Gleeful Sierra – Day 52 (pre-parturition)

Sierra on the hunt for a den for her soon to be born puppies!

It’s hard to believe that Sierra will be having her puppies in about 12 days. Despite her pregnancy, she continues to enjoy everything that life has to offer. Sierra has always been a very happy girl who has a swagger in her step and we often catch her howling with delight……literally. Pregnancy (and life) certainly agree with her!

Sierra is being fed three times daily now and she ravishingly eats all her meals. At some point she will slow down and when that happens we will reduce the portions and increase her meals to 4 or 5 times daily. As the pups grow, there will be less room in her tummy for larger meals as Sierra’s tummy has expanded to 31.5 inches (81.2 cm).
 

This is an amazing photo by National Geographic of an embryo at 25 days.

Pre-natal period: It is an interesting fact that a dog's tactile perception develops before birth, therefore unborn puppies can detect touch when the mother is petted from the outside of the abdomen. This establishes the basis for puppies to tolerate being touched, when compared to puppies born to mothers that were not petted.
Pregnant dogs that are exposed to stressful events tend to release hormones that can be detected by the fetuses, which can negatively influence their future development. This underscores the importance of providing pregnant dogs a stress free and tranquil environment. Fortunately, Sierra is the most laid back, stress free dog that we know.
 

Another image from in the womb - National Geographic

At this point, the puppies have a full coat of hair and can be felt moving around in her tummy. They have fully developed their puppy features and will continue to grow rapidly until the big day and beyond. We are looking forward to their debut with great excitement and hope for the safe delivery of Sierra’s little babies!

Stay tuned…..