Day 63 - A Trip North

I'm sitting in bed right now and can't sleep because although he had a big day, Reid is all about wrestling with Mom right now. This is great because I haven't seen Fury have this much fun with another dog in a long time. Nice memory for their last night together. I'm also typing this on a new laptop that doesn't have photo software installed, so you're just gonna have to wait. :)

Got packed up to go around 3 and Reid, Fury, and I started our journey northward to my parents' house. I left the other two puppies in the care of my roommates/Yishai who had agreed to take care of them rather than me have to manage moving around puppies needlessly. Much gratitude, and I feel slightly guilty but in Yishai's case it's clear he feels a shared responsibility for the litter and so it is fair. . Reid at first was a little whiny until he figured out that it wasn't doing any good and then just went to sleep except when I stopped for gas and he dutifully went potty when I asked, and then back to sleep.

When we arrived, he was greeted by my parents, my sister, my two young nephews (7 & 10), and their dog, Lexie. Being a bombproof puppy, none of this was a problem for him as he leaped right into Connor's lap as he sat down and gave him some licks. Between the loud, raucous atmosphere that is McNamara North (which is always so jarring for me as I am used to a peaceful decorum that is McNamara Central - there is also McNamara South in the form of my brother's family) and the kids not letting Reid have a moment to himself, Reiderton proved himself to be an ace family man. I've had chats with all the puppies and Reid definitely told me that he wanted a family. I am pretty excited to have the MacRoberts come pick up their new charge tomorrow, they are going to love him - he's perfect for their home. They're perfect for him.

In the same vein, I cannot tell you how tickled I am about how well the girls are doing in their new homes. I love reading the Facebook updates, emails, and listening to the voicemails about how lucky they feel to have these puppies. All the stress and sleep deprivation and fear about whether I was doing the right thing . . . yeah, I did. My decision to place puppies based on personality was a good one. The homes I'm getting are ones that are totally right for the home and the puppy. It literally gets me through my day, checking people's comments on Facebook and watching the video they're posting and the videos. I am so lucky that it's turning out this way. As Patrick said, though, I did my homework on this litter. Anyone else you know who's waited almost 20 years from getting into a breed to making a litter? Yeah . . . 

In other joyous news, Little Fie Pie has a new home, too. As I said, it was in the works, and Fie and I had a long conversation, "Look," she said, "I have some potential as a stockdog, but you know what? I really need a home that's going to just keep me around as a buddy. I like playing with other dogs, and I like being with you people, and everything else is icing. I would really, really like a home that is all about me." And so, with that, she's been sold to my roommate's parents in San Diego. The story there is that they've had Australian Cattle Dogs for years and just a few months ago her parents' dog died fairly tragically. It's the first time in 35+ years they've been without a dog. The Flowers have been expressing interest since I had them, Mr. Flowers even saw them when they were very, very little (and Fury could barely tolerate touching), but I was blowing off their interest because I didn't really know how the guys would turn out. Fie is so gentle and unassuming and polite that I started to seriously consider it, and after asking Fie and getting her approval, when I got the call tonight, we solidified it. The family is going to Hawaii first, so it looks like I have a little Fie dog to train and care for a bit longer, but she's got a home. :) Yay. 

That leaves little Moto bear. As usual, we're screening folks, but no advancement in the news department yet. I have faith that he'll end up where he needs to, though I still say I hope it's not with me. :D No more dogs!

Well, they both finally chilled out and Fury is sitting on my bed asking me to turn out the light, so I bid thee adieu.

Day 57 - My last whole day with the family

Yesterday, Chris came over and set up a photoshoot that lasted about three hours in which the concept was me and Yishai holding the puppies.

Chris sets up the background. Fury supervises.

I really wanted to get some sweet family shots with everyone (and Fury) on the couch, but his batteries in the flash ran out, so I asked Chris to use my camera to at least try. Failure, so we called it a day.

Today I am going to try to do some stacked photos (but I will admit that I am not working with them to get them trained to stand pretty - so I do not expect fabulous results. But nonetheless, I think I would like them.

And I wanted to garden today with the puppies draped all around me, but unfortunately it's raining, so I will have to find a better way to spend my last day with all six (well, five, really, but since Rippa is my .5 of a dog, I'm not so worried about her. But I do feel like I should. I spent a fair amount with them yesterday, but one should never take for granted what one has. Tomorrow the plan is for me to take the bus down to work, and for Yishai to drive down with the puppies to pick me up (I work 30 miles from SLO, so it saves time, as I get off work at 7:00 pm), and then we'll drive down to Los Angeles to spend the night with a childhood friend of his, get up super early to wake them up and get their oats out, and then Firma and Curry will fly out to their new homes.

Fury wearing one of the shirts that I'm using to make smelly for the flights for comfort.

Reid will be taking a trip with me to the Bay Area to get picked up on Thursday or so. That leaves Fie and Moto, both of whom have homes in the works, but I wouldn't, at this point, say they are for sure. I'm kind of glad both puppies will be left with me a bit longer: Moto seems to really need some one on one attention that I'll be happy to give him, and Fie is so polite that I think some socialization in a smaller litter will be good for her.

Those of you who are astutely observant will have noticed from the webcam that I broke down and got new moss. It was SO beautiful! I totally forgot that's how the old moss started out! The difference being, the puppies are a lot more effective now, so clean moss = something awesome to totally destroy! Oooooops. There is a lot of potting soil in the puppy pen each day.

I'm finding it interesting that Fury has been singling out Rippa to "play with." When they're all out, she will seek her out specifically and play "bite the head" or try to roll her all the time. I think Rippa is coming back to her original hardcore personality and Fury sees it and is trying to regulate on her. We'll see, I guess. Either way, if she wants to be part of Fury and my family, she's gonna get regulated on - it's Fury's life goal to make all dogs responsible.

After the vet visit, we wondered what all the puppies weighed (Curry came in at 6.8 lbs, Firma a 6.9 lbs). True to his bearish form, Reid, who was formerly fairly small, is now the heavyweight of the litter at an even 10 lbs. Rippa came in at 7.4 lbs, Fie at 6.9, and Moto at 8.8. I wonder what that is like in relation to other litters.

Good night sweet hearts, good night! (Rippa is missing as she's with Yishai).

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.