A Few Hours Old ...

... And already causing trouble! Lol. Seriously I had to write some very hard e.mails to expectant owners to explain that I do not have a puppy dog for them. I had hoped to keep one myself  and had 4 semi reserved, it was really sad to let people down, but there was obviously nothing I could do. At least Lisa and her family in Manchester who are having a girl will now have a choice and I may well just keep a bitch myself. Though I had set my heart on a boy, he will have to have plenty of show potential to stay too.  The birth was reasonably easy. The pups almost flopping out with what appeared to be very little effort from Ziva. The first three came quickly between 7.50pm and 8.45pm, but then we had a break of over 2 hours. Ziva rested peacefully with her kids until the next female appeared at 10.55pm. Then another long break took us to 12.15am before the second boy arrived, closely on his heals the last girl arrived before 12.25pm giving us little time to get one sorted before the other needed some assistance. Ziva was fantastic, I may have read "Book Of The Bitch" over and over, but when nature steps in you realise they know more than you! After the 6th puppy I kind of gathered she was finished as she looked quite slim, but there was no way I was taking any risks so I stayed up with her till 7am when Steve took over and I got to go to bed for a couple of hours!  The pups weight are reasonably equal, the boys being 1lb 4oz and 1lb 5oz and three of the girls were exactly a 1lb, but the little tiny tot on the right in the picture was 12oz, so a little behind, but she seems to have plenty of go in her so I'm not overly worried. At least with only 6 pup there will be every chance for her at the milk bar and not much risk of her being pushed out!  I suppose I'll have to succumb to pressure for a Xmas theme for giving the pups their puppy identity names. I know lots of people use colours but I still prefer to give them a name for the 8 weeks they spend her, at least then we know who's who! So how about Holly, Ivy, Jingle, Belle, Nicholas (Nick) and Noel then?