Our Labrador had
puppies! They are three-weeks-old now
and soooooo cute! I mean, it’s
ridiculous how cute I think they are.
Those of you who know me, know I could talk about human birth, labor,
delivery, etc the live long day. I’m
passionate about, fairly knowledgeable, and find it fascinating. I have been
present at a fair number of births for a person who is not a doula or
midwife. However, I have to admit, I
found dog birth to be very boooooring. Do understand that Cam thought she was
in labor a full 24 hours before anything happened. Also, I think my ignorance about dog birth
made it even more boring. With human
labor, I know all the sign posts to look for, I know what’s happening and why,
and I understand (basically) how to support and encourage the mama. Dogs don’t need support. They would prefer to be left alone. So, I’m left just watching, watching her do
the same unremarkable thing for 24 hours.
However, finally, that first little puppy came out. Laney did her awesome doggy mommy business
and cleaned that little booger up. Then we waited some more. The first one came early morning. By noon, we had seven healthy pups. Seven healthy, adorable pups. Laney could not have done a better job. She was devoted in every way to caring for
those babes. How I wish I could listen
to those natural, nurturing instincts better in my own mothering. Surprisingly, when we cleaned the bedding and
did a head count later that night, an eighth one had snuck out! Here is a picture of her nursing
her brood calmly. They, on the other
hand, are not so calm while nursing. It
is hilarious to watch the “ravenous” pups fight and squirm to find a spot.
Puppies are born without
their eyes and ears open. Here’s a
picture of them a day or two after birth.
We had five yellow and three black.
Four boys and four girls.
They now have their
eyes open and are each developing their own personalities. The girls can’t keep their hands off of them
(okay, neither can I). But, luckily, it’s
great socialization for the dogs. On day
17, they began to play with one another.
They are now chewing on each other and crawling to the top of the heap
for naps. Oh, how they make us
smile. It will really be hard when the
last one has gone to a new home. The
girls have a firm understanding that we will not be keeping these puppies. Our house is just not big enough for three large dogs, two children, and
their parents. But, boy are they fun
while they’re here.
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| Three-week-old black Labrador puppy |
PS- If you think your
house and heart are big enough for one of these dogs, please check out our farm
website:
