Tulip (pre-parturition) - 45 days

Bronson & Tulip litter

Tulip shows no sign of slowing down. She is always the first one out of the door and the last one in. Tulip began digging in the yard several weeks ago. Typical behavior for a mom-to-be! As she progresses through her pregnancy, she will search for a den in which to give birth to her pups. Clearly, we have a cleaner, warmer environment for them to be born in.

No matter how much she eats, Tulip remains slim. She is now eating two meals a day, but in the next couple of weeks, that will increase to three and maybe four meals daily. Tulip's abdomen now measures 80 cm or 31.5 inches. 

The gestation period for dogs is 63 days. On approximately June 16th, we look forward to the miracle of birth once again. Seems like forever since we had puppies!

39-day-old National Geographic fetus

The puppies digestive and respiratory organs, muscles, bones, circulatory, genital and urinary systems, skin and hair, nervous system, and sensory organs-including the eyes, inner ear and peripheral nerves-have all formed by day 30. 

Puppies' organs, bones, eyes and spinal cord develop fully during weeks four to six of pregnancy. When a fetus is developing, it starts to resemble a dog with whisker buds on the face and claws and toes on the feet. In week six, puppy skin pigment begins to form and a heartbeat can be heard. Puppies have all their features at this point in their development. Their growth will now accelerate until they are born.

Stay tuned ……