Puppies !!!!

Lovely, our Australian Labradoodle, is mom to four beautiful puppies, born last Thursday, 6 August 2009. The births went without a hitch, quickly and easily, and the kids got to watch the whole process and even help out a little. Lovely did not appear to be disturbed by them being “all over things” – once or twice she indicated a bit of anxiety and then I just told the kids to back off a bit and all was well. There was very little mess and most of what there was Lovely cleaned up herself. She used the whelping box that I had prepared. I wasn’t sure whether she would, as it wasn’t something she’d spent much time in, but when the moment was nigh she naturally went there and popped the babies out.

Introducing:

Diamond: born at 4:45 pm, weighing in at 230g at birth, a gorgeous apricot-coloured boy, with a white spot on his forehead and a white patch on his throat and chest. He was born just minutes after Laolao and the kids got home from daycamp, and a mere minute or two before I arrived home from work.

Peridot: born at 5:07 pm, 190g at birth, a beautiful golden girl with a tiny white spot on her forehead and hints of a few white highlights throughout her coat. Lovely required a bit of assistance breaking the sac, and at first I was scared she might not be breathing, but all turned out well and she is now growing fine.

Opal: born hard on Peridot’s heels at 5:10 pm, 192g at birth, a beautiful black boy with hair that is already looking wavy.

Garnet: the baby of the bunch, born at 5:25 pm, 191 g at birth, a black girl with – so far – a shiny smooth coat.

Mom and pups are doing well. Lovely is a good mother, concerned about her pups and their safety, feeding and snuggling them for long hours. She did go play with the kids at the park on Sunday afternoon (but had to be coerced into going at first). The first night after the birth the kids slept on the kitchen floor by mom & pups – just too exciting to go any further away!! – but since then we’ve brought the box up to my bedroom at night, mostly so I can let Lovely out to pee during the night.

The kids are already playing with the puppies – very gently of course – so they will definitely be well socialized and used to interacting with kids by the time they leave our household! So far my ads have elicited some expressions of interest, but no firm offers yet. That will come – we’ve got another two months with the little ones.

Even Laoye thinks they’re cute!

(Check out our "kennel" website at DragonRam Doodles for more pictures, info on Australian Labradoodles, how to adopt a puppy, etc.)