I'm sure we can fit

April 26th

We have started to transition the puppies from the bedroom they have spent most of the first weeks of their life in to the kitchen area. Currently the puppies come to the kitchen in the morning and are moved back to the whelping box in the bedroom for the night. This provides them with experience of noise and activity of human life and also gives them more area to play. We have small gates set up so Ruth can come and go freely.

The puppies have also been introduced to our other 2 adult dalmatians. Although the "boys" Jeter and Alex were allowed into the whelping-bedroom to see what was in there, they have not had complete exposure to the puppies until today. Ruth was busy initially making sure her adult boys were minding their "P's & Q's" and knew "her" rules regarding the puppies. The introductions went well and now the puppies have 2 additional adult dogs in their development.

We have a small 300 crate which has not been used since Ruth was a puppy herself. I thought it would make a nice addition to the puppy quarters in the kitchen where they could go for a warm and secure nap. Not only did the puppies take to the crate quite readily, Ruth decided she should get into it for feeding the puppies. To our surprise Ruth was able to squeeze into it, and right behind her followed the puppies.



Ruth and 8 puppies in a 300 crate




Hudson is not sure about this!



Ruth and her babies

April 23rd

Week 3-4 of life for a puppy is the first time a puppy has all of it's senses. We are adding a variety of noises for the puppies to experience this week as a part of their daily life. Sudden loud noises are important to happen during this stage since fear has not yet developed. As breeder's of dalmatians, we take a keen interest in the puppies reactivity to noise, since as a breed dalmatians are known to have issue with deafness. It is believed the genes which are responsible for hearing are linked to the gene which makes a dog white. Some dalmatians can hear in both ears (bilateral), some can hear in one ear (unilateral and often called "uni"), and some are deaf. A responsible breeder will test their dalmatians prior to placement in forever homes. The formal hearing test usually takes place at about 6 weeks of age.

The role and influence of a stable dam is also needed during this period. Puppies are now learning they are dogs. The mother will begin teaching them what is acceptable and not acceptable, and most importantly she will begin to give discipline. Through this process the puppies will learn the importance of submission in a dog's world.



Ruth gently playing with Liberty




Ruth insists on needed comforts - she knocked the body pillow off the bed into the whelping box, prior to jumping in to nurse the puppies.



Exploring outside

April 22nd

We had a very warm day and the puppies were given several periods outside on the lawn. Each time the puppies became a little more confident to explore a little farther. I would bring some familiar items out with us, so there would be a certain level of comfort for them. I found when they became tired (play periods are short, only 5-10 minutes) the puppies would go to their blanket and basket to fall fast asleep.

Even though they have only had solid food for several days now, it is fun to watch their noses at work. The group can be sound asleep and I will quietly set their cereal down. You can begin to see the noses twitching, eyes opening, and the search is on for where the aroma is coming from.



Liberty enjoying cuddle time





Liberty giving kisses




Bronx




Full tummies call for a nap




Madison




Bronx




Manhatten




Hudson sound asleep




Brooklyn and Staten




Liberty











Ruth and Brooklyn





Our youngest grandchild experiencing puppies



Daily Changes

April 20th

We had our first escape artist out of the whelping box today - Bronx, dark blue boy. He was quickly followed by Brooklyn (purple girl) and Madison (pink girl). I had noticed several puppies contemplating the jump to freedom over the past two days, but they would always get down off the opening of the whelping box. The whelping box has a panel to enclose the opening which has been put into place when we are not in the room with them.

Everyday we take the puppies to a new area which provides a new surface for them to experience such as linoleum, carpet, dirt, grass, rocks, bark. In the evening the group comes out into the family room with us, so they can experience increased activity and noise in their environment.

I also noticed teeth coming in today- lots and lots of teeth. Their tails are wagging when they are on the move. When at play they have distinctive barks and growls. It is fun to see these little beings trying take on characteristics of an adult dog.

Little frogs on a warm day



April 18th

The puppies had their first solid meal this evening. Other adults in this household and those who visit insisted the puppies were not getting enough since they frantically would look for their mother when she was near, despite everyone with spots getting bigger by the day. I finally caved and gave the group their first meal made of rice cereal and puppy formula. Everyone caught on quickly and I must say they enjoyed their meal. Here are a few pictures of the grand event.....for those of you who do not know how dals are, food is a very important event in daily life.

