Preparations for summer litter starts

We are more on schedule than ever before! You'd think we'd learn after not being satisfied with how we handled the last three whelpings. I mean the mother and pups were fine, but the whelping areas - well, let's just say we've learned a lot and we're hoping things go even more smoothly this summer. So we now have a box painted in baby pastels. We will be putting an Xpen around that, or across part of the room, whatever works. It's in the room we call the meditation room, or the second bedroom, or the puppy room - seems to depend on what activity is happening in there. Today it started to be the puppy room. The box is ready for Gracie to get used to. She's not real interested in staying in it for very long right now, but she will get used to it.

Gracie is certainly feeling her hormones! She is begging for attention and anytime you pet her she lays down and shifts a bit so you can rub her belly, which is considerably larger than normal. Her 'due' date is July 16 but I'm predicting July 13. I have an appointment with my doctor that day that I'd like to keep. He's going on holiday the next day, so it woulld be nice to be able to go to the appointment since I'm waiting for results of some tests and I'm sort of interested in hearing what he has to say. So if Gracie doesn't have her pups before then do I leave and chance her going into labour while I'm gone? Or what if she does have her puppies by then? Do I leave when they're just a few hours old? I knew I didn't want that appointment. But it was the only one available before the doctor leaves for awhile. You know I'm probably going to cancel that appointment. Maybe I can just ask that he call me and give me test results. I don't really care about anything else. I don't have time to care about anything else.

Here's Gracie with her puppies last year:

Hang on. I can't find the photo. . . . . oh, got it. I have so many distractions here it's hard to find time to write.

The arrangement

This morning I woke up thinking about where to put dogs. My husband occupies the space where the last litter found privacy. But that does free up the basement. Magic (now Chico) may arrive anytime now, I believe. Barrymore is also ready to come from Colorado. Zahra's new litter is due July 10 and she was three days early last time, so count that as the seventh of July. Plus I've put my request in for three Bolonkas. 

Today Jasmine and I planted some of the flowers I got. There are still a bunch more to plant. We put them all in a flowerbed and that's pretty shady and I'll water them with the sprinkler. We drained the hot tub so it can be moved. I want it on the lower deck so it will get shade. I'll leave a couple of chairs on the upper deck so we can enjoy the flowers. The dogs, of course, will eat flowers, too. I'm putting most of them in planters and I'll check the others out before I put them in the ground. They need to be pet safe.

Skylie is five months old now and still so cute. She's a puppy but she's also a little bit grown up. She tries to get another dog to play with her a lot. She also follows me around pretty well. I had her out front for a short time. She followed me and Jasmine. When Jasmine went home to get something she wanted to follow her home.

I'm hoping I can have time to brush and bathe dogs over the next few days. They need it and I like to do it. It gives me time with each dog which we usually both enjoy. Until it comes time to cut the toenails. Then nobody is my friend!!

So I'm still thinking of where to put dogs. I discovered that the area outside the basement door is quite pleasant. I'll put in some river stones for the dogs and a couple of plants for me. And a chair for me. And, of course a fence with a gate. I'll love that spot. When that side of the basement is heated and air conditioned it will be even more inviting over there. I haven't decided whether to divide the back yard. It would be easy to have a side area fenced in and the back stay the same. The basement could be several separate areas as well. It will take awhile to figure this out.

Puppies are coming!

A bitch doesn't stay pregnant for very long. It seems like just yesterday that my kids (grown) were asking me if I was sure she is really pregnant. I said I know for sure because she and Rascal did exactly the same thing they did before when she got pregnant, so yes, I'm sure. Now she's nearly halfway through her pregnancy. Last night I got some new toys and blankets and a puppy baby bottle. I'm trying to envision where to put the new mom and her litter. My husband has moved into the space she occupied before. I had put it there because it was the most private place in the house, which is why it's a good place for his office. But now what? There is actually room in the office, but with all the weighing and watching and cleaning the pen, it probably would interrupt his train of thought a few times. I thought we could put her in the bottom of a large crate like we did before and put that crate in our bedroom. But our first Bolognese (Punky) has kept rights to sleeping on the bed and she isn't fond of puppies, never having had any herself.  If she isn't in bed with us she will whine all night. I could try putting her in a crate and see if she'll be quiet. As if. She's very attached. Back to Zahra and pups . . . . The basement could work but that's so many trips up and down for me. No water down there which means no washroom, and of course minimal lighting. Plus, with the air conditioning on it's pretty cool down there and by July it will be hot hot hot everywhere. I think I have the nesting instinct and I'm not even the one pregnant.

Relaxation

Watching puppies sleep makes me feel good, as if part of me is relaxing too. Wouldn't it be great if I could relax like that and as often as they do, too. I'm in the living room of my home right now with six dogs. Six dogs are laying down and look like they're sleeping. If I make a move they are on the alert, but if I just sit they are totally relaxed. Sweet. They relax on the big pillow, in a dog bed, on the hardwood floor and on the foot stool. They know not to get on the couch. I figure their minds must be pretty clear to be able to relax so completely.

Today I had a phone call from someone who wants an older pup or maybe one out of the next litter. I feel hopeful about selling this next litter. The picture of Skylie in the Ottawa Citizen has been responsible for quite a few calls. When I get my pictures on this computer I'll post some.

Now I'm planning out some breedings. Rascal had no interest in Gracie once Zahra came in heat. I'm going to send Zahra away during her next heat. I need to make absolutely sure there are no 'mistakes' next time. I'm getting a new boyfriend for Gracie. She deserves that after so much rejection from Rascal. She would stand around looking at me seemingly wondering why her best friend was so interested in someone else and not her. I guess maybe that's the problem - they're best friends. Perhaps he didn't want to ruin the friendship!

Bolo Breeder? What's that?

And what's a Bolo, anyway? The reason I called my kennel Bolobabies is because my intent is to breed both Bolognese and Bolonki. Right now I have a good start with the Bolognese and am expecting to add a Bolonka or two soon. I did think the name was a little cutsie and that I would think of something else more elegant. As you can see, I haven't thought of a good alternative yet and now I'm kind of stuck with the name. Actually, I kind of like it now. After all, no matter how old they get, they are still babies, aren't they? Especially these dogs. They just want to be with their people or perhaps with any people. They have always been companion dogs. I don't think there's any way to breed that out of them and who would want to anyway?