Six Weeks!

Hi Everyone!

Nelly has asked me to tell everyone that she is doing well and enjoying her new home with A.  Per her request I have attached video and portraits in celebration of her Fab Five's sixth week birthday.

Enjoy!
K

Ned!

Neon!

Nike!

Normandy!

Nova!

New Beginnings

Happy Boxing Day!


I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend and a happy Christmas.  I had a lovely day relaxing with K and her family.  Well, I relaxed after the kids had a little fun exploring under the Christmas tree!  They had a grand time and K got a few cute photos that I've posted below.

The holidays are a time for reflection and giving thanks.  I have been blessed with fabulous friends who have taken me and my kennel mates in when we needed a helping hand.  B and T, you fetched Joker, Sailor, me and the others from the county shelter, found us foster and forever homes and have provided support to our new families.  K, you got more than you bargained for and yet you rose to the challenge!  R, thank you for helping K and me with the puppies, you're a good friend to dogs. Tinkerbell, while I may have appeared to be ignoring you, I am grateful for your help in herding the puppies and for trying to play with them.  They think you're pretty cool. 

Tomorrow I am set to begin another new chapter in my life.  I leave K and the puppies for my forever home with A.  I like A.  He has visited with me a couple of times and he knows that I like my ears and belly rubbed.  I sure do hope his couch is a comfy as K's though.  There is nothing like a comfy couch on which to veg out in the winter time!

My puppies will be six weeks old on Thursday so our separation is right on time.  Nova, Ned, Normandy, Nike and Neon are healthy and strong and I know they have good homes waiting for them.  K will keep them until the end of this week and then they will spend two weeks with B and T undergoing basic puppy training before shipping out to their new homes.  I've asked K to use this blog to keep everyone in touch with their progress and pictures during this time. 

Dear Readers, Thank you for following my blog!  I wish you well and I hope that the new year brings good luck and new beginnings to you and yours.  I have enjoyed writing so much that I have encouraged K and Tinkerbell to start blogs too.  I hope you find them online soon.

Cheers!

Nelly

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve and I'm sacked out in K's living room listening to football and enjoying some much needed quiet time.  This past week has been exciting!  Last Saturday we had a visit from from my adopted dad who is also planning to adopt one of my pups.  Then for much of the week K was busy with house cleaning as her parents and her brother came down from NY to spend Christmas with us.  On Thursday the pups had their first ever bath and then their first field trip.  Aunt B and K took us on a short car ride to the Kentucky Horse Park to meet some of B's co-workers and more prospective puppy parents.  The kids had a great time and they were on their best behavior.  On Friday the pups had their weekly pedicure and portraits and got to play with the family. 

Today has been a bit up and down.  Nova had to take a trip to the vet.  She has an infection near her jaw that is likely due to a bite from one of her siblings.  She's on the mend thanks to medicine from our favorite Dr. W and lots of snuggles from B, K and Grandpa.  The rest of the kids are just fine. They've had snuggles and play time and loads of kibble.  Best of all, K treated Tink and me to a few bites of the ham after dinner.  Yummy!

I'll leave you tonight with with wishes for love, peace, a haul of your favorite kibble and, of course, the puppy portraits.

Nelly

Ned

Neon

Nike

Nova

Normandy

Four Weeks!

Good Evening!

Nova, Ned, Normandy, Nike and Neon have turned four weeks old today!  They are growing rapidly and now have the ability to climb out of their pool.  In fact, K has set up an X-pen as a barricade around the pool perimeter to keep them in.

The pups have had many adventures this week beginning with the introduction of solid food last Saturday. They get a mush of puppy kibble, evaporated milk, warm water and some ground beef which they've taken to like labs to water! Now they get a dish of puppy mush each evening while I eat my dinner and whatever they don't finish, I get to eat.  Yum!

K lets them play outside of the pool a couple of times a day.  Yesterday we all had a special treat and played outside in the sunshine.  The pups enjoyed the fresh air and got to visit neighbor Faith and a couple of nice workmen who had been touching up the house next door.  They also met their aunt Tink and their aunt Sian yesterday.  Tink, I know I've mentioned, she lives here at K's with me.  Sian is one of R's miniature schnauzers. 


