The days are slipping by and tomorrow the pups will be a week old! Can you believe it? They are growing and changing every day and Anneliese has become one of the best mother doggies that I have ever seen! The entire miracle of birth still awes me and I am glad. In this cynical world, at least there are things that can fill us with all the wonder and innocence of a child!
Noblesse Oblige Award
Nobless Oblige
The Nobless Oblige Award
Details of Noblesse Award:
The recipient of this award is recognized for the following:
– The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervade amongst different cultures and beliefs.
– Their Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage, and offers solutions
– There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Cultures, Sciences and Beliefs
– The Blog is refreshing and creative
– The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.
The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following:
– Create a post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award
– The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post
– Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older posts as support
– The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions
– Blogger must display the Award at any location at their Blog.
I was given this award by the lovely Amber Star She is a Texas Belle whom I met through Melli and we have gone back and forth enjoying each others blogs now for about a year! Thank you Amber Star!!
I now must tell yo a little bit about my blog. lol! That’s truly funny because I am not one to use just a few words. So, let’s see.
Dackel Princess began as a homage to my dackel, Shubi. She was the love of my life and had just been diagnosed with GME, an incurable illness that causes lesions on the brain. I never thought anyone but my cousin and sister would read it, but soon I had readers popping in and my happiness with writing grew.
Soon the blog became more about me than the dogs and I tried to find humor in the everyday. I still do and I hope I make you all laugh a little.
Shubi is gone now for 3 years, but the blog is still hers.
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I would like to nominate my cousin Janet, for she has encouraged me and by example helped me along the way the last four years.
Next is Tor who never loses his zest for life!
Then Gattina who must have the most positive outlook on life!
And Renny who has brought his love of his homeland, Norway to all of us who have been lucky enough to know him and his lovely wife Diane.
Life Is Good!
As I lay sleeping in the puppy room early on Thursday morning, I could feel the sunlight hitting my face, as dawn broke. I’d slept well and felt warm and toasty under the covers and wasn’t quite ready to begin the day, when I suddenly felt Anneliese jump up onto the bed and begin snuggling next to me.
I smiled. My girl, who has been very distracted since about half way through her pregnancy, was suddenly back.
Now she is not like this with everyone, but with Hubby and me, she is back to the sweet little girl that we have always known that she was.
Of course, when you get a stranger into the house, she barks and barks and sounds quite fierce, but otherwise, she is relaxing and happy and actually taking a moment here, and a moment there to come out of the whelping box to get a little love for herself.
I’m starting to catch up on my sleep and I even spent some time trying to get a perfect picture of the litter. Oh it is so hard right now. In another week when their eyes open and they start looking like proper doggies, it will be so much more fun to take pictures of them. Although I do admit to being truly entertained while lying on my belly snapping away.
On the lefty is Miss Black and on the right Mr. Yellow. Mr. Yellow is the only one who is still unsold. I have to say, he sure is a looker and a sweet heart!
And this is Miss Black, close up. She is the smallest and the first born of this litter. She came into this world, kicking and mewling and full of life! Isn’t she a doll?
And lastly, this is the Dackel Princess Pig Pile! All four babies cuddled up for a nap! Wish I were small enough to join them!
And We’ll Have Fun, Fun, Fun….
Anneliese is better! I mean she is like a different doggy. Happy, relaxed and like her old self! I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am! And how much better I will sleep tonight!
The puppies are growing so fast. It’s funny, but you wait for them to arrive (the last few days are especially tough!), and suddenly they are here and growing rapidly. In fact today, they all had to get new collars tied to accommodate their growth.
Today a reporter from our State newspaper came to speak to us about doing a story about Anneliese, her breeding and the babies! How great is that?
I have to laugh about it though, because I haven’t been doing much housework since the puppies arrived and this morning I worked so hard to get the placed cleaned up and washed down! Suffice to say, it looked pretty good for a two hour clean up job.
Anneliese Today
Anneliese had a good night, although I’m not sure she slept a lot. She gets pretty worried when the babies aren’t nursing her. So I put them back on a teat, and then all is right with her world.
Her fever is down this morning, she ate a good breakfast and I weighed the puppies.
