Eat. Sleep. Grow. Snuggle. Eat. Sleep. Grow. Snuggle. This is most of what has been happening lately. No news is generally good news at this stage as everyone continues to thrive. The puppies get handled for a few minutes a few times throughout the day. Most everyone enjoys this snuggle time except for Puppy #2 which is all the more reason to continue with him. These little sessions are important to ensure that once they are grown up, they will engage and be handled by their humans. I’ve included a short snippet of Puppy #3’s snuggle time for you.
You may have noticed that the floor of the whelping box has some unusual textures. The light green fabric you see are the soaker pads used in hospitals that save the mattress from become soiled with various bodily fluids. These pads get changed at least daily, sometimes more often. The secret to puppy training later is rearing the puppies in a really clean environment. Generally, they don’t like to poop or pee where they sleep or eat. At this point Peaches is doing a fabulous job of keeping everyone pretty clean but every once in a while there is a soiled spot which is why they get changed every day whether they need it or not at this stage.
The second texture you’ll notice is the silicone mats with holes in them. Even those these puppies cannot see and cannot hear, they are pretty good at using their noses to find Peaches for a snack. As these potatoes with legs boogie around the whelping box seeking her out, they need good traction. One of the conditions we are concerned with in Australian Cattle Dogs is hip dysplasia which is why we x-ray the parents at the age of 2 before breeding to determine if they have any hip laxity to be concerned about. While hip dysplasia can be genetic, it is also influenced by environmental factors like accidents, injuries, jumping to early and so on. Well, these environmental factors begin in the whelping box so being thoughtful about what kind of grip those little toes can use to move around can make all the difference for setting these boys up for success as they grow up!