First solid food at almost 3 weeks of age

Brooklyn after her first meal.....she has inherited the sleep on your back gene from her dad Mikey.

2 weeks old and on the move

Over the past few days, all the puppies have opened their eyes, and are becoming more inquisitive every day. They have begun to take interest in each other, by mouthing their siblings and batting paws at each other. I caught one of the girls mouthing her mother as she was being cleaned. Ruth gave her a "look" only a mother could give. I added a small squeaky toy today to the whelping box, and they had a blast with it. The stuffed animal is about their size, but as one would pull on it another would bark at it. Here are a few more pictures-their spots are becoming more defined.

The Parents

So just who are the parents and why do we think they are so special?

Ruth
Grand Champion SunnyOaks N Yankee Dals House That Ruth Built
CH Tuckaway Winged Foot ROMX x CH SunnyOaks Spicen It Up ROMX

Ruth is 4 years old. We feel so very lucky to have Ruth in our lives for many reasons. Her dam Ginger was a top competitive dalmatian when we first began showing, and she frequently was shown locally, which meant we saw her a lot. Ginger and her owner/handlers made a beautiful team - almost moving effortlessly around the ring. From very early on we hoped we could have "something" from Ginger... some day. Ruth is from Ginger's second litter, the sire being Jack-another very influential dalmatian to the breed. Many dalmatian pedigrees will have Jack somewhere in the background. There were 8 puppies in the litter Ruth came from - 6 were shown, and all finished their championships within months of each other. A breeder is hopeful to have one show dog from a litter, but to have 6 is quite a fete. Both Dam and Sire have become top producers, and hence have been awarded the suffix ROMX after their registered names.

Although Ruth lives in "our" house, she is Jeff's dog. It is my understanding many or the females from her litter are "daddy's girl". She and Jeff are attached at the hip! She is Jeff's first show dog, and boy do they show. Ruth loves to show. I will ask her "do you want to be a showgirl this weekend" and she will run and jump on the grooming table to get her nails and whiskers done for a show. Ruth and Jeff have been awarded nicely for their work. At the Eukanuba Classic in 2009, Ruth received an Award of Excellence under a dalmatian breeder judge - a very nice nod and complement to the type of dal Ruth was becoming. She was invited to attend Crufts in England in 2010. During 2010 we actively campaigned Ruth as a special. This basically means Ruth had already obtained her Championship, and now we were showing to earn points, which becomes a way for all dalmatians to compete with each other across the country. For 2010 Ruth was ranked in the Top 20 of all dalmatians in the US in breed and all breed ranking. Breed points/ranking basically becomes the number of same breed of dogs defeated (ie dalmatians) during the year at conformation shows, and all breed ranking is points obtained when competing against other breeds of dogs. Ruth was the 4th dalmatian and the 1st female dalmatian to be awarded the new title of "Grand Champion" in 2010. At the Dalmatian Club of America Nationals in 2011, Ruth and Jeff were invited to compete in the Top 20 event - a fun formal evening for the top 20 dalmatians from the prior year to be showcased. Both Ruth's parents have been Top 20 winners in the past. In 2011, Ruth's half brother Ricky also was a Top 20 dalmatian.

Although Ruth is a wonderful show dog, she is an even better house and family dog. She has a very middle of the road temperament, which is easy to live with. She is playful and loves to fetch. She is always up for a bike ride or a good walk. She can play hard and keep up with "her boys" but she is quick to cuddle with someone on the couch. She has been easy going enough to be a juniors dog with our granddaughter at shows.

Mikey

American Grand Champion / Canadian Champion  Cranbrooke Back to the Future

CH Fireman's Freckled Friend ROMX x Am/Can Champion Cranbrooke Doc's Pop'n Up Stars

Mikey lives in Canada with his family, Doug and Linda Taylor of Cranbrooke Dalmatians. Mikey was on our short list of young men to look at for a potential Ruth breeding when we went to the 2011 Dalmatian Club of America Specialty shows. I liked that Mikey's pedigree would line up on another great dal "Jester", in Ruth's pedigree. And I knew of the "Spotty"  dog who is Mikey's sire. Spotty was known for his great movement - a necessity for a dalmatian who structurally should be able to coach (run alongside a carriage) for miles. At the speciality show we were fortunate to see several of Mikey's offspring in the show ring. They all exhibit great coming and going movement, and a flowing side gait. On paper, and by observation, Mikey was the only boy Jeff and I were in complete agreement on for the potential breeding with Ruth. We then set off to meet Mikey in person and we were pleasantly pleased with his temperament, along with his kind and out going personality. Structurally, we felt he would be a good compliment to Ruth.

