Day 1 - Labor

So these puppies were due for Christmas, but try as we might, she basically just panted and shivered and acted uncomfortable all day with no results. I have been
around enough pregnant dogs to know the signs, so I was a little worried that she'd been off her food for a while and shivering but not doing anything yet. As the 26th came, it seemed to be the same thing. We tried to get her to stay in the whelping box, but all she wanted to do was go sit in her plant-den in the backyard and dig there. Eventually Yishai and I (he was over to help with the litter -- he loves my dog as much as I do, and he's getting a puppy) gave up and let her cuddle in the blankets on the couch with us. Poor Yishai was sick, and has been sick for about three weeks. They were quite a team.

We have a webcam, though (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tara-aussies---ben-fury-litter-2010), and all the webcam viewers we anxious for the show to start. We took her on a walk and I noticed some yellowish-clear discharge (she'd already had some clear discharge earlier) and got a little worried. Called her breeder, Tracey McPherson, who told me to relax. Then called Carol Mac, a vet friend of mine, who also told me to relax. Once I got off the phone with her, I decided she should go into the whelping box and when she got out of the covers, I noticed the blanket was wet - her water had broken!

From there, it went pretty darn fast. Fury started shaking super bad and all she wanted to do was go into the backyard den. I had to hold her in there while trying to get the webcam going right again. Happily, Yishai, who is much more nurturing than I am, took over the job of keeping Fury chill while I set up the cam. I kept thinking I had majorly messed up priorities when I wasn't paying attention to my own dog, but my thoughts were this (1) Yishai is very tender to my dog, more than I am, and (2) having that web cam up during labor could really be helpful with all the experienced people watching.

So, after some drama, I got it up just as the first puppy was crowning. Happily, I have done this before, so while Fury was still trying to figure out what was up, I tore the sac and let the puppy get some air. I was trying to hemostat the umbilical cord to tear it while she was licking her new charge, but the next one came fast and furious, and by then her instincts were kicking in and she started eating placentas and cutting cords.

The first three came fast - a red bi bitch, "she has a yarmulke on!" and then two red merle bitches. And then we had a lull. Fury was significantly smaller already. Contractions came and . . . she puked up a huge green mess (placentas are green). And then yet another red merle bitch. I had been worried as everyone wanted a red merle bitch and now I think all the folks who 'pre-ordered' would be satisfied.

Another lull. Fury, being the world's tidiest dog, set herself to really cleaning herself up. I felt her side and distinctly felt another puppy. Five, that's what I figured. Just need to wait. She was tired. She'd push, push, push, but maaaaaaaaaaan. And then, BLECH - more green placenta came up and . . . the puppy came out. He was a breech (HE! our first boy, and a red merle) so I helped get him out and breathing a bit, but before soon he was right as rain and BIG.

Okay, I thought. We're done. Wait, was that another contraction? I felt her stomach. It's amazing that when she's not just chock full of puppies how easy it is to feel them. Yup - another one in there. Push, push, BLAAAAAAAAT. More puke, and out came our final puppy - a red bi male.

Everyone was wet and nasty. Fury, who is known as being the lickingest dog in the west, took care of that in short order. She was covered in blood, fluid, and green, but some hours of lick, lick, licking, and some changing of bedding and she was right as rain.

And you could tell, too, that Fury found herself a higher purpose. I had been feeling really bad about subjecting Fury to two plane rides to and from Wisconsin to stay with strangers (something she hates) and then she had a pretty tough pregnancy. Was I a bad person? No. Now that was clearly obvious. No more Fury crawling into bed in the morning for a while -- and I am going to miss that, but damn if she doesn't look happy.

It was a pretty easy whelp. I wasn't surprised, though. Fury is in great shape and she is real ranch stock. Just as the sire's owner (Anne Jesperson) said what I mentioned this to here: "Well, I'm not surprised. These dogs come from vigorous ranch stock." That's just the way I like it.