Oct 22

Where did the week go?  This is a dream litter - all are healthy, feeding well - most are content - a few noisy whiny pups - complaining when the milk doesn't flow fast enough.  Chunky!  That was the word that came to mind this morning when I was changing blankets in the whelping box.  75% of the puppies have such a solid weight to them.  They're travelling all over the whelping  box - eyes are starting to show slits - should be open by the time they turn 2 weeks old - on Oct 26...

Oct 17

Always amusing when we define time by how old the puppies are.  Tuesday seems like a long time in the past.  Puppies and Gloria are doing very well.  Puppies are gaining weight steadily.

weights:  Females:.416 kgs; .498; .444; .492;  Males: .560; .468; .570; .526; .540

The weights are on the light side - especially when I compare them to Dinnye's May litter of 4 pups.  I know they will all make up for it by feeding regularly from Gloria - she's eating a lot of food these days to ke...

2:00 pm  what a day (so far)  9 puppies!  4 females & 5 males - everyone's doing great!  Gloria is pooped and I can only hope she is done!

Quick update:  noon    4 girls  2 boys so far  more to come possibly  started @ 9:20 am

Oct 12

6:38 am  Good Morning - still no babies but we are getting closer.  Gloria has been "leaking" for a few hours and just had a good gush of fluid.  She's concerned and surprised the fluid came from her!  Hopefully I'll have something tangible to report on in the next few hours.  Already told work that I was on puppy duty.

Oct 11  Thanksgiving Monday

6:25 pm:  tick tock  tick tock  nothing to report other than heavy breathing

4:30 am  Gloria's temperature dropped to 36.6 Celsius (was 37.5 at 11 pm)  Currently 9:00 am and no puppies - I let her outside briefly and during that time she managed to squeeze herself under our steps and burrow - sure sign that puppies are on their way.  Check back later - hopefully I'll be able to blog on how the puppies are doing!

Oct 10 noon

Last pictures of Gloria being pregnant.  I believe the first stage of labor has begun.  Gloria is still moving around but visibly shivering.  Hard to say how long this will go on but safe to say that it will be in the next 24 hours.  Then again Gloria doesn't do anything "by the book" so stay tuned!  Will post again when the 1st puppy is born.

Oct 9  7:40 pm

Today is D-Day  - but no sign of puppies arriving anytime soon.  Gloria's temperature was 37.6 mid afternoon - still normal.  She still has a hearty appetite.  She measured another inch of growth - can feel movement when she is resting.  She has a hard time sitting in one spot - shifts her weight every 2 seconds - just can't seem to get comfortable.  Her resting mode these days in flat on her stomach with back legs stretched out behind her.  What day - got my new whelping...

Oct 6

Happy 25th Birthday to our son Vance!  25 years ago we had a huge snow storm several days after he was born.  It is a beautiful 20 degrees today!  Gloria is continuing to "grow"  Girth is 91.44 cms (36 inches)  Another inch!  Her shape isn't so comical anymore - she's filling out now so it's a little more uniform.  She is starting to be a bit uncomfortable, though is still game to retrieve a ball in the backyard.  Her temperature was 37.7 Celsius (99.6 F) at noon today.  I am goin...

Oct 2

What a beautiful day here in Southern Manitoba.  Just back from a walk with the dogs...this is Gloria's last day of mile walks - around the block plodding until she whelps.  Her pregnancy shape was quite humorous today -tried to capture it with my camera - just doesn't do it justice.  She gained another inch since Wednesday - grand total of 88.9 cms.  It looks like the weight has started to shift towards her back end - maybe explains the comic book character like shape.  We're now...

Sep 29

2.54 cm (1 inch) growth this week. - grand total of 85.86 cms aroud Gloria's girth.  Day 51 of gestation.  Her abdomen is very hard - I've been feeling for movement but haven't detected any yet.  Gloria looks very pleased with the process - like she has this big secret.  I've reduced our walks to 1 mile - all Gloria can handle right now - our pace is slower than normal - it's now more of a casual stroll.  Her appetite has increased and she's a little more content just laying arou...

Sep 23

7.62 cm (3 inches) in 8 days - pretty good growth - Gloria has lost that svelte feminine figure and has really bulged out - 83.32 cms - Day 45 of gestation.  In face, during our walk yesterday I think she was walking differently - would even dare to call it a waddle!  She chose not to swim in the River on Sunday - was just happy to watch Dinnye retrieve a stick from the water and take it from her at the shore - standing knee deep in water.

Sep 15

Amazing what a week can do with a dog's pregnancy.  1 week after the sonogram and no physical evidence of the pregnancy, Gloria is showing signs!  We were on our daily walk and it was very obvious today that she is bulking up.  I'm sure she understands me when I ask her if she has puppies.  She smiles and looks very pleased - maybe it's just the tone in my voice?  Today is Day 37 of gestation - her girth measured 76.2 cms (30 inches)

Here's a tidbit not related to the pregnancy. ...

We are very happy to report that Gloria is pregnant!....but let me go back a month in time:   

Sep 7

Gloria doesn't do anything normal...normal for a golden retriever that is.  Exterior is beautiful like a golden...but she thinks like a human - and has emotions of a human. She smiles, she gets frustrated; she has crowned herself Queen of the yard; she gets jealous; she does payback by chewing up things belonging to the person she's upset with; she's guilty when caught; thinks it's beneath...