1st Feb 2008 Days 31, 32 & 33

Maddy woo and her mate Alfie look quite the domesticated parents to be, and I am so proud of them both. Maddy's belly is now beginning to swell considerably and although she loves her food, seems to have nowhere to put it. She seems to be eating to please us. Odd but true.

I have bought a new camera so we can take videos of the pups being born, which we will publish onto one of the internet media chatrooms, ie facebook, youtube etc, as I think it is good for children and adults to see how much hard work goes into dogs giving birth, and why puppies cost what they do, if not puppy farmed! It's also very cute, and I promise no gory bits if I can help it. I will try and put a video on this blog, but not sure how yet.

Having just bought an ebook on ebay for whelping bitches and training puppies, I can recommend this guy from America and will do if anyone asks. It only costs £1.76 for the download and is much cheaper and better informed than most of the others I've seen.

I have to get onto ebay soon as I am selling off loads of things for the puppy fund, but having seen the cost of whelping boxes fail to understand why people use them? A large cardboard box with rolls of newspaper with a quality waterproof lining and snug blankets should be more than sufficient, and a covered hot water bottle for the infant pups as they come out, or my body temperature - whichevers nearest! Some people are charging £150 for a box? Another ebayer charges £30.00 +£20 P&P for a home made kit, all I can say is good luck to them, but they must have more money than sense! Oh well...their business I guess.

They are both curled up at my feet as I am writing this, having been bathed and shampooed earlier. Alfie is gently snoring and Maddy is curled up on her bean bag blowing raspberries from her mouth. They are so spoiled, but they give so much in return who would deprive them? They are most definitely this womans best friend.


Back soon!

29th Jan Days 29 and 30

It has been a good couple of days, but the food has finally run out. It has lasted well but now I have to put Maddy on puppy food for the next month...and up her intake from week 6.
I am hand feeding her most days at the moment as she is feeling so full, but she will do it herself when she is really hungry.
If nothing else it's good to get out of the kitchen for a bit, but the price of the bulk food of the butchers is not something I can readily afford until next month, but both dogs are fine with pedigree puppy food and biscuits for now.

27th Jan Days 26, 27 & 28

I have been remiss and not been online at all since Thursday, but have had my poorly 5 year old grandson staying with me. It never rains but buckets it down in this family, so I should be used to it by now!

My brother had his op and is back home and on the long road to recovery, thank you God for sparing him! He is one of the last few good guys and I cannot begin to tell the torment this last few days have had on me, and now with poor Dylan, and the dogs, poof, my online blog goes to pot.

The food is getting very low now, but the dogs have been fed so much I decided to give them only one meal today and they are starting to become fussy eaters! This I don't mind, but not when money is tight, they have to eat what I can afford.

Today I served them more liver cooked with brown rice and bonemeal. They turned up their noses and sniffed round it, which hurt a bit seeing as I got up at 7.00am to cook it for them, and let them out!

I also had a family round to view the parents yesterday, with a view to buying a puppy. They had 4 lovely girls who absolutely loved Maddy and Alfie and the parents are really nice too. Great family people, so that looks very hopeful. They have first refusal after she has given birth but knows they must wait until the puppy is at least 10 weeks old before she can leave her mummy.

I quoted her a relalistic price to include vaccination, worming and frontline, and I do feel they will make a great family for one of Maddy's babies! There sure isn't any money in this business unless you own a puppy farm, but I would never go that route, as it is distressing for the dogs and their new owners. It's cruel and stomach churningly greedy. It should be stamped out!