Today's activities included playing with K and Tink, another pedicure and meeting uncle Henry, R's other miniature schnauzer. 


As for me, I'm doing well.  I am able to get more rest now that the pups are growing more independent.  I get lots of yummy kibble and I even got to go for a nice walk the other day.  Life is good.


In keeping with tradition the pups' weekly portraits are posted here as is a video K made from yesterday's outdoor adventures.  Enjoy!

Nelly

Neon

Nike

Normandy

Ned

Nova

Week Three!

Today is the pups' three week birthday!
They are still on milk for another couple of weeks so in lieu of cake, here they are throwing themselves a party. 
Enjoy!
Nelly

Nova

Ned

Normandy

Nike

Neon

Day Seventeen

Hi Folks!

The pups are on the move now!  Their short but frequent bursts of energy have them exploring the puppy pool and climbing each other and any visitors who happen to drop by.  They've been visited by two prospective puppy parents so far with more visits expected in the coming weeks. 

As for me, all I can say is, is it week six yet?  The little ones are exhausting!  Of course I still feed and bathe them, just not as frequently as I needed to in the first two weeks.  I am a firm believer in allowing the pups some non-mom time to develop their independence.  So while they are busy exploring and sleeping I take advantage of the opportunity for adult company with K or catching a nap myself.

You can see what I mean in the video.  Enjoy!

Nelly

Happy Birthday!

It's the pups' two week birthday today.  To mark the occasion they had their first pedicure.  Thanks B!  Their eyes are beginning to open, as are their ears and they have taken their first steps.  K took lots of photos which I have posted here.  Enjoy!

Ne

Ned!

Normandy!

Nike!

Neon!

Obligatory family portrait.

Nova finds learning to walk is quite tiring.

Nova's tired.

Nike, champion nurser!

Norman catches some sleep on Ned.

Neon's first steps!

Building Muscle

Good Evening Everyone!

It has gotten cold here in Kentucky, we've even had snow over the past 24 hours.  But this hasn't stopped the pups from getting their exercise.  In fact the pups have done so well with both diet and exercise that they have already gained more than a pound!  All five are now over two pounds in weight and they are beginning to gain the use of their legs.  At this rate their eyes and ears will open by the end of this week and they will be walking!

You've all seen the introductory video in my last post.  The full video featuring my fab five is now playing.  Enjoy!

Nelly

Daily Exercise

Hello Everyone!

All is quiet here in my world.  My K's parents left yesterday morning and K herself has been out and about visiting her horses most of the weekend.  I suspect she's trying to get some additional exercise as we haven't been able to take walks since the pups have arrived.

Did you know that the pups need to have daily exercise too?  They receive about 12 seconds of specialized stimulation from our humans each day.   The program we are using was developed by the U.S. Military and has been proven to produce healthier, more socially accepting puppies.

 I have included a video of Normandy's round. You will see that it is quite acrobatic and, while Norman makes a bit of a fuss, it's not hurting him.  What K is doing is holding him vertically, on his tummy, on his back and finally upside down for about 3 seconds and finally tickling his toes.  Exposing Normandy and his siblings to such stressors early in life helps them progress faster in their mental and physical development.  The humans will do this daily until the pups are about 17 days old; at which point they'll be on their feet and too big to safely hold in the various positions.  Can you believe that that milestone is going to be next week?  I can't wait!  I am hoping to be able to resume my own exercise program once the pups have their legs.


Nelly

Week One

 Hello Friends!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!  I hope you and yours have had a delightful holiday week thus far.

Well, the pups and I have made it through their first week.  All five of them are healthy and gaining weight daily.  I too am doing well.  I must admit though that I tire of them frequently and enjoy having a break with K and my other humans.

The pups' personalities are still developing however here's where we are at one week:

Nova. Team captain, quiet and a steadying influence on her siblings.

   

Ned.  Still directionally challenged but a sweet boy.

