Birth Date will be... July 18, 2013

One puppy was technically born on 7/17 and the remaining 4 were born on 7/18. In a case like this it is the breeder's choice to choose the date of birth for the litter. I decided on July 18. I usually have Spring litters so to have one in July is unusual and to make it more special, that date is the birth date of my very first litter of Dalmatians out of my beloved Barkley, may she RIP until I will see her again. She had a litter of 10 (lost one) and I kept Freckle Nose and Perky from that litter. I lost them at almost 15 and 14 respectively. Still miss them today. It is bittersweet remembering, but I feel I am honoring them in this way.

Pups are doing well, content and have rounded bellies. Figgy is not panting as much. Her Temperature this morning at 8:40 a.m. was 102.3. I wish it would start coming back down to 101 range (which is normal for a dog). The books say that lactating bitches can run 1 degree higher after whelping. And my vet did not think it was very concerning unless it goes up higher.


Figgy is doing a great job, but every little peep or noise in the night and I have to check on them to make sure all is okay. Momma dogs can accidentally lay on a puppy and suffocate it. Or they can crawl too far away from momma dog or your heat source (heating pad or lamp) and get chilled and die. That is why many breeders sleep right next to the litter for the first week or two until the pups are big and strong enough and the momma dog is not so exhausted.

Yea... Figgy is drinking a bit more... still not a bucket full at a time, but more than just a taste. That makes me feel better. Of course I have been floating her food in water, so she has been getting fluids.

I just wiped out the pool and put in a fresh blanket and Fig and pups settled back in....

Figgy doesn't like it when I take a picture... thus the hang dog look... LOL.