To all the prospective puppy owners, I thought that you would like to see the photographs, videos, and updates of the Mackland puppies while they are still with me. These Border Collie & Shetland Sheepdog puppies are lovingly bred and raised in my home. This blog lets me show you step by step how your baby is raised. It highlights each step from mating to 8 weeks old. I hope that you all enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy having them in my house!
Friday, January 17, 2014
Panting
Woke up at the crack of dawn (or before) to extreme heavy panting.. jumped up and hurtled across the room at
a rate of knots looking for Chak... panic set in when I couldn't find her.... after a few seconds of squinting around, I still couldn't see her, she wan't in her bed, wasn't on the mat, or on the wooden floor, not in the passage... and still PANTING. Shite, damn dog (my hair facing 5 directions, no contact lenses, me still 88% asleep... panicking, picturing a puppy sprawled on the floor because I didn't hear an entire night of early labour)... back into the room where the panting is the loudest (AM I DOFF??)
OH
No Chak...
...but I did find the old red aussie appearing to be in advanced stage of labour, even though spayed and in her senior years...!
Flip, still couldnt see chak, she must have gone out to pee...
Got back into bed ...then noticed her sleeping quietly on the bed next to where I was... sigh
(hand smacks head)
OH
No Chak...
...but I did find the old red aussie appearing to be in advanced stage of labour, even though spayed and in her senior years...!
Flip, still couldnt see chak, she must have gone out to pee...
Got back into bed ...then noticed her sleeping quietly on the bed next to where I was... sigh
(hand smacks head)
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Stay tuned
I have opened a Whatsapp chat group for news while Chak is having the babies, and for snapshots and little videos.
To be included, please send your cell number to me on nadineshortland@gmail.com so that I can add you.
To stop receiving info, you simply delete the chat.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Babies FIRST photo!
OK so today was the day for the long-awaited x-ray!!
Here is the picture of the Chakopotamus-garbage-disposal's storage tank... It looks like she has swallowed a pile of rats....
The vet is extremely happy with Chak and the babies on day 58!!!
Unfortunately because of all the poop, he could not see more than 5 puppies, so we did a scan as well. He said they are packed in there like sardines! We saw perfect little heartbeats. We could even see their faces and their little paws flexing, and the babies moved for the vet to feel them squirming!
He measured their skulls - 2.5cm in diameter. He commented that they are ready to come out! He also said that the tummies are very fat and round, and there are a couple that will come out backwards.
Here is the picture of the Chakopotamus-garbage-disposal's storage tank... It looks like she has swallowed a pile of rats....
The vet is extremely happy with Chak and the babies on day 58!!!
Unfortunately because of all the poop, he could not see more than 5 puppies, so we did a scan as well. He said they are packed in there like sardines! We saw perfect little heartbeats. We could even see their faces and their little paws flexing, and the babies moved for the vet to feel them squirming!
He measured their skulls - 2.5cm in diameter. He commented that they are ready to come out! He also said that the tummies are very fat and round, and there are a couple that will come out backwards.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Coat of many colours
I'm having a look a little harder at Chakotay's colour DNA profile..
Eumelaninistic masks are caused by the Em allele, which is found on the E locus. I remembered that Chak does, in fact, have this gene:
Eumelaninistic masks are caused by the Em allele, which is found on the E locus. I remembered that Chak does, in fact, have this gene:
To explain the coding above:
E (normal extension) and e (recessive red)
So.. Chak carries the recessive e gene, which makes me hope for some ee red babies!
The (m) allows black tipping
So, my expectation of a sable pup too may actually be realistic!!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Update
8 weeks is 56 days and 89% of the way...!
The appointment for the digital x-ray has been made for Wednesday at the specialist vet. I can barely contain myself. I love seeing the little skulls and spines!
I have decided to skip the scan today (to see the heartbeats). My vet is over-run with Parvo cases, and I'm not taking the chance that the babies can be infected!
Meanwhile the black & white garbage disposal is making headway with my formerly full fridge......
The appointment for the digital x-ray has been made for Wednesday at the specialist vet. I can barely contain myself. I love seeing the little skulls and spines!
I have decided to skip the scan today (to see the heartbeats). My vet is over-run with Parvo cases, and I'm not taking the chance that the babies can be infected!
Meanwhile the black & white garbage disposal is making headway with my formerly full fridge......
It's baaaack!
The carefully filled-in crater is back in my front yard......... Chak has spent the morning burrowing! I think this will be a daily occurrence for the next week! What amazes me, is that this is a very smart border collie.... surely she can remember that there was a huge concrete block in there the other day and she can't dig further? Or maybe she has a plan for lateral excavations.........