Normandy. He's a solid citizen.

Nike. The team diva.  Pink is definitely her color.

Neon. Quick on the uptake and still using his small stature to advantage.

Nelly

Fab Five

Hello!

I am no longer pregnant!  My puppies arrived yesterday morning beginning with Nova making her debut about 4:05. Following Nova were her brothers Ned at 4:42 and Normandy (Norman for short) at 5:55.  After a spot of trouble which was relieved by a hormone boost, Miss Nike arrived at 8:47 and then little Mr. Neon at 10:14.

We are all doing well.  I am a bit sore and a whole lot tired!  Yesterday was an incredibly long day and my pups will be completely dependent upon me for several weeks.  Right now they are blind and deaf as their ears and eyes will remain sealed for two weeks.  What you may not know is that they also cannot yet produce their own body heat or even go potty.  They stay warm by sleeping next to me and by using latent heat and piling upon one another should I be momentarily indisposed.  I feed them, bathe them and even take care of waste management for the next five weeks!  Thankfully I have a brilliant support team! K, B, R and T, I love you guys!  K, I'm sorry I've had to wake you at 3:30 and 4:00 the past two mornings.

Readers, you may be remembering my earlier post telling you the vet said I was carrying eight.  He was correct, but sadly three of the puppies were stillborn.  My support team and I tried very hard to revive them but the pups couldn't be saved.  K and R both stated that they were needed Heaven.

Now enough sadness.  The "fab five" are a joy to be celebrated.  Even at one day old they are starting to develop their personalities:
Nova is a diva.  She knows what she needs and she'd going to go for it.
Ned is determined but has a poor sense of direction.  Poor little dear took forever to find the milk.
Normandy is a fighter.  He was a little weak at birth but pulled through.
Nike is athletic.  She can nurse like a champ from the most amazing positions.
Neon is ingenious.  He may look like the runt but he uses his size to advantage, crawling under and through to get to food.

I will keep up posting their progress.  Now for a power nap!

Nelly

Left to right: Neon, Nova, Nike, Norman (on top) and Ned

Still waiting...

Hello Everyone!

Here is perhaps the last photo to be taken of me before the puppies make their debut.  I suspect they will make their grand entrance soon as I have been very tired much of the day and I don't like it when K and Tink move out of my line of site.  The doc did say I am carrying eight and as you can see, they are quite unwieldy hanging as they do in my belly.  Exhausting!

Also exhausting are my humans.  Dear readers I do love them but they are so impatient!  K has taken my temperature twice today and asked me at least three times if the puppies are coming.   I had to put my head in her lap, look her in the eye and patiently explain that they pups will be here when they're ready and not before.

And now I must rest.  I've got to conserve my strength so I bid you a pleasant evening.  I'm off to dreamland thinking of my "After" photo.

Nelly

Nope, not done yet!

Evenin' All!

It's been another quiet day for me.  I've spent my day resting and trying to ignore Tinkerbell's shenanigans.

The humans are starting to get impatient, to which I can only advise them to trust me.

About mid afternoon K and R started communicating via their mini box things again.  They were talking about me.  How do I know?

First, K took my temperature again, checking for labor onset.  While I do love K and realize she's only trying to help, I must say this constant temperature-taking is becoming bothersome!  And as if that weren't enough, she then started viewing the blog library of another human Lab mother. While viewing this blog library K just had to pull up a video of newborn pups.  When I heard the cries I ran right over to the rescue!  Even Tinkerbell came to investigate.  (There may be hope for Tink yet.  Oh wait, she also tried to chew the corner of the folder; never mind.)

I was quite glad that a rescue wasn't necessary.  The pups on the video were with their momma so there was no need to file a report with the Puppy Protection Agency.  I was a bit chagrined at having my nap so rudely interrupted however and tried, once again to reassure K that I know what I'm doing.  And that I'm not done yet!

Nelly

P.s. As it's a short report, here's a picture of Tinkerbell.  Even though she's not a Lab, she is a canine and tries quite hard to be a model citizen when she has a mind to.

