The Puppies are 2 Weeks Old!

 

I don't know quite how it has happened but the puppies are now 2 whole weeks old!

They are positively thriving and Edna remains a very dedicated, attentive Mother. The pup's eyes are open now and they are changing daily.

All but one boy have homes (please email me if you are interested in this boy) and although they have not yet been allocated to their families, some of them have names already. So far we have Vincent, Pola, Alma, Charlie, Hugo, Adelaide and Violet. All lovely names.

The future owners of the pups are all fantastic at staying in contact and have been sharing their excitement by sending me pictures and videos of their puppy purchases, homes, pets and gardens. I am very grateful to have such fantastic owners as it is with these images and little anecdotes that I am able to imagine the lives that my puppies will lead.

HOW MANY PUPPIES?!

 

Just a few days ago we welcomed a litter of 14, yes 14 puppies!!!

Lets just say I'm still in shock.

The scan said 9 - a very large number of puppies for an 18kg dog with only 6 nipples. I was prepared for that, or so I thought!

But on the day the babies were born they just kept coming...and coming...and when I thought things were finished and the last puppy had been born...still more came!

So now we have 10 beautiful boys and 4 beautiful girls. All are healthy and strong. They are growing by the day. They will be silver and blue. We had hoped for some whites too, but nature obviously had other ideas.

Edna is a wonderful Mother, very attentive. I really couldn't wish for more from her. She was understandably very tired after their birth but is recovering now and is eating like a horse to keep that gold top milk flowing. 

I am helping her out by supplimentry feeding the puppies. So every 2 hours around the clock, an alarm sounds and I go to prepare a bottle for the wee ones and top everyone up. It is hard work but I am a bit like a zombie but I am enjoying every precious moment. It is a joy to watch them thrive and they grow by the day.

I have honestly never heard of a litter of standard poodles this size before! It is going to be one interesting journey but I am so very excited to watch them grow.

All but one boy have lovely homes waiting.

Here are some pictures of our precious babies.

I am so very proud of them ❤

Lady in Waiting

 

Only a week to go until our puppies arrive!

We are counting down the days!

The wait list is all but full, I think, although I can't be certain of that until the pups are born.

I have some wonderful people waiting for babies, I am very excited for all of them and very grateful for the lives that their future doggos will lead.

Edna will be having another scan from our friend Adam the sonographer in a few days, which we are looking forward to.

Whilst we wait for the impending arrival Edna is still enjoying daily walks on Dartmoor, albeit at a slower pace.

Peggy is no longer in continental trim and has now been clipped off into a shorter more practical style of HCC (Historically Correct Continental) I love the freedom that this trim has given us and whilst I am a little sad that this trim most likely spells the end of our show career, I am excited for the future and relieved at no longer having to do the weekly 5 hour grooming sessions.

Here are a few pictures of the dogs enjoying their walks over the past few days:

Pregnancy Scans - week 7

Edna is now 7 weeks pregnant.

Yesterday evening she was laid out on the sofa and I was rubbing her tummy (something she asks for constantly and I am very happy to oblige) when I felt the faint tap-tap-tapping of a pup kicking against my hand. 

It was just magical ❤ and I am very excited.

My excitement was only heightened more when my friend Adam; who is currently training to be a pet sonographer asked me if he could come weekly and scan her for his learning. Of course I agreed!

Here are the images that he managed to get today: 

I have drawn on them below to highlight which bits are which.

In this image the puppy is sat within the red area. The head is the right hand corner of the image and is clear because it is very round. In the left hand corner opposite the head is a little leg sticking up. I was able to see this move during the scan.

In this image there are two puppies. They are nose to tail.

At the left end of the yellow circle is a pups head, and the blue shows the tail end of another pup.

Based on the measurements taken of the puppies heads Adam has esimated that the pups will be here between 18th and 20th September, which fits in with what I thought.

I am very much looking forward to seeing and sharing next weeks scans!

Thank you Adam for this wonderful insight into the magic of canine pregnancy.