The Puppies are all in their homes

It's gotten very quiet at SunnyOaks - well, maybe quieter is a better way of saying it.  This morning Joie left with her mom Chris and her aunt Dian to fly to her new home in California.  Joie stayed with Chris on the plane - in a sherpa bag.  I received several text messages from Chris letting me know that Joie is taking it all in stride and that they've arrived safe and sound.  Our California girl has earned her first frequent flyer miles!  Joie will be attending puppy kindergarten once her shots are completed.  Chris has already got her enrolled.





This has been a week of paperwork.  The puppies have been registered and futurity nominated.  The paperwork for BAER testing results has been submitted to the OFA database.  We BAER test every puppy in the litter and we report the results for each puppy tested.  We also submitted the paper work for the micro-chip registry - AKCreunite.  Each puppy is micro-chipped when they receive their first vaccination.

One of the best things about having a litter is hearing about how the puppies are doing.  We have received regular updates on the pups.  It's a bonus when we receive pictures!  Here's a cute picture of Bucco looking at the tile in the shower - white with black spots.  I think he's trying to figure out why it looks so familiar!  So far in Bucco's lifetime, his Pittsburgh Pirates are undefeated!  Hopefully his team will continue to do well the rest of the season.

Darla, our Floridian, has settled right into her new family.  She's decided that swimming is great exercise, and she's followed her Dalmatian relatives into the water, across the pool, and out the steps like she'd been doing it all her life.  Here's a cute picture of Darla hanging out with one of her spotted house mates.

It's been a great litter!

We're On Our Way Home!

The puppies are starting to leave for their homes.  

Patches is now "Bucco" named for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He is now living in Maryland with his new family Pamela and Richard Feinstein.  Their two sons (David is in the picture) are close by to puppy-sit.  He's tucked safely into his new home, has had his first meal and trip outside to explore the yard.

Penelope is now "Darla" named for the Little Rascals Darla.  She is on her way to sunny Florida to make her new home with Mac and Ann Smith.  We are thankful to Connie Wagner who offered to have a travel companion for her drive.  Hopefully this little rascal is not not singing to Connie the entire 600 mile drive home.

Joie will meet her new mom next weekend.  They have had their first video call on Skype.  It is a wonderful feeling to know that the pups will all be in great homes!

  

The Puppies are 8 weeks old!

The puppies have been hearing tested, have had their first set of shots and have been micro-chipped.  All of this information will go into the OFA database, where the rest of their health tests will be added as they grow into adulthood.  The OFA Database (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals) maintains a record of all health tests submitted to the database.  It is a great tool for breeders to use to keep track of their own health statistics for litters and it is also a great tool for other breeders to use as they consider dogs to incorporate into their breeding program.

We like to take a set of stacked photographs as a record of the structure of the puppies in each litter.  As much as we work with the puppies leading up to picture-taking day, it is always a challenge to get an 8-week old puppy to hold still for a photograph!  

 Joie - Black and White Female 

Bilateral Hearing - Blue Eye Off Show Side

Add caption

Penelope - Black and White Female

Bilateral Hearing - Brown Eyes

Available

 

Nikki - Black and White Female

Bilateral Hearing - Brown Eyes

Parker - Black and White Male

Bilateral Hearing - Brown Eyes

Patches - Black and White Male

Bilateral Hearing - Brown Eyes

Puppies will start going to their homes this weekend.  Penelope is available.  Contact me if you are interested:  michelewrath@yahoo.com

The time with this litter passed really quickly.  We counted 4 snow storms, a tornado watch, and 2 ice storms during the past 8 weeks.  The first ice storm took out the power for 2 days.  Fortunately we have a generator that runs just about everything in the house so we had heat and electricity and the use of most appliances.  We did not have use of the washing machine or dryer - two of the most prized appliances during the early life of a litter.  We came through it all just fine.  We look forward to watching these pups grow up!

Moving Day!

 On Friday we moved the puppies from the whelping box to a larger, more secure puppy pen.  The puppies are getting more agile and more active, and a few had become regular escape artists.  The new space provides the puppies with more room to play, introduces them to crates and the start of litter box training.

The pen has three spaces:  a playing area, a sleeping area and the litter box.  The crate is now the sleeping area.  We use a 400-size airline crate with the door removed.  The crate is lined with a chew-proof pad and several blankets. Dogs are den animals, so the crate is an easy transition.  We add the litter box at this stage, and our expectation is that they will become accustomed to the feel of the litter.  It's a new surface for them, and they are not sure what to think the first time they step on it.  We place the pups in the litter when they wake up from a nap and after they eat.  With luck, our timing is good.  If not, we hope for the next time!  The playing area makes up most of the rest of the space in the pen. The puppies are starting to recognize each other and it has been fun to watch them play.  We have left the door to the pen open and placed a storage box in front.  The box serves as a barrier that keeps the puppies in the pen and as a step stool so that Mom can come and go as she pleases.  We let our moms decide how much time they want to spend with their pups.  We think that Mom provides much needed discipline and socialization so we let her manage her own schedule.  

 We used rubber sports tiles to line the floor of the pen.  They have a textured surface and are cushioned and easy to clean.  We have a rubber mat under the flooring to protect the floor from moisture and so far it is working great.