8 Weeks!
Chakapotamus is uncomfortable, grumpy, hungry and generally painful to have around.. hhehehe
To have fun with the other dogs, I have to distract her and put her in another yard with something to gnaw on, and quickly go and have a game with each of the others so that she doesn't come and rain on their parade! Poor baby, but soon she will be in her element with some gorgeous babies to look after!
Chak LOVES being a mommy.. She is so good at it, and is awesome with sharing her pups with me :)
I wonder if she will get a fright when she sees the pups don't all look like her!?
Sunday, January 12, 2014
3 things...
1. Today we did something a little different... a chicken neck and heart broth mmmm
The fridge is now brimming with goodies and Chakotay has set up camp in front of the door. I think the babies are eating her from the inside... she's a mega garbage disposal!
2. The welping box and rails got a nice new coat of paint, thanks Sam, for helping.
3. Late this evening while i was dozing, Chakotay leapt up and hurtled across the room over all the other sleeping bodies and lay down in the passage... I went to see. It appears she got a fright, so I felt her tummy and after a moment I felt huge amounts of squirming! The babies were being very active :)
Friday, January 10, 2014
Tummy 10 days before whelping
Due to all the digging and burrowing, Chak will be having a bath tomorrow morning! She's a tad dirty!
Shame, Chaks is getting a bit uncomfortable... Her boobs will be bigger than mine shortly!
Some fun...
I went onto the database again and did another simulation for fun... Wouldn't it be cool if this was actually the outcome??? I then did another one straight away and was a bit sad to see the entire litter all 1 colour, so I "spun the wheel" one last time and got something more realistic...... :):)
About 10 days to go!
Well, it's day 53/63, so about 10 days to go. I am sure her ovulation was 3 days after the first AI, but I am counting from the first date nevertheless, as is customary. Previous litters were born early, so maybe our date IS the date :)
The new nesting area was filled up be me last evening, but I am sure she is well into her next one as I sit here at work and she's in the small yard at home, dreaming up things to do. Plus she has help, I have left her daughter, Finn, with her today, so I hope that the house hasn't been swallowed up in the new ravine they are busy digging under it!
Breakfast today was a bowl of stinky pilchards in tomato sauce, much to the cats' horror. I had to swipe a piece of fish for each of them to avoid dirty looks all day...
Chakotay is by no means a pushy, needy, begging dog, but while she's pregnant, the fridge is HERS. If I walk NEAR the kitchen, she's there like a shot, shoving everyone aside making sure she's first as the fridge door opens. Her usual sweet politeness goes out of the window as she snatches anything that is on offer, almost ripping my fingers off. If she needs to walk between the other dogs, she just ploughs her fat body through them, leaving tippling shelties and aussies in her wake... Grumbling rudely gets her the couch, the dog beds, the attention from me, the igloo in the garden, the crate in the dogroom, the shady spot under the tree, the hole in the lawn, whatever she wants.......... the others are getting tired of this special treatment and, I am sure, dream of next week when Chakapotamus is too big to get on the bed.... hehehe
The new nesting area was filled up be me last evening, but I am sure she is well into her next one as I sit here at work and she's in the small yard at home, dreaming up things to do. Plus she has help, I have left her daughter, Finn, with her today, so I hope that the house hasn't been swallowed up in the new ravine they are busy digging under it!
Breakfast today was a bowl of stinky pilchards in tomato sauce, much to the cats' horror. I had to swipe a piece of fish for each of them to avoid dirty looks all day...
Chakotay is by no means a pushy, needy, begging dog, but while she's pregnant, the fridge is HERS. If I walk NEAR the kitchen, she's there like a shot, shoving everyone aside making sure she's first as the fridge door opens. Her usual sweet politeness goes out of the window as she snatches anything that is on offer, almost ripping my fingers off. If she needs to walk between the other dogs, she just ploughs her fat body through them, leaving tippling shelties and aussies in her wake... Grumbling rudely gets her the couch, the dog beds, the attention from me, the igloo in the garden, the crate in the dogroom, the shady spot under the tree, the hole in the lawn, whatever she wants.......... the others are getting tired of this special treatment and, I am sure, dream of next week when Chakapotamus is too big to get on the bed.... hehehe
Thursday, January 9, 2014
The NEW nesting area......
Unfortunately Chak has hit a snag.. there's a concrete block in here from 2 years ago :)
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Nesting
This nestng under the shed is getting out of hand, so today the x-pen went up around it, so that the growing Chakopotamus doesn't get stuck again!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
It's 7 weeks!
Time flies!
