Twelve Days

I could have sold three more bitch puppies today, but now I can not commit to anything.  If all goes to plan 7 puppies are now spoken for. If it wasn't for this virus we would feel in such a positive place with what seem like great homes, but the uncertainty hovers above us. I'm trying to tell myself that I should not, I can not let the uncertainty ruin the moment for me .. but it's so hard. The little people are so so beautiful and we have waited so long for them to grace our presence, I really must concentrate on enjoying them.

Luther

What No Luther?

Perry and Jamie

We've seen more of our neighbour the last week than we ever have. With a tack between us, him in his yard and us in the field it's nice to chat. He was telling us his daughter has just paid £1,600 for a puppy. "Wow" I said "What breed?" He said "well I would call it a mongrel, she calls it a Cockerpoo," I assured him I was completely on his side. Crazy ... just crazy!
We got talking about our cats and whether they see them or not. They said yes the tabbies regularly and he said the rat population in the barn was well depleted ... so now we know where the bodies come from! I guess it may mean they all go over there, though he hasn't seen Luther, and I doubt he would ever see Perry but he may well go over there too. If there's pray there then I would imagine Isla is a regular visitor. I said I hope they were not a nuisance, he chuckled and said only the one that frightens the life out of him regularly when he goes to shut the horse in. Apparently it runs out of the barn, he pointed to Jamie and said "I think that one!" No, Jamie doesn't run from anyone, more likely Junior or Choo.
Junior had returned with war wounds again yesterday and he said that there was a hell of a fight outside his at about 1am, again I'm not surprised, I've seen that side of Junior with Mandy's cat. Sweet Junior can be a shit!

Junior

Jimmy Choo

Isla

Still Sunny

Jezi and Nico 

 Ziva, Ross, Loki, Asha, Kaiah

Sammi and the "K Kids" early this morning

Hi Eye Winnie

The first to have her little eye open. 

I know she can't see us yet, but it add character, and she soon will.

Today I have put a puppy collar on Spice, telling her and Chilli apart is paramount, and with Ginger not far behind it was becoming confusing. I can't believe how much little Basil has caught up now. Though smaller than Fudge still they are hard to tell apart at first glance, but Basil still has his white tip to the tail. To be honest if they are like Kaiah the tail tips will stay till the adult coat comes through and that will continue to be helpful for us.

Wake Up

I woke up suddenly to see the most beautiful face looking down at me - yes Sammi B was on the camp bed. It held the weight of both of us too, LOL 

She didn't stay long, just sat staring at me for a while then went back off to see to her kids. 

Blustery Out There Today

I'm Scared

Beautiful Biscuit

Like the rest of us I'm not too proud to admit I'm really scared. I go to bed hoping there will be less deaths tomorrow ... sadly it's still increasing. These are times that no one could prepare for and I think anyone who says they aren't just a little bit scared are either lying or stupid.
Had I envisaged this back in January then I would never have mated Sammi, but back then this was simply something nasty that was going on in China, to my mind not something that would ever reach our shores. It's effect on the country, on the world will be dramatic, well it is already.
I was sat here waiting to see if Asda had any slots I could book for shopping, I was hoping they would go online at midnight ... but then I realised it was only 11pm - Steve had already changed the clocks! Damn it I'm easily confused. With his health conditions it really is best that neither of us go out, but if I can't get food in for the second week of April then I'll have to do the trolley dash of death again!
I'm so worried about the future for the little family asleep in the kitchen. I can only hope that in 7 weeks time that things will be a little better and that their owners can indeed come and get them. I also hope that the people who are waiting patiently for them will be well and still in a position to want a puppy. Life is on a knife edge as it never has been before for most of us. The K kids will be ready to leave  from the 14th Of May, which is a Thursday so really ideally over those next 4 days. Will I be able to get them Vet Checked and Chipped .. as is required by law? I don't know. Of course vaccinations and the do I or don't I scenario will have to be addressed again. Of course if things are still as they are now then I have to do my very best by the K Kids. At least they are not puppies in kennels, their socialising will be well on it's way. They will hear the hoover, see the TV, meet the cats, play with uncle Ross and maybe even meet Mr Grumpy Loki .. and I could even take them for a drive round the field in the van ..LOL Don't tell Steve I said that!