Each week the puppies are starting to look more and more like little dogs!  They are barking and wagging their tails and playing.  They started with one meal per day this week, but that will change as their appetites increase.  It's a fun time!

The puppies make themselves comfortable in their new home!

When is the Nanny Getting Here?

The puppies are now just over 3 weeks old.  Their eyes are open and they are starting to realize that there is a big world out there.  It is also about the time that Mom starts to grow tired of just being Mom and starts taking time away from the litter.  It is a great signal to us that it's time to start the weaning process.








The puppies had their first meal this week.  I soak a small amount of Purina ProPlan in warm water until the kibble is very soft.  It is then pureed into a soupy gruel.  I pour this gourmet delight of a meal into a Pyrex dish with a small lip that makes it easy for the puppies to eat from.  I typically have to show the puppies the food and put a taste of it on their noses to entice them to eat.  I didn't have to do a thing for this litter - they literally dove right in!  For the first few meals we expect that as much food will be on them as in them and this litter was no different in that regard.  Once the food is as eaten as it will get, I let Mom back in the room and she cleans up the pups and licks the plate clean. 

Mary Kate has been happy to have the help of her mother Ginger, who has been stopping by to check in on the pups and Mom.  Mary Kate has been very comfortable with her mother helping out and Ginger has been the perfect Grandma.  She does not overstay her welcome. 

This weekend we will move the puppies from their whelping box and into a larger puppy pen.  The puppies are starting to outgrow the whelping box.  Their new puppy pen with give them more room to play.  We will start to train them to use a litter box and we will celebrate each and every time a puppy remembers to use the box!  We will introduce more toys and expose the puppies to different objects to crawl around and under and through.  



It's been 3 weeks and it's gone by so fast!

A Mother's Love

The puppies have changed so much in the past week!  They are all over twice their birth weight.  They are beginning to stand up on their legs and walk like little sand crabs across the litter box.  Markings are beginning to peep through their coats. In another week the markings will be much more visible.


As part of the healthy development of the puppies we go through a series of daily exercises with each puppy.  This is referred to as The Early Neurological Stimulation Program and it was developed by the US Military as part of their canine training program.  The program consists of 5 simple exercise meant to provide mild neurological stimulation to the puppy, which is believed to enhance the puppy's ability to deal with stress throughout their lives.  The exercises are simple and are done for 3-5 seconds.  The pup's paw is rubbed gently with a Q-tip - between it's toes; the pup is held with it;s head errect, and then with its head pointing down; the pup is held on its back and then placed feet-down on a damp towel that has been refrigerated for 10 minutes or so.  It takes about 30 seconds to do.  We will continue these exercises until the puppies are 16 days old.  

Mary Kate is a great mom, and she has been very attentive to her pups.  She does come out to visit us - but then runs back to the puppy room to check on her pups.  She hops back into the puppy box, touches each pup with her nose, and then finds a comfortable place to relax.  The puppies come toddling and scooting over and before you know it, Mom seems to disappear under a blanket of pups.  The next week will be an exciting one.  Eyes should begin to open, markings will become more distinct and the puppies will become more mobile.  The fun is about to begin!

 

Announcing a new litter at SunnyOaks!

 

This litter has been in the planning stages for about a year.  And the timing was finally right!  Mary Kate - GCH SunnyOaks Sweetheart Deal was bred to Ian - GCH Spotlight's Ruffian in November.  In December we did an ultrasound to confirm that puppies were on the way and on Monday, January 20,  7 healthy puppies arrived.  We have 4 females and 3 males - all black and white spotted.  One of the males has a patch on his left ear.

About Mom and Dad

 

Mary Kate - GCH SunnyOaks Sweetheart Deal is 3 years old.  She was born here at SunnyOaks.  Mary Kate is a happy sensible Dalmatian, in excellent health, with her CHIC number and all of her health clearances in the OFA database.  Mary Kate was shown to her Grand Championship, with several Best in Sweepstakes and Specialty wins.  She finished with 4 majors, the final major was earned by going Winners Bitch for a 5-point major at the Dalmatian Club of the Piedmont Specialty.  Here is a picture of Mary Kate:

 

GCH SunnyOaks Sweetheart Deal

"Mary Kate" 

 

 Ian, GCH Spotlight's Ruffian is six years old.  Ian was Best in Futurity at the Dalmatian Club of America National Specialty.  He followed that up by winning the Top 20 event 2 years later and going on to a show career that started with a Best of Breed win at Westminster and concluded with Best of Breed at the Dalmatian Club of America National Specialty.  Ian has a great temperament, is a happy go lucky guy, and has all of his health clearances and his CHIC number.  Here is a picture of Ian winning the Group at Westminster.

GCH Spotlight's Ruffian

"Ian"

 

 

We think this combination will produce sound, healthy and well-tempered pups who will grow up to be great ambassadors for the Dalmatian breed.  Some of the pups will get to be show dogs but they will all be someone's beloved companion.  Here's a picture of the proud Mom with her kids.  I'll be posting frequently, so stop by often to see what's new under the SunnyOaks!

 

Mary Kate and the Kids - January 20, 2014