Day 6

Everyone is growing fine. In two days they have grown between 8 to 10 oz. each. We have changed their collars three times and the boys have already picked out their favorites. It is truly amazing to watch them grow!

 

 They like to lay under the heat lamp to keep warm. But the pups favorite spot to sleep is under the shelf the runs around the inside of  the whelping box. I think it is like a little cave to them and makes them feel safe. The pups can fit under the shelf with room to spare right  now but just wait until they are 10 pounds and still trying to fit under the shelf! It is so funny! somehow they manage to sleep with just their heads lodged under and their bodies sticking out!

 This is a good picture to show the eyes and ears closed and how short the snout is when they are days old! They are still just as cute as a button!

 

Day 4

When Ed got home today he found one of the puppies had passed away. We are no sure way.  If a pup was malformed and/or weak it may make it for a few days then pass on or Ellie may have laid on him while we where at work. Either way it was a sad event for everyone especially my boys.

 

God be with our little pup!

#3 Black Male

Day 3

On Day 3 the puppies went  for their first truck ride and check up to the vet. They also  have their dew claws removed. The procedure is done at such an early age because the puppies pain sensors are not yet developed and it is thought that the process does not hurt them. Ed picked our boys up from the YMCA camp to help take all of the pups safely into the vet. Everyone had a fine check up and the removal of the dew claws went well.

 We have put collars on the puppies, pink for girls and white for boys. The collars also have  numbers that correspond to each puppy. You can follow along with the growth of the puppies and watch the development of your favorite.

 Right now their bodies are about the size of a stick of butter and they are very wiggly & squirmy. The pups eyes and ears are closed and they have no teeth, but they must have a great  sense of smell. As soon as Ellie gets into the box they start wiggling toward her for a drink and a snuggle from mom!

 Everything makes them tired, so they sleep a lot! Sometimes it seems as though they fall asleep in mid wiggle!

Puppy #8

Puppy number 8 was born at 3:33am. It has been a very long night. So far everyone is done well!

 

 Ellie had 3 Females and 5 Males!

 

July 25, 2014 -The Puppies are here!

Ellie is our 4 year old Black Lab. She is having her puppies tonight 7-25-14. This will be her second litter. Ellie was a super mommy with her first litter and we are expecting that she will do just as good if not better with this litter. I am at work and got the call that she had her first puppy at 8:10pm. A little boy! Everyone is doing well and when I called back number two had arrived another little boy and Ellie was busy feeding them.

Ellie's x-ray from earlier this week showed at least six little pups!