Fudge - 2 days ago 

I spent the afternoon trying to sort out the registrations online. It just wasn't working, figuring it was me getting it wrong I kept at it until Id explored every avenue. Eventually I message Joe, I wish then I'd done it earlier, with Sisco being still in the ownership of his breeder in Italy the KC will only process the registration on paper. Oh God I'd not done paper registrations for years, it took me ages. Then I considered that if the KC are working from home that it may take ages to get them sorted. Hmmm, I had a rain wave, maybe in the current climate they will accept scans on the documents? That would also mean paying by card ... seems the better option than posting. I'll Ring them on Monday and ask, if not I guess I'll be walking to the post box!
I'm being asked over and over what I'm keeping, well to be honest I don't know. I really would prefer a boy, but I need a dog with show potential and if the girls out class the boys on that then I would be silly not to keep a female. I have three boys booked and a gentleman waiting to see if there will be one left for him, there will only be if I keep a bitch and not a dog. There are two bitches unsold, but I feel it is best I only commit to selling one more, should I get further enquires then I would have to put them in the picture and ask if they would like to wait and see what I decide to do. I do not want to turn round to anyone last minute and say for example, "sorry I've decided to keep brother and sister so you can't have one".. Honesty will be the best policy,and as long as anyone else who now enquires about a bitch understand like the gentleman waiting for dog no 4 then no one gets hurt. In that position I will always try and help people find the right puppy too.
20 mins to go before midnight. I do hope Asda add mor times to the list... Night all

Ken's Feet

A lot of this litter had white feet which has been helpful to identify them. Now the white is fading so fast I'm getting a little confused with the girls. Ginger has lost her two left feet making her almost impossible to tell apart from Chilli and Spice. The three are like peas in a pod, so hard to tell apart. Winnie is similar to them but smaller. Beth still has some white on her feet but also a white flash on her chest so she is easy to identify.

Ken had the most white in this litter, Biscuit has nothing with Fudge having a little and Basil a little more. At around 4am I was getting Sammi a drink and saw baby Ken in this position, (Above) well the phone had to come out - and then I noticed his feet - OMG look at the dark hair coming through already. How fascinating is that. I wonder how long before that white is completely gone too?

The bottom photos were taken last night, baby Beth with her little white flash on her chest - and Basil with his tipy toes and tail. The way things are going I will need coloured collars to identify this lot! 

Everyone was weighed yesterday and all are doing OK. For so many of them Sammi is doing them proud. Basil really has put on a fair bit but Winnie and Beth are still small .. but to be honest have put on about the same as the others, they were just smaller to start off with!

One Week Old

11.42 pm last night - 7 days old - just!

Happy At Home

Though they haven't been off the property in days we and they are blessed to have so much space.

A Week Ago

Last Thursday morning and we toddled around the field, Sammi giving little indication the K kids were on the way that day. 

Not quite a week old - but luckily they all made it before midnight. I'll get them photographed and weighed tomorrow. They are so much smaller than her last litter, but I guess these are a little more normal size wise. Already huge puppies at birth and with all that milk the other three seem to double in size in front of my eyes... We do have some smaller pups here but we make sure they get the chance to go for the best milk ... they will catch up ... they always do. 

A Winnie Wash

a photo to melt the heart 

Long Coats?

Last night was not the most peaceful of nights, someone screaming, shouting and getting in a muddle on a regular basis. I must admit I was glad when the day shift got up at 7am and I got a couple of hours in a proper bed.
My early prediction is that there are no Long Coats (LSH) in this litter. Of course it's early days but at the moment I can not see that classic LSH head shape in any of them. For a bit of fun last night I posted on a GSD page on Facebook, "how many LSH can you see?" Of course some took it seriously, but mostly it was taken as it was meant. Sammi did not produce any in her previous litter, but with only three there that wasn't maybe an accurate conclusion that she does not carry the gene. Kaiah, her daughter is tested - and does carry the gene, but of course she could have inherited that from Merlot.
In the current climate selling these puppies will be a different and difficult experience for me. This will be the first time that maybe I'll have to let the pups go to their new homes without having previously met the owners. I will just have to go with my gut. At least I'm already in contact with everyone and most have come to me through friends in the breed. Typically so far I could have sold 2 more males, but I have 2 females that are yet to be spoken for .. there is interest but nothing confirmed. Still it's very early days. I need to reassess my contract and discuss it with the prospective buyers too.. and I enjoyed looking at one of the prospective homes on google earth - with the owners full knowledge of course!