It is 7 weeks... that's 49 days and almost 77% of the way along her pregnancy:)
One more week and a bit, we can have an x-ray to count the little skulls and spines!
And to make it a little more interesting... our training group has a bet on (a drinks bet, of course) as to the number of pups... losers buy a round of drinks for all at the celebratory evening after the pups arrive. The guesses range from 7 to 9 pups..... let's see............
It is 7 weeks... that's 49 days and almost 77% of the way along her pregnancy:)
One more week and a bit, we can have an x-ray to count the little skulls and spines!
And to make it a little more interesting... our training group has a bet on (a drinks bet, of course) as to the number of pups... losers buy a round of drinks for all at the celebratory evening after the pups arrive. The guesses range from 7 to 9 pups..... let's see............
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Chak gave me a fright today!
After letting all the dogs out before bedtime last night, I closed the door for them to come in on their own steam. I went off to bed. Sometimes they are naughty outside, if they hear the neighbours or someone walking down the street. After going to bed, lying in the dark, I heard Chak bark twice, and Q hadn't come in either so I yelled for them.... Then quiet....
This morning I stumbled out of bed and opened up the house and the bird cage, and then went off to the fridge to peel an egg for Chak. Everyone was all over me for the yummy treat but I couldn't see Chak, so I called, thinking she went out again, but she didnt come. I checked the front yard and nothing, back yard and nothing... WEIRD... So I went back inside (all the while still holding the peeled egg with 5 dogs trailing behind). I opened the spare room and the lounge and she wasn't in there, so I went off to the dogroom, the workshop and the shed and opened them all up (with the egg and 5 dogs).. nothing..
PANIC - WHERE'S MY DOG???????
I called and called and called....
SHIT Chak was missing!
Then I thought when last I saw her, and it was going out last night, and I last heard her outside my bedroom window where the shed is, so I went back there and got down (in my night shirt, no contacts, with the egg and now 5 hungry drooling, snatching dogs), and looked under the shed... lo and behold, there was a nice tunnel with border collie in it! She had dug a nice big cave in there and closed up the sides a bit with all her digging, so fat Chak couldn't squeeze back out! DUMBASS!
So the well-travelled egg was fed to her under the shed today (while the others watched in dismay). I had to get a trowel and dig her out!!!
Needless to say I needed a shower after that episode!! Queen Chak just trotted out all cocky as her slave, Nadine, had served her pre-breakfast in her chosen nesting area!
This morning I stumbled out of bed and opened up the house and the bird cage, and then went off to the fridge to peel an egg for Chak. Everyone was all over me for the yummy treat but I couldn't see Chak, so I called, thinking she went out again, but she didnt come. I checked the front yard and nothing, back yard and nothing... WEIRD... So I went back inside (all the while still holding the peeled egg with 5 dogs trailing behind). I opened the spare room and the lounge and she wasn't in there, so I went off to the dogroom, the workshop and the shed and opened them all up (with the egg and 5 dogs).. nothing..
PANIC - WHERE'S MY DOG???????
I called and called and called....
SHIT Chak was missing!
Then I thought when last I saw her, and it was going out last night, and I last heard her outside my bedroom window where the shed is, so I went back there and got down (in my night shirt, no contacts, with the egg and now 5 hungry drooling, snatching dogs), and looked under the shed... lo and behold, there was a nice tunnel with border collie in it! She had dug a nice big cave in there and closed up the sides a bit with all her digging, so fat Chak couldn't squeeze back out! DUMBASS!
So the well-travelled egg was fed to her under the shed today (while the others watched in dismay). I had to get a trowel and dig her out!!!
Needless to say I needed a shower after that episode!! Queen Chak just trotted out all cocky as her slave, Nadine, had served her pre-breakfast in her chosen nesting area!
Mmmm
I'm so sick of my whole house smelling like fish.....
The fat queen Chak is onto chicken necks this week, and today some leftover pasta as a treat...
The fat queen Chak is onto chicken necks this week, and today some leftover pasta as a treat...
Sunday, December 29, 2013
The tummy
Sam having a little look-see at Chak's tummy that, all of a sudden, seems to have some little bulges...
Friday, December 27, 2013
TREAT
Small preggie tummy
The shaved tummy is a little itchy, and its not very swollen at all, just a little firmer than usual...
Eggie for breakfast...
Chak is really enjoying her boiled egg for breakfast every day! She says she definitely prefers it to scrambled egg! The poor hen in the backyard had better keep up!
Today lunch was some tinned pilchards - YUMMY, and I got some more fresh hake for tomorrow :)
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Christmas day outing
Chak and the Prince Tide had fun today at the school. With Chak's shaved tummy, she doesn't even look pregnant!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
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