What a hectic weekend!

My suspicions rose on Wednesday when Finn started panting lightly and it was not warm in PE. I thought she may be a bit uncomfortable, so just watched her. By Thursday lunchtime she was still the same, but Thursday night I knew the pups were coming early! She was definitely panting more than necessary, so I popped her in bed with me and decided to go to sleep early as a Friday "too-early" morning wake-up was very possible... During the night she got up a few times and went outside. (She dug a tunnel halfway to Australia and my bed was full of sand) By 3am she was panting heavily. So at 3:30 I got up and made some coffee, put all my whelping tools in the room, and put Finn in the box, and sat with her. My house guest joined me at 3:45, and Sam was notified at (THE USUAL) 4am. Finn started contractions at 5am and Sam then rocked up, half asleep.
DAY 58: The first baby was born just after 5:30am! They came quite quickly except for the last one :)

 

Mom and all pups had a good weekend. Pups are strong and VERY squirmy. It was interesting to note that these are a little different to my previous BC litters - some of the tails are longer and narrower at the base, and some also have way more white on than just the tips. The bodies are not as round as well, it's the first time I could feel spines at birth. Regarding the obvious... LOTS of large body splashes!! Finn is white factored and so is Maverick, but Maverick obviously carries a LOT. I have only bred with white factored dogs, and have got a few splashes in the past, but this litter takes first prize for that! In this litter, there is Mackland's first white face (half white) and also Mackland's first "mismark" (body more than 50% white). Also this litter sees Mackland's biggest pup at birth (bigger than Rush - 410g!) at a whopping 425g!

I am very happy with these pups, though, and I think I will enjoy seeing them work! No pups will go to show homes this time, as I cannot accurately gauge how they will turn out for the breed ring, given that it is a 100% outcross and 50% sheep herding lines. They will all be in active homes and working homes!

I decided to ask the vet nurse to come in on Sunday night to take their dew claws off, seeing that these are very strong puppies. This was at 2.5 days old (I usually have her do it at 3 days). The vet insists we do it at 4 days, but that was done once, for the Agility litter, and NEVER AGAIN. The screaming was too awful!  This last litter barely squealed and it was over in a matter of seconds and totally forgotten! Mom checked all the pups as we did them and they were drinking again happily within 5 minutes of us finishing :)



If all goes well, photos will be taken this evening!