Removing the Old, Catching Up with the New; Even a Puppy or Two!.

Where to start? I've removed all of the old worn out posts and kept only those that I feel are meaningful or important. Now it's time to catch up on a few things, mainly puppies!

Yes, I said puppies. :)

Sheba is a sweetheart who was found on November 22. We believe that she was abandoned. She had no collar or tags, was very tired and was running back and forth on the road each time a car came along, looking for her family.

When hubby opened the door to the Jeep, This wee tired doggie jumped right in, lay down on the seat and fell asleep.

We tried to find her family, but no one came forward to claim her. We have now given her a forever home with us.

We could not figure out why someone would have let this little treasure go. She is polite, quiet and loves attention and cuddles. We think that we solved that mystery.

Jan 7, 2010

Well, I think we have discovered the reason that our little stray, Sheba, was abandoned. (Insert foul language here aimed at her previous owner). Her belly and teats are getting bigger and she's started to eat like a wee piglet. If she is pregnant and not a false pregnancy, we figure she is about 7 weeks along, probabley a wee bit more. Time will tell. At 8 weeks, we should be able to feel movement of the pups.

Jan 10, 2010

How do I tell Sheba that she is to start sleeping in a box in preparation for her pups arriving? I showed her the box and she looked at it, looked at me and said "Are you crazy? why should I sleep in that when there is a nice soft bed?"

Jan 14, 2010

Sheba will probably deliver within the next few days. Her box is cozy and comfy. She lay in it for about 10 - 15 minutes tonight, and hopefully will have her pups in it. I'm excited, but worried too. Will she care for them or will I have to be a surrogate mommy? Stay tuned for Adventures in Puppy Birthing.

Jan 15, 2010

Baby bottle and nipple: check. Dental floss: check. Scissors (sharp): check. Betadine: check. Cotton swabs: check. Stethoscope: check. Towels (hanging over the heater): check. Just need a few cans of evaported milk and some corn syrup to prepare formula for any pups that mom won't feed.

Jan 25, 2010

Adventures in Puppy Land Well, it is finally over. Sheba has delivered 7 healthy pups; 5 males and 2 females. She did very well during the deliveries, but as this is her first litter (so we suspect), she was quite unsure as to what to do at first.

When Zeus arrived at 5:56 a.m. (frist born) Sheba cut the cord too long,licked him a wee bit and then was unsure what to do next. I took the pup when she left him and tied and cut the cord, cleaned him up, rubbed him to get him warm and then introduced him to his mom. She was quite good and let him suckle.

Next came Apollo at 7:24 a.m. I thought that there was a bit too much time between the two pups, and I understood why when Apollo came out halfway, butt first. After a tense minute, out he came fully. Sheba seemed to know what to do this time, removing the sack, cutting the cord, cleaning him and then allowing him to nurse.

Pan followed at 8:05 a.m, and by now, Sheba was a pro, delivering and cleaning up. When she finished cleaning him, she sat up and looked at me as if to say "Take him away now". I took him and placed him in the box with his brothers.

Next came the first female, Damia, at 8:36 a.m. , followed by two males, Hyperion at 9:09 a.m and Helios at 10:58 a.m.

Finally, the last pup, the female Alcyone, was born at 12:47 p.m.

Sheba did not allow the last 5 pups to nurse, instead growling at them when we tried to introduce the pups to her teats. She was probably sore and too tired.

Mark went and prepared the formula for the pups. If you ever need a good puppy formula, here it is:

1. 8 oz. evaporated milk
2. 8 oz. water
3. 1beaten yolk. Do NOT use the whites as they are not good for the pup
4. 1 tbsp. corn syrup.

Mix well and make sure that the milk is warm before feeding.

Each pup ate well. :)

After a few hours of letting Sheba rest, we decided to try again. Mark went to the store to get some tasty treats for Sheba (bribery) and while he was gone, I cleared out the closet for her, as it seemed that she might want a "cave". (Thanks for the idea, Judy!) She did and immediately went inside and lay down.

When Mark got back from the store, he put on a pair of leather gloves, in case Sheba snapped at him, and we got down to business. Mark spoke gently to Sheba while petting her. When she was calm, I placed a puppy in front of her.

Sheba gave a wee growl, but Mark continued to pet her and speak with her and introduced the pup to Sheba's teat. When the pup was latched on, Mark gave Sheba a treat.

We continued this way until all 7 pups had latched on and were suckling. Finally, Sheba understood that she has to nurse her babies.

When she thought that a pup had had enough, she would nudge it off the teat and away from her. There were about 4 pups still hanging on when Sheba decided she had had enough and stood up and walked out of her "cave". Of course the pups dropped off onto the floor, but were not hurt. :)

Since Sheba was still not snuggling with the pups to keep them warm, I got a hot water bottle for them and Mark put a wee heater in the room for them. The pups quietened down after they were warm. :)

All was well for most of the night, until about 4:00 a.m. when I was awakened by crying puppies. Sheba was lying down near them, but not feeding or mothering them. She looked at me quite worredly, so I again gave her the pups and she washed and fed each one, but only a little bit each, then she left them alone again.

I then took Sheba outside and she was a good girl, doing both her businesses, then coming in and running upstairs to check on her babies as soon as we came inside. :)

It will take a while, methinks. Sheba is young to be a mother, so we will continue to suppliment the puppies with bottle feedings, give them snuggles and keep them warm. As time goes on, she will be more motherly, I am sure. :)

Lady is doing very well during all of this. She is worried when she hears the pups crying and goes and stands at the gate to the room where mother and pups are, and looks in to make sure everything is okay. Maybe when the pups are a few weeks old, we'll introduce her to them and see how she is with them. :)

Well, that is about it for the first visit to Puppy Land. I'm sure that I'll have many tales to tell as the pups grow and become more active. Meanwhile, enjoy the photos that I uploaded of the puppies' first day. :)

Oh, before I forget, all the pups are named after Greek Gods and Goddesses. :)

In order of birth:

Zeus - God of Sky, Weather, Thunder and Lightning and Cloud Gatherer. God of Home and Hearth, and of hospitality to strangers.


Apollo - God of Music


Pan - God of Goatherds and Shepherds


Damia - Goddess of Growth in Nature


Hyperion- God of Light


Helios - God of the Sun


Alcyone - Goddess of the Sea, the Moon, Calm and Tranquility

Sheba's 7 puppies born on January 24, 2010
Some scenes (birth scenes) may be upsetting to some people.
Puppies Photo Album