Here's looking at you

When I stared at the face of Manhattan today (dark green boy) he was staring back. Both eyes are just starting to open. It looks like he is the only one peering out at the world so far. The purple girl is getting quite good at getting her legs under her. I think when she can see the world, she will be on a run for it.

Spots are coming through, so the puppies are no longer "defective dalmatians" per Cruela DeVille standards.

Ruth is becoming more relaxed at spending time away from the whelping box to just be a dog with her housemates. We have 2 adult males also at home, who are curious as to what is going on in the back bedroom, but who have not yet met the kids. They both allow Ruth to be queen of the house, but I don't think she is ready to go there yet with them.

I realized earlier today, next week will be 4 years since Ruth came into our lives. I was so worried at the time how two rambunctious 3 year old dals would be with a 9 week old puppy. It was funny to watch them try and play with her. As they would run and play tug, the boys would decrease their speed until they were at a rate where she could keep up with them. Both were very nurturing with her.

Here are a few pictures of the group. Look closely and you can see their spots coming in.

Puppies are trying to use their legs

We noted today some of the puppies are beginning to try and use their legs. On occasion someone will get up on all four, wobble and go back down. Some are getting up on their front legs and moving, while still doing a crawl of sorts with the rear legs. We had a good laugh watching Rockefeller (Red Boy) attempt to use his legs. He is the largest in the litter. His primary objectives of the day being to eat, eat some more, eat a little more, and then sleep. He is usually the first to arrive for a meal, and is always the last to leave....you get the picture. Well, he tried but was unable to get those legs to support his frame. I am sure this will be short lived, but it allowed for good entertainment tonight.

I learned today the simplest of traits can be genetic. It looks like we may have inherited the "lay on your back with your feet up to sleep" gene in the puppies. I had made comment some of the puppies were content to sleep slightly away from the puppy pile, on their backs, with feet in the air. I received a picture from the sire's owner, Linda and Doug Taylor. There is Mikey asleep on the floor with his son Boone and they both are on their backs with feet in the air!

Puppy Sire Mikey and son Boone sleeping on their backs

Here are some pictures of each puppy at 8 days of age

Dark Blue Boy - Bronx

Purple Girl Patch - Brooklyn

Lt Green Girl - Liberty 

Dk Green Boy - Manhattan

Lt Blue Boy - Staten

Pink Girl - Madison

Black Boy - Hudson

Red Boy - Rockefeller



Puppies are a week old already!

The puppies have changed so much in a weeks time. I know they do this, but I marvel at how quick the changes are. Although they still look like little white rodents, I see evidence of their spots coming in on some muzzles, tummies and toes. The puppies are still crawling, but they are able to move quite quickly to where they are going. They have also become comfortable sleeping on their backs with their feet in the air.

While vocal at times, most of the sounds they make mimic a cat's meow. When they were first delivered, my 12 year old granddaughter wondered out loud if puppies start out sounding like cats, and kittens start out sounding like puppies. However, I do believe I heard what could be interpreted at a first bark as I startled the pink girl last night as she was picked up.

I have a picture of the puppies posted on my office door at work, and I laugh as many staff members come by and ask where their spots are? Most questions come from the "younger" generation, and I quickly point out they were deprived of the classic "101 Dalmatians" as a child. After I explain the process, and add in Cruella Deville's comment of  "defective puppies", I suggest they see the movie :)

For fun, my daughters and granddaughter have talked us into giving the puppies names for now. Since we have named our dals after Yankee Baseball players, this litter has been named for areas and landmarks in the Big Apple. Blue Boy will be known for now as "Bronx", Dark Green Boy is "Manhattan", Light Blue Boy is "Staten", Black Boy is "Hudson", Red Boy is "Rockefeller", Purple Girl is "Brooklyn", Light Green Girl is "Liberty", and Pink Girl is "Madison".

