Click here to see the Puppies' Growth Chart.  This chart will be updated as often as possible to reflect the puppies' weights.

Click on any thumbnail photo to see a larger version.

May 11 (6 days old):   No new photos today, but everyone did get new ric-rac collars because their first ones were getting a little snug.  Everyone's gaining weight nicely and Keeper begged me for a short game of frisbee today, so I gave in (no jumping, just low easy throws).   Today's new visitor for handling & socialization was my mom.  The puppies also experienced their first day of early neurological stimulation*, exercises designed to expose the pups to very mild stress.  Each exercise lasts about 3 seconds and they are as follows:  1) Q-tip stimulation (tickling) between the toes; 2) holding puppy vertically (head up); 3) holding puppy vertically (head down); 4) holding puppy on its back; 5) placing puppy (pads down) on a cool cloth.   It was interesting to observe the different reactions, and it will be even more interesting to see if a pattern of responses develops.   These exercises will be continued for approximately 10 days.   

*Reference:  "Early Neurological Stimulation" by Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia (behavioral scientist & researcher, breeder and AKC conformation judge).   His articles, seminars and books are excellent.

May 10 (5 days old):

Keeper is definitely getting the hang of this mothering thing...and has lots of milk now.  (She's eating 5 times a day, close to 2 cups each meal, of high protein, moderately high fat kibble with chicken, hamburger or canned food mixed in.)   In the photo at left (above), you'll see one of her preferred nursing positions.   That's Pink Puppy up top!   The puppies had their first new visitor today.   Alda Weaver spent a couple of hours socializing everyone (holding and stroking) and all puppies (plus mom) were very relaxed and cuddly.   Keeper took her first all-out ditz run around the yard today and then did her best Schipperke impression -- diving head first into the grass and rolling upside down with glee.

May 9 (4 days old):

Today the puppies got a new experience...to have their bedding changed to a slightly different type of surface.   Up to this point they have been on heavy flannel sheets or blankets or baby crib mattress pads, which has given them excellent traction for moving about.   Their surface today is a heavy, rough cotton -- kind of like denim.   They are having a little bit more of a challenge moving around, but they are still able to get good traction.

Everyone got their nails trimmed today and their individual portraits taken!  Click on Puppy Pages to go see!

Keeper is an immaculate housekeeper.   I think we have only found 4 or 5 puppy stools before she got to them.   And, as Keeper continues to have a little post-whelping discharge, she insists on having the bedding changed immediately if there is any staining.  If I don't get to it fast enough, she starts wadding it up -- regardless of whether or not there are puppies lying in that area. 

As you can see from the photos above, Keeper is getting her figure back and she has a grin on her face as she feels more comfortable spending a couple minutes in the backyard.

May 8 (3 days old):

Well, we've made it through Day 2 and things are definitely calming down around the house.   These puppies, though, are quite the little go-getters.  Several of them are already practicing agility routines, crawling over the top of Keeper when she's lying on her side nursing.  They must think she's an A-frame!  (It's a little shocking, though, when the down side of the A-frame is a lot steeper than the up side.)   When I look at the photos from today, and see how frayed and dirty their little ric-rac collars are, I can see how someone might think that these guys had been wearing their collars for weeks...but not so.   If they're this dirty and frayed after just two days, imagine what tomboys all these little girls are going to grow up to be!    

Everyone is eating and sleeping when they're not scooting around the whelping box.  I think the reason they haven't gained any weight is that they are too active!   Today the gang has definitely started sleeping more, thank goodness!   Keeper is chowing down so more milk is coming in...when I can keep her outside for a couple of minutes longer than just a quick potty break I'll take a photo of her...she's not the blimp she was a couple of days ago!

Two puppies have already gotten their front leg caught in their ric-rac:  silver boy and red girl.   I'm so glad Katrina is still spending the night so there's someone "on duty" 24 hours a day.   And I'm thankful to my own mom for giving me a baby monitor to use...puppies are the closest thing she'll ever have to grandkids!

May 7 (2 days old):

Keeper & kids are doing great.   Mom is settling into a routine, her milk is coming in to keep up with demand and her temperature is normal.   Puppy stools are normal and appetites and activity levels are strong.   So far so good!   If you've never bred a litter before, you might be tempted to think that the hard work is over and the rest of the time is just fun.    Hah!   

