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September 26, 2007, the puppies were born.  
September 28, 2007,  First vet visit, dew claws removed.                                        October 3,
2007, First nail trim.
         The pups grew so fast their I.D. bands also needed to be changed.
October 9,2007 What a pleasure to have good Mom like Dina, so far, she's been able to
nurse all her pups by herself, nice healthy & chubby puppies. Very content litter.  The little
pups are getting stronger most of them can get up on all fours and walk a good way across
the whelping box.  Today, I see a few little eyes just starting to open.  
October 12, 2007, Another nail trim for the pups, their really getting around now, walking all
over the box, they found their voice and eyes are open.
Several of the pups weighed in today at 3 lbs!  
October 14, 2007,  I should have had these photo's up yesterday but I charge the camera
battery :)  Puppies walking, standing, and barking.
October 17, 2007, the puppies are 3 weeks old today!  The first pup learned how to get out of
the whelping box this morning.  You know what means, next level door gets shut now!
BIG DAY FOR THE PUPS, THEIR 3 WEEKS OLD AND HAD THEIR FIRST GRUEL.  Ah, what a time
that was they certainly enjoyed it, sat in it, slid around, and were totally a mess....but laughs
to die for.  Although, cleaning up was a chore but well worth it.
October 23, 2007, Week 4.  The pups are a blast...their scampering and running now.  I added
the new pics of interactive play time, they are learning, size, shape, texture, and I thought it
would be good to add interactive toys.  The Babble Balls talks on motion.  All my curlies
loved their Babble Balls.  My friends son got a puppy last year, naturally, I bought them a
present, one of them was a Babble Balls for small dogs.  I thought it would be so nice, the 3
month old pup was scared of it...I thought hummmmm.....something to introduce my litter to!!!
They were inquisitive but in a few minutes were giving it a little push to listen to it.  
Whelping Box

When looking for a whelping box I looked at
whelping boxes for style, material and
functionality, they were made from children's
kiddie pool, cardboard, plastic, plywood
painted and unfinished.
I made the whelping box 5'x4' out of melamine,
it's strong, easy to clean.
I used a two door system on the front of the
box enabling me to adjust the opening of the
door size as the puppies grow.  I put handles
on the sides of the box.
I was concerned about the pig rails that I seen
in use in the whelping  boxes I was looking at.  
What I didn't like about the pig rail is that it
creates a ledge that the bitch leans against, I
thought it must be very  uncomfortable to have
that ledge in your back.
Altenative...I used 3 1/2" PVC pipe,with 7"
corner elbows, and 2" PVC pipe to raise the
pig rial 4" from the floor. The rolled surface is
nice and comfy and easy to keep clean.
Next thing, I did was NOT to put a bottom in the
box.  The reason I didn't put a bottom in the
box is because nothing stays put in the
whelping box with a bottom.  This box is heavy
enough that the handles I put on the sides I
can lift the box and use the box to hold the
liners in place.  Also, the legs on the pig rail
hold the liners.
How I line the box...I put a tarp down and place
the box on top of it. For liners I use mattress
pads which are sufficient for the first couple of
weeks. The twin size cost  $10.00. I also use
the nice 1" thick woolies that hospitals use to
prevent bed sores. At a local textile mill I was
able to get them cut 3 inches bigger than the
whelping box. The thick pile keeps the puppies
warm, gives them traction to develop their
muscles and coordination.
Dina and the pups                        A nice snuggle                                 Mom at work

Pups at 6 days old                       Red Girl 10 days old                             Shift work
      Pups at 10 days old
 Puppy Baby Sitters
Yes, there socks, and here is an explanation of what we use them for.  On whelping date we filled nylon knee highs
with rice, put a knot in the end, covered that with a tube sock.  The outside tube sock became a soft washable cover.  
During whelping, we put the socks in the microwave and heated them to a nice warm touch.  Cradled the new born
pups in the Baby Sitters while Mom was busy having another pup. They came in mighty handy....
I still use the Baby Sitters but there is no need to warm them.  I  place them around the whelping box and the pups
love them.  They snuggle up to them and around them, like they are another litter mate.  They also help the pups
develop, they crawl over them, use them for balance while they are trying to stand, and they love to sleep amongst
them.
Another use I have for them, is when I'm cleaning the whelping box, I get all the pups in one place and use them to
make corral for the pups.  All the pups in one place and house cleaning is a bit safer for the pups!
Now this little one just loves to
climb into those puppy sitters and
find a cozy place for a snooze
check out the crossed back legs.
I just learned to walk and I think I
can navigate  climbing this
pile...did he make it?
               Now the fun begins, the pups eyes are open, there vocal, walking.

     Barking                                                                    Walking and Exploring
  Pups are 3 weeks old today, and here they are eating their first gruel.  
Week 4: here are the pup during play time, learning about size, shape, texture, and
interactive toys, in the last picture the ball you see is a "Babble Ball' on motion it talks.