Hurry up and wait

Good Afternoon Friends!

All is quiet on the puppy front.  The pups are moving a lot which is delightful for my humans but exhausting for me.  I've been spending the day resting up as much as possible, pausing only for brief forays outside, temperature logs and of course today's blog posting.

I must say that my humans have been very considerate in helping me prepare for this latest litter.  They've set up a suitable whelping box, brought in heat lamps and blankets to help me keep each puppy warm until all are safely delivered, assembled basic veterinary supplies and are supplying lots of love and encouragement.  Sometimes I worry that they'll become a little mushy-gushy with the L and E, but so far they've managed to keep it in check.

I do suspect that my humans are quite excited to meet the pups.  They are messaging each other constantly on those funny little boxes they carry around. K has taken to keeping her box within arm's reach and she goes for it as soon as she's finished taking my temperature.  I wish they would relax just a little bit.  Otherwise they may be too exhausted to help out when I need them most!  Silly humans, they really can take the cues from me.  Even Tinkerbell the cattle dog puppy is more relaxed, and if you knew Tink, you'd realize that that's saying something!

Well folks, I'm feeling another nap coming on so I'll sign off for now.  In the meantime, enjoy your afternoon and, for my humans, RELAX!


Nelly

Many Blessings

Hello and Welcome to my world!

My name is Nelly. I am eight years old.  I am a Labrador Retriever.  Despite my breed's title I do not engage in retrieval which frankly, I find to be a waste of time and energy.  My career has been spent as a show dog and as a brood bitch. In other words, I've produced litters of puppies.  And when you raise puppies, you do not have time to fetch. Trust me on this.

Recently my life was forever changed and I would like to share my story with you.

My new story begins about 56 days ago when my breeder was raided by the county humane society.  Sadly my breeder had allowed herself to be overwhelmed with too many animals and was unable to properly care for us.  The county forced her to surrender me and eleven other kennel mates.  This could have been the end of the line for many of us older Labs as I have heard that most adopters prefer youngsters.  My mates and I are blessed in that a couple of dear friends recognized us from the reports and came to the county shelter to re-rescue as many of us as they could.  These friends, B and T, then combed their network of friends, co-workers and community members to find us loving forever homes.

B had a few potential candidates in mind for in me, so she sent me to live with her friend K until just the right home was found.  I was rather nervous that first night at K's house.  This was the second major upheaval in my life within a period of two weeks.  K made me feel welcome and within a couple of days I decided I quite like her.  I really enjoy the individual attention K lavishes on me.  I don't even mind that I share the house with Tinkerbell, K's eleven month old cattle dog-shepherd mix.

The one and only complaint I had was the diet K put me on.  My breeder may have been overwhelmed in the cleaning and organizational departments, but she was quite generous with the food.  While I admit I had lost my girlish figure, I also have the defense of many litters of puppies delivered, which makes complete recovery impossible.  K takes health and fitness pretty seriously, so she cut me back to one cup of food per day and instituted an exercise regimen.  She, Tink and I walk about three-quarters of a mile at least once a day.  Or we did until a couple of days ago when K finally realized that I am producing another litter.

Boy did those human phone lines light up Friday night!  It was a bit of a treat for me to watch the by-play.  I have been trying to tell K these past two months but apparently rolling over to show my belly just convey the message.  Instead my belly had to "drop" for this latest litter to be noticed.  Anyway, the thermometer came out and regular temperature checks began immediately. (The humans need to monitor my temperature and observe it's drop which signals the onset of labor.)  K, our mutual friend R, along with B and T rushed me to the vet for x-rays Saturday morning where the vet confirmed for them that I shall be delivering eight in the coming days. While I truly do enjoy the entertainment these humans provide, the best part about this is the food!  K immediately increased my intake to four cups per day of a puppy formula for it's increased nutrients and added yogurt for calcium.  Yum!

Eating more and exercising less.  It's completely worth one more litter of puppies for this old girl.

I will fill you in on my progress and the human-provided entertainment in the days ahead.  In the meantime, I must nap.

Nelly

My puppies!