Ruth's breeder has written a dog article on names we give our dogs. She questions if we give names to fit the dog or if the dog by some means begins to fit the name. Although the puppy names were given in fun last weekend hours after birth, I wonder if the dogs actually do grow into the meaning of their names or the idea we feel the names produce? "Rockefeller" paints an image of big, bold and larger than life in my mind. Puppy Rockefeller at this point has become the largest puppy and he can quickly and easily push another puppy off mom so he can eat. Even our vet and her nurse commented on him during our visit for dewclaw removal to the tune of "how many humans does it take to hold a 3 day old puppy in place" when describing Mr. Red. Something to ponder on.....

My how they have grown

The puppies are doing great today. Every puppy is over 1 pound now. We began stress stimulation exercises with the puppies today as described by Dr. Carmen Battaglia and research done by the US Military called "Bio Sensor" or "Super Dog". This research shows that "early neurological stimulation will have important and lasting effects" on puppies. Mild forms of stress around thermal, tactile and motor stimulation from day 3 through 16 have shown dogs will respond to stress as an adult dog in an improved manner. The research has also shown puppies who receive these exercises were more resistant to some forms of cancer and disease and withstood exposure to cold better, were more stable, more exploratory and learned faster.

For 3-5 seconds, once each day, we are doing the following:

1. Tickled between the toes with a Q-tip
2. Hold perpendicular to the ground
3. Hold head down
4. Hold on its back in the palm of my hand
5. Place on a cold damp towel

Although technically the puppies are 4 days old today, I just felt like they had too much stress yesterday as they had a trip to the vet for dewclaw removal. Each puppy is being handled several times during the day, every day. I came home from work today to find my adult daughter in the whelping box with all the puppies :)

This is an ultrasound image of a puppy at 28 days gestation taken during Ruth's pregnancy

This is a 3 day old puppy

Ruth has built the house - puppies are here!

YankeeDals Dugout

presents

The House That Ruth Built

GCH SunnyOaks N Yankee Dals House That Ruth Built

Sire

Mikey

Am GCH/Can CH Cranbrooke Back to the Future

Ruth had her puppies on Friday, March 30th 2012 - 5 boys and 3 girls. Mother and babies are doing fine. The sire is "Mikey", Am GCH/Can CH Cranbrooke Back to the Future - an awesome boy owned by Linda and Doug Taylor.

Puppies just hours old on March 30th

All the puppies in the litter were very equal in size at delivery weighing between 13.40 ounces and 14.85 ounces. It appears all the puppies will be black and white in color. I was hoping we may get a liver dal out of this breeding, as Mikey is known to be liver factored. I never got around to having Ruth tested for the liver gene which is recessive, which allows for black spotted parents to produce brown spotted offspring. Even if Ruth is not liver factored, some of her offspring may be able to produce a liver dal, since Mikey carries a gene for this.

Ruth gained 17 pounds during the pregnancy. That is quite a sum of weight for a girl who weighs 42 pounds when she is in good show condition. Our veterinarian said she should gain between 1-1 1/2 pounds for each puppy she carried. Ruth looked so uncomfortable the last week of her pregnancy. During that last week, her appetite slowed down quite a bit. I don't think she had any room left for anything! At her peak during the pregnancy she would eat 6+ cups of kibble per day, along with 2 hard boiled eggs, and I would sweeten the pot with a scoop of yogurt or cottage cheese. Ruth also loves carrots and she has several during the day as a snack. Ruth is already down to 48 pounds.

Ruth just days before delivery

Each puppy has been identified with a different color of rick-rack around their neck. This allows us to keep better track of who is doing what. For the first few days I made sure each puppy was noted to pee and poop at least once daily. The mother typically will stimulate each puppy to do so by licking them. And each puppy is being weighed daily in the beginning to make sure their weight is climbing. If not, I will begin supplementing those puppies. So far everyone has read the text books and are following directions.

Ruth and her puppies have been given one of our back bedrooms for their home over the next several weeks. We have a whelping box set up for her with pig rails along the sides - this allows for a crawl space for the puppies if mom gets to close to the side of the box, and decreases the risk of mom accidentally crushing a puppy between her and the whelping box. Ruth can easily get out of the box, but the puppies are contained - at least for now!

Ruth and the puppies in the whelping box

3 days old

An interesting side note - all of the puppy placentas were shipped to UCLA by our veterinarian Dr Janice Cain to be part of a stem cell research project being done there. (A placenta is the attachment from the puppy to the mother where nutrients, oxygen, and body wastes are exchanged during the pregnancy) I think it is really exciting to be a part of this fascinating research.