Last edited 31-12-2005 ©The Sounding Burrows
April 8 and 9
During the end of March and the beginning of April it is very clear that the mating has taken effect, Ashop has grówn. Her weight was 5,7 kilo, by April 7 she is 7,8 kilo. Her belly has become nice and round and when you put your hand on it you can feel the pups moving and kicking (it stopped 2 days before delivery).
On April 5 she still was willing to go on our daily trip and play on the grass with Glee. First a view of Glee's slender figure.
Here they are together
And a closer look at Ashop's belly.
On April 8 Ashop is doing fine and lying around.
But at 22:00 hours her posture changes and she becomes uncomfortable, a sign her body is getting ready.It may be between 12 and 18 hours later before the pups start to arrive.
Indeed she does take her time, because it is 14:16 hours the next day (April 9) when the first amnion comes out and breaks, ... but no pup! I call the vet and he tells me that if the pup has not come out at 17:00 hours I have to come to the practice. He assumes the pup is dead.
I do some quick thinking and call Nicky Patterson in Scotland, a wonderful woman and knowledgeable breeder of Lakelands. She tells me to jog Ashop around to get her to contract more. While talking on the phone I hop around the house with Ashop on a leash and when I release her after a couple of minutes, indeed contractions start and I see a beautiful black nose appearing with a very pink little bit of tongue sticking out. I touch it and the tongue retreats: this pup is still alive! I pick off the remnants of the amnionsack and suck out the little nose. She takes a big gulp of air while she is still inside Ashop from her eyes to her feet. Two more pushes and she is out: a plump black girl (well, compared to Henbane and Glee at the time) with a lovely face and big trampling feet. She wants to conquer the world, this one;-) Of course she get the honorary name Nicky.
The Sounding Burrows Nicky, seconds old, 170 grams and full of life. I get an instant reminder of Rune.
An hour later number two arrives and I could jump for joy: another girl, 166 gram and also black! A smart one this, halfway out of her mom, she started to suckle before she was even fully born. Very still, no trampling feet here, but she goes straight for what she wants. No fuss. A deadringer for her father ...
Two girls sucking
Number three pops out at 19:00 hours, hindlegs first, no trouble at all, 158 grams and it is another black girl. Though the differences are very, very small (I almost mixed them up allready) you always get an impression and I tend to go with that feeling. So far it hasn't proven me wrong. This one evokes the feeling of another Glee. If that proves to be true her name will be Frogbit.
Later that night and after an injection from the vet a fourth pup is born, another black girl, but she was dead at birth. It has happened before, but this time it affects me quite much. They are all so beautiful and lovely, I hate not being able to do something for her:-((
Here it goes on: the first week.