Miss Black, who was born weighing 8.3 ounces is up to 11.4 ounces even! Mr. Yellow, was born weighing in at 8.8 ounces and he is up to 10.5 ounces. Miss Green, was born weighing 7.9 ounces and she weighed in at 10.0 ounces, and our Big Boy Blue, who was the largest puppy at birth at 9.7 ounces is now up to a whopping, 14.0 ounces!!!
I admit to not getting too much sleep last night. I played the role of night nurse. When a pup started squealing to find a teat, I was right there to help out. Anneliese gets so upset that the baby is crying and until she is feeling completely well, I’m trying to keep her stresses down.
Today I plan another quiet day. I may send Hubby out on a recognisance mission to buy people food and dog food!
Short Report
Here is our little Miss Black. She is a doll! Quite active, and always feeding away.
The next picture is Mr. Blue. He is an amazing creature. He has gained more than all the other puppies and I swear I saw him actually walk today, he is so strong! And he is VERY cute!
And last but not least the wonderful mother! She’s had sort of a bad day. Hasn’t felt too well and I’ve spent a lot of time sitting with her in the puppy room. The Vets put her on antibiotics, and I sure hope she is feeling better tomorrow!
Everyone is gaining well and getting stronger. All we need now is for Anneliese to feel better and get back on her feet.
Oh Babies!
It’s just not right, that having puppies should be this incredibly fun! I’m exhausted, for sure, but I am also walking on cloud nine. These tiny little miracles are the sweetest things I have seen since…….Greta had her puppies. And yet, these babies are so different too.
I remember two and a half years ago when the Vet placed Anneliese into my waiting hands and I rubbed her dry and gazed into that beautiful face. Now, here I am, holding her babies and helping her in her first days as a Mommy.
Here is our little Yellow Boy. He is the only one left that is looking for a home. The others have owners and their names will be announced shortly.
Here I am kissing little Miss Black. She was the first one born and the smallest. However, she is a feisty girl, just like her Mom!
On the left is Blue. Big Blue! He gained nearly an ounce overnight! On the right is Miss Green. She was the third born and came into this world so quickly!
Yes, I am quite happy and proud of this litter.
Anneliese’s Puppies, 1 Day Old
The Birth
I somehow knew early on Saturday night that I wasn’t going to get much sleep. Anneliese had been in her whelping box all day and had slept during the evening. I knew that she would keep me up all night as she produced her offspring! So I went to bed at 8:30 in an attempt to get some rest before the critical paw holding began.
At 11:30 she woke me to go out to wee-wee. As soon as we came back in, she began digging and pacing about in her box. I lay down and tried like crazy to get just a little more sleep.
At 12:30 she woke me again and after that I was awake all night long.
Her really active labor began at 2:26 AM on Sunday morning April 26th. I could literally watch the contractions taking pace, as she worked to expel the pups, one by one!
At 3:02 weighing in at 8.3 ounces, Baby Girl Princess (Black Collar) was born. She was tiny, but came into the world mewing for her mother. I cleared her airway and toweled her off and returned her to Anneliese’s care.
At 4:06 AM, Baby Boy Prince (Yellow Collar) joined us weighing in at 8.8 ounces. He was quieter, but fully fit, and I cleared his airway, and then toweled him dry like I did his sister.
Before I could relax (or Anneliese either), at 4:26 Baby Girl Princess (Green Collar) whooshed into the world weighing 7.9 ounces. She just came flying out after Baby Boy Yellow, and I worked hard to clean her up and keep up with cleaning the whelping box in between deliveries.
I was concerned because Anneliese has a ton of milk, which has prevented her teats from popping out. She also would not nurse the babies as she continued to moan and pace.
In a panic I called the Emergency Vet to ask how long babies could go without milk after they were born? She suggested I come and get some puppy formula. Hubby got up, and he stayed with Anneliese, as I drove over and got the milk.
I arrived back and before I could get settled in or bottle feed any of the pups, Anneliese spit out puppy number 4. At 6:45 Baby Boy Prince (Blue Collar), was born. he weighed in at a whopping 9.7 ounces!
After that I was able to get the pups to alternate either nursing Anneliese or taking some formula from the bottle. Eventually Anneliese settled down and the pups appear to be nursing quite well. I will know on Monday morning when I weigh them in, if this is the case.
So as I write this, it is Sunday night and I still have not gone to bed. I am running on empty. However, I feel very, very happy, and the babies are beautiful!
More pictures to come!!!