual puppy day. Her due date is a week from today, although it wouldn't surprise me if it happens a few days after that. She may not have conceived on the first tie, which is when I start the count. We'll see...

So, the weather is beautiful outside today and I'm going to get my kids off the couch and outside to do some yard work. :) It's the first day of Spring Break and they think they're going to watch TV all week. Ha!

Like they say...

2009-03-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

a watched pot never boils. And in this case, no news is - well....no news.

Rosie looks like she swallowed a basketball and she only stands up to go outside to pee.

I've been there...well, not outside, but ya know!

:)

Holding steady...

2009-03-27T11:41:00.001-07:00

no puppies yet. I got the whelping room all ready though. I'm the one nesting...

She's full of milk and sleeping constantly, maybe tonight..maybe tomorrow...

:)

Here we go....

2009-03-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure Rosie's going to make it to April 1st...

She hasn't eaten today, she had some diarrhea (sorry-birth is graphic), and most importantly her temp dropped this morning and again this afternoon. Her temp is normally 100.5 or so and this morning it was 100.0, then this afternoon it was 99.7. I will now be taking her temp every 2 hrs and if it continues to go down...we're having puppies within the next 24 hrs. Once it bottoms out (no pun intended), we've got about 12 hrs until we get to meet her babies!

She looks different too, her eyes are glossy and she's looking at me very intently. Maggie has been hanging out with her, too...I think she knows something's about to happen.

I'll post more as I know more...this is so exciting...

Rosie's Xray Results

2009-03-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first installment of the Orchard View Labradoodles Puppy Blog! This is so exciting! We went to the vet today and Rosie had her xray to get a puppy count. We were able to see 7 little skulls and spines! :) There could be 1 more, but for now we're saying there are 7 pups! Yay!! She's very tired and big...we're getting close. She's due April 1st and I've been busy setting up her whelping box and getting everything ready.

That's all for now! :)