Gotcha

 Ken and Chilli 

 Biscuit, Beth, Fudge

 Basil, Winnie, Spice, Ginger

Sammi B taking a break

What Time Was It?

1.27am - Sammi's gone for a wee

sweet

Basil, Ken and Biscuit - I looked!

These photos were taken between 22.30pm yesterday and 1.30am today (The top one of all the litter being the latest)

I wondered as I took them exactly what time we were all done by at the vets on Thursday evening. I know we got there between 10.30 to 10.45pm and it was decided quickly that the best option was to go ahead with the cesarean. Later I remembered one of the vets saying, all the pups are here the right side of midnight, and Katrina messaging to ask if everything was Ok? I replied to Katrina at 23.45pm "9 ok waiting on Sammi to come round."- Sammi was at home with her kids exactly an hour later, and managed to walk into the house! So I guess we can say the secret 7 arrived between 11 and 11.30pm on Thursday the 19th of March - with Biscuit getting here at 6pm and Fudge 6.30pm. I'm just so pleased she gave birth to those two natural, it will have helped and her bond with her brood is unquestionable. 

I also wonder what would have happened had we not gone when we did? It scares me as Sammi was happy with her two, relaxed, calm and content. How long would the others have survived? If we had left it a few more hours would we have had 7 dead puppies? Would she have got ill quickly as they died? I guess they could never have been born naturally so a cesarean for 7 dead puppies. Breeding a litter is so so hard ...making sure you make the right decisions. All I can say is if you have a doubt, how ever small, then get help. Better to be wrong and look an over cautious idiot than loose everything. We constantly live and learn, Uterine inertia is now something that I and my large circle of friends will know all about!

4 Am Photo

Last night just seemed the longest night. I really couldn't sleep. The camp bed isn't the best, but you know it is what it is and it's doable. Really I was haunted with all the talk of the virus and was concerned about the future and the future of the little family peacefully asleep in the box. Maybe I need to stop reading the internet info, maybe I should just watch the news once a day and then try to live life as normal, well as is normal now. I've kept to my own property the last few days, I've not even roamed beyond the fields. I will miss my mountain walks but I fear very soon the fields will be all that's available for us. Lucky us I guess.
Sammi and the K babies had a great night. Even with me bouncing about Sammi didn't move from 10.45 pm to 6.45 am. She had drinks in bed and a boiled egg at 4 am... as you do! This morning as I changed the bedding I realised how much the white had already faded on two of the bitches - Spice and Chilli now have hardly any white and are increasingly hard to tell apart. They both have tips to one back foot and the classic tail tip that Kaiah and Ziva had. Winnie has no white, Ginger her two left feet (white) and Beth has a little more white - but that is fading now too - HELP!
Boy Biscuit is easy to pick out as is Ken, but Fudge and Basil are similar though Fudge is larger and Basil has a tip to his tail. At the end of the day I can only imagine that Ken and maybe Beth will have white in a few weeks .. hopefully by then I'll know them anyway, if not I'll just have to resign myself to the odd collar.
These pups are obviously smaller than Sammi's last lot. With only the three they were born huge and seem to double in front of my eyes. I think the best way to keep an eye is to compare their weights with Asha's nine. Luckily I have the weekly weights of most of the litters. Puppies in larger litters are usually smaller, Asha's pups were, Loki was one of 10 and small... and so was Ross, they soon catch up don't they! I discussed topping them up with powdered milk with two friends, they both said the same, there is no need the bitches milk is far better. I have always believed the same and never used powdered milk but of course would if the bitch was struggling. Mummy Sammi has the best milk.
I've been sorting out the names and so far on top of the list for the bitches is Kamri, Klarrisa, Kazia, Kayla and Khandi. For the boys Kanani, Kyriacos, Kazio, Kian. Of course it's too early to register, I really don't want to tempt fate!

Watching Sammi

I love this camera. It was such a good idea. 

Sammi relaxed and happy this morning without the continued disturbance of me checking on her ever 10 mins. 

All The GSD's

Steve sitting with Sammi as I go out with the others

She's not amused at missing out!

Watch Me Go

I think is Baby Biscuit 

First Photos

Click on the photos to enlarge