15Jan
It was a nervous wait waiting for Raven to have her pregnancy confirmed. I saw some signs but didn't want to get my hopes up. Raven's pregnancy signs include not eating all of her morning meal, asking for lunch (by sitting and staring at the freezer), nipple changes, staying close to myself, playing less with the others and I would find her sitting still, looking like she was thinking about a lot of things. It sounds daft but it really does like like she is contemplating a lot when she does it.
I think the pack new before we did. I saw Hendrix smelling her a fair few times so she may have lost a clear discharge and he could smell the pregnancy. Raven's daughter, Alaska seemed different. She helped to maintain the pack balance while Raven watched. When they played together, I noticed Alaska putting her body between Raven and the others. When Raven slept, Alaska always slept in between Raven and the others. I find canine behaviour fascinating and whilst I do not fully understand everything they do, I believe Alaska will step up, keep order within the pack whilst Raven is pregnant and when she is busy tending to her puppies.
Qualified Scanner
It is highly important to find a scanner who has gained official qualifications. A special live video in the National Breeder Convention 2023 highlighted many important aspects and how the probe used actually emits heat... if it is on their stomach too long, puppies are almost cooked in the womb.. I found that terrifying. Thankfully my local clinic has a scanner who gained a recognised qualification and trained with the Animal Ultrasound Association.
Raven's fluffy belly made it more difficult to get clear images but I was happy as long as I got confirmation. I didn't want the probe on her too long either. We saw around 5 to 6 puppies and I am confident in knowing when Raven has pushed all of her babies out during whelping.
Next stages
I managed to give myself a bad headache over the weekend. Having not had any puppies since September 2022, I felt like I needed to read everything again and go through it all. I don't want to forget anything important as Raven is my number one priority and then her babies. I want Raven to be as healthy as possible and be fit so she can whelp well. I then want her puppies to develop into perfectly, healthy little babies that have the best chance of survival.
I have created a pregnancy timetable that I can refer to and see what I need to do each week, what I can expect from Raven and I need to feel prepared.
I am going to go through all my puppy paperwork and get someone else to proofread it so I can concentrate on the puppies when they arrive. I will be going over my socialisation protocols and create a flexible plan so I have that to refer to when puppies are here and after sleepless nights and my brain feels fuzzy, I have something to refer to.
I will try and use this blog to show pregnancy changes, whelping and then to show the puppies development.
Hendrix is going to be a daddy!
We do have space on this waiting list. For anyone interested, I am more than happy to discuss parents health tests and temperaments, socialisation protocols and provide updates at the various stages.
Claire 🐾
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