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a support group of dog people to raise a litter!   In the past several days I have only been able to catch a few hours of sleep here and there, and only because I trust my wonderful midwives:   My thanks to: Monica Miller, who stayed with us for 2 days straight, Cathy Horrocks, who was here from 8 pm to 4 am to assist with the whelping and returns each day to "spell" me, Katrina Tustin, who spent several hours here, late Sunday night and early Monday morning, so both Monica & I could get a little sleep, and who'll return again tonight.

Tyler, Journey and Ashley are getting the hang of the new routine and the fact that they can't visit Keeper right now.   They inquisitively peer over the baby gate at the whelping room door, and they sniff me from top to bottom to see what each trip through the gate brings.   As good as Journey and Ashley are being, Tyler is being bad...stealing things for attention.   Several pairs of my shoes have disappeared outside and he even tried to take the slippers off my feet.   On more than one occasion, I have heard him taking dishes out of the kitchen sink!    Oh well...this, too, shall pass!

May 5 & 6 (the birth & day 1):

If you are reading this, thinking how much fun it might be to deliver a litter of puppies, think again.   The evening included an urgent phone call to Dr. Thomas, and at one point it seemed as though an emergency trip to the veterinarian might be necessary.   Between 6:30 pm and 9:00 pm, we were working as fast as we could to deliver puppies, get them dried off & warmed, get umbilical cords cut, tied & bleeding stopped, and finally, nursing between each new arrival.  

As the evening wore on and Keeper grew tired -- so did we -- things became more stressful for all of us.   We knew there were 10 puppies inside of Keeper (I don't know how anyone could attempt to whelp a litter without having an x-ray) and we knew they had to come out.   We knew that three hours between puppies might indicate a problem, and we knew that 15 minutes of hard contractions without a puppy might indicate an emergency.

Imagine three women (me, Cathy Horrocks & Monica Miller), splattered with blood & other canine bodily fluids, surrounded by bags of dirty newspapers and towels, books on canine reproduction, two telephones, emergency supplies, stacks of clean towels and newspapers, a scale, packs of ric-rac, etc., etc., etc. next to a whelping box with a new mom and new babies. 

I could not have asked more of Keeper.  She was such a trooper throughout the whole process.  First-time mothers can sometimes be unpredictable, highly stressed, disinterested and/or neurotic.  Not Keeper.   She never complained during contractions and her maternal instincts kicked in as soon as the first puppy was born -- cleaning, nuzzling, allowing it to nurse, etc.   All I can say is that Keeper's registered name fits her well:   Kestri's Keepsake of Kaylan...she truly is a little keepsake.

How did the rest of the Lang Dogs handle all this excitement?   Well, they were not too pleased to have to spend so much time away from their mom (me!), and they were quite curious as to the smells and noises coming from the whelping room, the laundry room and the garbage can.   They were cooperative with the various midwives and other friends who came by off and on to help out.   For a while, none of the dogs knew who might open their crate door, or greet them at the sliding glass door to let them in from the back yard!

Puppy Birth Record Chart (Weights in Ounces)

Notes:

*Puppy #6:  Telephone assistance from Dr. Thomas, lots of petroleum jelly and a patient Keeper resulted in a healthy puppy.   A few drops of Rescue Remedy got this puppy going strong.  It took a little extra time & effort to get this girl warmed and eating, and now she seems normal.   Breech presentations (rear first) are common and typically uneventful -- except for Keeper!   She had a difficult time delivering this puppy, and we had to provide a lot of assistance in the form of holding Keeper's front legs off the ground so gravity could help and Monica's hand inside of Keeper to help pull the puppy out.   Throughout the ordeal, Monica Miller & Cathy Horrocks were calm, while I was a nervous wreck!   We cannot thank Dr. Thomas enough for the calm, reassuring telephone guidance that saw us through this delivery!

**Puppy #10:  Keeper worked so hard for us to try and deliver this puppy.   She was bearing down with hard contractions while standing on her hind legs as we followed the same procedure to deliver this puppy as the previous breech.   Keeper hung on to Cathy's arm for help during the contractions (Cathy could feel her "digging in")...all the while Monica's hand was once again inside of her in order to pull the puppy out.   It was obvious from the beginning that this puppy had had a long travel and long ordeal, with little chance of survival.   But we all worked on him for along time, using Rescue Remedy and other life saving techniques, but to no avail. 

As sad as it was to lose the last little boy, I am so grateful that we have a healthy mom and 9 healthy babies.