Day 6--Yesterday was a little frustrating here. Hope was distressed over something and kept getting in and out of the whelping box, wanting outside and then in and then out. She would pace around the house, check on the pups but didn't seem to want to lie quietly. I took her temperature and checked her mammary glands and all was well there. My conclusion finally was that Mother's Day was too much company for her with the family here and she had become over stressed. I gave her some rescue remedy and put some lavender oil near the pen; that seemed to do the trick and she finally settled and we had a peaceful evening.

To make things easier for identifying the puppies, I made this chart that I have hanging next to the puppy pen. In time most will recognize the puppies by their markings and different looks but for now this method seems to work. I have to refer to it myself at this point.

 

See if you can identify them. Remember to click on the photo to enlarge.

 

 

It is sometimes difficult at this stage to know what photos to take because they are all in their whiteness and don't do much but sleep, eat and poop. I did have one moment of humor yesterday when checking on them. As I have mentioned, they are very strong but imagine my surprise when I saw two of them asleep on top of the pig rail. Those are the rails that are placed six inches from the floor of the whelping box to prevent the mother from rolling onto a puppy. I am guessing they must have crawled up Hope's back and just rolled onto the rail. Of course I didn't have a camera near by and didn't want to leave them to get one for fear they would roll off.

 

Another interesting thing was finding them paired off. It was like they had each chosen a partner to sleep with.

 

Otto and Bonnie

 

Charlotte and Sparrow 

 

Jewel and Atz Lee 

 

The Lone Ranger Findlay

 

Neurologic stimulation went well yesterday and they seemed calmer during the process.