We maintain an "around the clock vigil" with the puppies, sleeping (or trying to) in the room with them. That way we can quickly rescue any pups that get lost around the back of Tally (they squeak very loudly to let the world know that they have a problem!).

We have identified all the puppies by giving them small "haircuts" (clipping a small amount of their coat in different places).

So, we would like to introduce:

#1 puppy (left shoulder) Male

#2 puppy (left ribcage) Male

#3 puppy (left flank) Male (with a tiny white stripe on his chest and white tip on his tail)

#4 puppy (back of neck) Male (with a tiny white spot on his chest)

#5 puppy (mid back) Male (small white tip on his tail, white underneath his paws)

#6 puppy (base of tail) Male

#7 puppy (right shoulder) Female (white tip on her tail, small white patch on her chest)

#8 puppy (right ribcage) Female (very small white tip on the end of her tail)

#9 puppy (right flank) Male (very small white tip on the end of his tail)

The white bits are quite normal. They have usually disappeared by the time the puppies go to their homes or sometimes they will hang on for a month or so longer.

The C-section left Tally's fur quite a mess. Everytime she goes outside, we try to clean her up a little bit more and cut off some of the worst feathers and gunk. Not exactly a show trim! She is looking pretty scruffy.

The puppies are much stronger today and they seem to be learning how to use their limbs, sometimes lifting their rear ends up off the ground with their back legs. They are a long way from walking, but they can crawl quickly! They are climbing up on to Tally now, something that they were not able to do yesterday. When they sleep, they make very contented squeaks and chirps. When they are nursing, their little tails wag away.

We are experiencing some computer problems, so please be patient for photos.....Andy has taken lots and we will eventually get them on our webpage!

Day Three - March 31st
Things are finally going quite well!  Tally seems to be feeling a little better today and the puppies' digestive systems have improved greatly. This morning the whelping box was completely clean. Tally is a bit more willing to leave the puppies a few times a day, but is very eager to get back to them. When outside, she starts checking out all the possible den sites. She seems to have a move in mind, but we think it's best that the puppies remain in the whelping box!

Tally is eating large amounts of food again - as much as she wants. She gets about 6 meals a day, plus frequent drinks of diluted yoghurt and honey to keep her well hydrated.

Today we started on the never-ending chore of trimming puppy toenails. They grow so fast and it makes nursing much more pleasant for Tally if the nails are kept short.

PM - there was a tremendous weight gain today!  We weigh the puppies every evening, to make sure everyone is growing. We did not weigh them on the night they were born, as it was stressful enough for everyone. We weighed them the next morning, so the weight gains are from Day 2. The puppies have all gained from 4 to 9 ounces since Day 2! Number 5 puppy is a whopping 30 ounces already.

Day Four - April 1st
We are too tired to even think of any April Fool's jokes!  We have been a little worried about Tally, so we took her into the vet for bloodwork today. The results were pretty good, although she is a bit anemic and very slightly dehydrated. More food is called for, especially things like liver and beef heart! Plus, we are trying to encourage her to take more breaks from the puppies and get a bit more rest. The puppies are doing very well and gaining lots of weight. Collectively, they weigh just over 17lbs!  Today we shifted to rubber-backed mats that give them more traction, as the puppies are becoming more mobile. We have also added some rolled up towels, which they like to climb up on and drape themselves over.

And what's this about losing an hour tonight? That's the last thing we need here!

Days Five and Six - April 2nd & 3rd
The puppies continue to grow and several of them now weigh 2lbs or over. These are very robust pups! They have lovely glossy coats and are getting quite strong. Although they cannot see or hear yet, their noses are very functional. When Tally steps into the whelping box, they immediately wake up and start to wiggle and squirm towards her, making many happy squeaks as they do so. The puppies make all kinds of funny noises at this age - whistles, trills, squeaky barks, whinnies (like a horse), funny little grrrrrrs and chirps. Kind of a cross between chimpanzees and seagulls! They do this in their sleep and when they are awake (especially when they are hungry or stuck somewhere). Every now and again a puppy will worm its way behind Tally's back and when it wakes up it makes a lot of noise because it can't figure out how to get out. That's when we step in to the rescue. The shelf or "pig rail" that you see in the whelping box is to prevent Tally accidently crushing a puppy against the side of the box. We have started to add some rolled up towels and toys to the box, as the puppies sometimes like to sleep with their heads and upper bodies raised.

Tally is doing really well. This morning she ran outside and flushed up two partridges! She is back to carrying toys outside with her, so she must be feeling much better. She is taking longer breaks from the puppies, but is always eager to get back to them.

We took their "WEEK ONE" portraits on Sunday. Will post them as soon as we have time. They are not yet 1 week old, but it is easier for us to do portraits on Sundays than Tuesdays. As the puppies get older, the portrait sessions can take a couple of hours to do!