Jazz and Bailey’s Litter – Week One

 

Welcome to the world!

 “Room for Rent”

In our previous posting, we revealed how much Bailey enjoyed accommodating her puppies in the plush surroundings of the whelping box. Now that she’s recovered from her C-section and has had a little more time to reflect, Bailey been on the lookout for some other digs; quite literally. On more than one occasion, she’s been caught trying to excavate some spaces in the yard she deems suitable to raise her new family in. There’s one hole under a rock that was so deep, we could hear an echo in it. Since the digging was proving to be difficult, Bailey finally settled on a readymade dog house on the side porch, albeit we think it may just be a little small for her needs.

Bailey in the dog house!

Thanks to Bailey’s dedication as a mom, spending almost 24 hours a day in the whelping box, the puppies have almost doubled their birth weights. Bailey’s milk depository provides their nourishment which contains antibodies vital for the first several weeks of their lives. She provides them with the warmth necessary for their survival as their body temperature is three degrees below normal at birth, climbing a degree each week thereafter. The little ones spend all of their time eating or sleeping and since their eyes are closed at birth, their senses of smell and touch are what guide them to their mom and to each other. They use their tiny forelimbs, coupled with a great deal of determination, to propel themselves around. Since this is a very strong, active, well-developed bunch, it won’t be long before they’re walking.

Nearing the end of this first week, Bailey was enjoying the luxury of a few private naps outside of the whelping box. If she lingered a little bit too long, the puppies had no reservations about letting her know with squeaking that began as a solo, continued as a duet and culminated as a piercing choral chant. Once Bailey obliged them, they voraciously suckled, piled atop one another, some even upside down! We’re lucky to have front row seats to this manner of dinner theatre.

That’s it for now, but be sure to join us next week for another beguiling installment of “Puppy Tales”.