I received notification this morning via e-mail that I had comment awaiting approval. Thanks Kristin, I guess you are the first to leave comment. You also brought to my attention my blog settings. Didn't realize they were set to withhold comments for approval. I ventured in and changed a few things and look forward to comments anyone may care to share.
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Today I set up the Whelping Box aka Kiddie Pool for Lex. She saw me drag it in and it appeared she remembered it. Did I sense a feeling of relief in her? Maybe. I added a blanket and she immediately jumped in and checked things out. Although she doesn't really have an interest in claiming it as hers just yet, it's ready for her when she's ready. The pool is where the pups will spend approximately the first 3 weeks of life.... That will change the day the first brave soul clears the rim. Once the first one's out, they're all out in no time flat! Last year I stripped the room of its carpet and painted the concrete floor to make it pup friendly. Rather than setting the waterbed up I added a twin bed and Lex had her pups in the pool like the good girl she is. We'll see what happens this year. I'm hopeful she'll have them there again rather than in bed with me. Things will be tight when the pups get mobile but I decided I didn't want to give up the comfort of my own bed. Will have to play things by ear. I may have to take it down a bit later but at least I can sleep in comfort for 3 weeks. Tomorrow I'll check the Whelping Kit to make sure everything got put back in its place and add it to the room so I'm not searching for something at the last minute! ......... A couple nights ago Lexi was laying against me and I thought I felt some movement within her belly.... was that a puppy? I laid my hand on her to confirm but she moved away. My hands were chilly, as they usually are, and I assume that's why. I felt for movement the next evening and the next but felt nothing. Decided it was possible that what I had previously felt was simply a gas bubble. Well, today was a different story! She was laying flat out on the bed and this time I thought I saw movement. I gently laid my hand on her and instead of moving away, she rolled over in the typical "scratch my belly" position that dogs frequently assume! Today movement was unmistakable. I felt multiple "kicks" and the little rascals could be seen squirming all around! Lexi continues to do great and enjoyed her belly rub! :-)
But No Worries! Lexi is doing Great. She's her happy, loving and loyal self and is really beginning to reveal her condition! The complication comes not from Lexi or the Doberman. Dobermans are Dobermans! But, while some people choose to alter their natural form as has been customary from the very early years of the breed, others are leaning toward the natural. They are leaning in this direction in their own lives and I sense it carrying over to their animals as well. As a result, I now have 2 requests for Totally Natural Pups with the exception of the dewclaws. I have requests for pups with natural ears and docked tails and I have requests for pups that are both docked and cropped. I fully support each and every decision. My job as the breeder though, will require me to choose which two pups from the litter will be held back from the dock within the first couple days of birth. This will essentially be like drawing a straw out of the hat. As can be witnessed by reviewing weights of the pups from my last litter, they change over time. Just because they started out as the largest pup, didn't mean they left me that way. I guess what it boils down to is that these are pups, each with the potential to be "the best dog you ever owned"... whether docked, cropped, cropped and flopped or natural! My promise to you is that I will do my best to socialize each and every one of them, to avoid any mishap while they're in my care and to pamper each and every one individually! From there on out, it's up to each of you to "love and finish them". I've had some questions about how things will shake out as far as selection goes and I want to assure you, everyone involved is fully aware of the selection process and how the variations of form will come into play. I can also tell you, it's nearly impossible when looking at a whole litter of Black and Rust Doberman Pups, to pick out "the best one". I've seen too many people struggle while selecting their pup and I too have experienced the same struggle choosing my own dogs. With that said, I know every one is getting excited to welcome a new addition to their household. I've got my fingers crossed for no disappointments! I'm not sure if it's helping or not but I've been whispering in Lexi's ear that we're rooting for a fairly even mix as far as the Male to Female Ratio goes. Two weeks and counting.....
Lexi is getting more loving each and everyday! She's pouring it on pretty thick now which I love. She's also starting to get fairly plump around the middle and in just under three weeks she should be a new mom! She has drawn the line as far as who she's willing to share her love with though. She continues to live peacefully with the Affies and Titan but really has no tolerance or use for Serious and or Majestic. Their play drive is just too high! I'm doing my best to give everybody equal time as I continue to keep her segregated from the youngsters. This is the beginning of my work as a breeder, but I've become fairly good at juggling. Lex instinctively knows she's safe in her crate and goes in very willingly allowing me to give the others their needed and deserved couch and cuddle time. Fortunately the weather has improved and Serious and Jess have had ample time to romp around outside which they love. But they too will happily and quietly crate for periods of time if need be. I am reaping the benefits of early crate training for all. Although I know none would intentionally hurt or harm another, a body slam could be quite devastating at this point and forward. Soon Lex will have her own room and a pack of pups to keep her busy.
And I, if I can tear myself away from the mesmerizing ways of puppies, will have a little time to focus on the big pups. Then the real work begins, but it's work I enjoy! Getting excited..... I was hoping to do a photo shoot with Jess today like I did with Serious for his 1st birthday but the weather just isn't cooperating! Maybe we'll get a sun break a bit later but it's not looking promising. This is a picture of Jess taken @ 8 weeks old on her first day with me. Majestic is a sweet, loving and gentle soul! I love her! She'll have her photo shoot but it may be a day late! Going to try my hand at making my own puppy collars. Got the webbing and tiny little buckles in the mail today. Now just have to shop for some ribbon of all different colors. I used the little Velcro collars last time but they don't wash well and one of the pups was very good at removing hers. Not sure if she was doing it on her own or if she had an accomplice. Hopefully these will work well. If not, I have a backup Velcro set.
It's been a fairly quiet week around here. We had a few days where the temperatures were at least reasonable with breaks of sun and some drizzle. I took the opportunity to start prepping the garden which was horribly overgrown. Fortunately the weeds of substantial size were dead and easy to pull thanks to recent temps in the teens.
Lexi is doing well but has become reluctant to socialize with the other Dobermans. She's buddied up with the Afghans for now as with age comes calmness. She's appropriately protecting her "condition". Finally got a scanner set up and was able to update the "Pedigree and Health Documentation" page. It's no longer "Under Construction" Yay! I think I can speak for everyone here @ Got My Back Dobermans and say we are ready for Summer! Enough of overnight temps in the 20's and today's high in the 40's. Everyone here is curled up in a ball and I'm longing for shorts and tanks and out of these sweats! We are making the best of things though.... flames flickering in the fireplace, dog biscuits in the oven and some Ray LaMontagne is providing a pretty nice ambiance.
Finally got around to preparing some freshly baked goodies for the pooches. It's something I've wanted to do for awhile now, just one of the things I never seemed to get to! The dogs loved them and since it was an easy and somewhat fun project I'll continue to bake for them from time to time! I used the Peanut Butter and Banana recipe from Allrecipes.com. There are several others I will try in the future! Like they say, when you do your own baking, you know exactly what you're feeding! I've always hated nail care! Not that it's difficult but it's a bit unnerving when you're attempting to cut black nails without getting into the quick and hurting your beloved companion. As a result, it seems my pups nails tend to get on the long side. So, I purchased and have been practicing with the dremel and find it quite user friendly and the dogs seem to prefer it as well. I've read you're supposed to start them young but I missed that boat so I began by first desensitizing them to the noise and vibration the tool makes without involving their feet. From there I began to used the tool on their nails without the sandpaper attached. Last night we had our first trimming session and all went swimmingly! Dremels are fairly inexpensive and I can now say, I recommend them without reserve for your Doberman pups as well as adults.
I was able to bring Lexi home a couple days ago and I've gotta tell ya, it's great to have her back! She's happy and her sweet normal self and seems overjoyed to reclaim her spot on the bed at night and my lap whenever she can! We stopped at Regions Bank on the way home and to my surprise the teller sent back a good sized dog treat with my deposit slip! Way to go Regions; that was a sweet gesture and appreciated not only by myself but especially by Lexi.
I e-mailed the Volz to thank them for caring (obviously well) for Lexi while she was with them. Their response: "Your Welcome. Lex is never a problem. She is well mannered, obedient and pleasant to handle". They closed by congratulating us on her O.F.A. Certification! Elbows "Clear" and Hips "Excellent"! I didn't expect less based on her X-rays but it's great to have the Certification in hand! Our due date, based on the breeding schedule leads us to believe Lexi will "pup" March 4th! Wish us luck for an uneventful delivery and a litter full of fat and healthy Doberbabes! Well, not much going on around here lately. Lexi is still working on creating pups... I'm missing her and I'm more than ready to have her back home.
We've had several days of rain here in as many days and when it finally quit, the temperatures took a nosedive. Night time temps down in the lower thirties and daytime temps don't feel much better! Too chilly for this Floridian to want to venture out much. Decided to take the time to get the pup room ready. I received word today, we've had a successful tie between Lovely Alexus and Navigator Betelges! That being said, I expect pups February 24th. We'll see how close I come....
A Day In The Life Of The Dogs @ Got My Back Dobermans! Just Looking At Them Is Making Me Tired12/22/2013 Lexi went for her X-rays today and had a very sweet little nap and a pedicure done while she was sleeping! Dr McBride reviewed her films and stated her "Elbows are Clear and her Hips Good to Excellent". Still need to send the actual films to have them O.F.A. Certified but Dr McBride knows her stuff and has been doing X-rays for Certification on Dobermans for years, so I don't doubt her assessment! Fingers are crossed for "Excellent" but an O.F.A. of "Good" is certainly good enough for me. Also to note, she is running a bit behind schedule for her cycle following her litter but I've been informed that is pretty typical following a large litter. Should be happening soon! In the meantime, Majestic has entered her first heat cycle, but @ only 10 months of age she is way to young to breed. She still looks and acts very much like a pup! May end up to be a pretty aggravating Holiday Season around here for the Boys!
Dobies don't tolerate cold much better than I do and here, in North Central Florida, we can be dealt some pretty widely fluctuating temperatures from one day to the next. It's always good to be prepared! Serious and Jess are modeling some coats made just for them, by a small business owner right here in the USA! We're ready Old Man Winter! But please be gentle... Sometimes life gets in the way. The pups took their toll on my time. My Affies coats took the brunt! I was able to salvage my male but broke down and took Khya to the groomer for some pampering and ultimately a shave! She is looking a bit Greyhoundish but is clean and mat free! And I learned some things.... when pups are involved the Affies will have regularly scheduled grooming appointments. I prefer their long silky coats and have always said "if you want a short haired dog, get a short haired dog". I've owned Afghan Hounds for nearly 30 years and this is only the second time I've had to resort to removing a coat... not my preference but the best solution for everyone involved...especially Khya! My Old Man! |
Got My Back
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