16 Week Weights

Deacon - 21.6 lbs.
Dare - 22.3 lbs.
Ambrose - 30 lbs.
Dublin - 23 lbs.
Gigi - 22.1 lbs.
Phoenix - 27 lbs.
Briggs - 23.5 lbs.
Ripley - 25.6 lbs.

As a general rule you can take this weight and double it for their adult size!

Emery is 40 lbs.
Jett is 46 lbs.

Breakfast with the gang!

Mom-life!

Emery is working hard for her babies, she is such a wonderful mom 💘

Westminster Kennel Club - Vizslas in the ring today!

Flashback to 2017 when Emery's sire "Teak" MBISS GCHS CH Russet Leather Ride To The Top, JH MX MXJ won Best of Breed at WKC.
Video of him in the Sporting Group randomly found on YouTube.

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Today is the big day! Vizslas are being judged at the Westminster Kennel Club at 2:15PM Eastern Time. You can tune in to watch the live video here:

https://www.fox.com/live/channel/FS1-DIGITAL/?id=316725798460

Catalog (results will be posted after judging)

https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/breed-results?id=vizs&season=2020

Growing by leaps and bounds!

The BB's are thriving and all have doubled their birth weights which is what you want to see between 7-10 days old. They weigh between 1.1-1.5 lbs. each as of today. The pups are weighed daily and the we do ENS. All the babies are handled daily -- and have met at least one other adult Vizsla (very briefly -- like five seconds). 

One of the most endearing ways your dog shows you trust . . .

Emery and her lobster, she LOVES carrying toys around and bringing them to me/anyone!

One of the most endearing parts of pet ownership is coming home to your dog, who probably waits to greet you at the door. Along with a wagging tail and smile, some dogs also come ready with a toy in their mouth. Carrying around a favorite toy is a pastime many dogs enjoy — for comfort, entertainment or to satisfy their drive for prey — but if your dog brings his toy directly to you, it could be for another reason entirely.

Some dog trainers believe dogs may present you with a favorite toy as a way to as a way to please you — the leader of their social unit. Ages ago, dogs may have offered food or prey to their leaders as an offering of sorts, and your domestic canine buddy may retain some of this primal instinct to offer his toy to you.

Your positive reaction and petting only serves to reinforce the behavior, which is why your dog may present you with a toy virtually every time you come in the front door. Why else might your dog bring you his toys?

Top reasons dogs bring you their toys . . . 

• They’re excited — Your arrival is an exciting time for your dog, especially if you’ve been gone for a few hours. He may race to grab a toy because he has so much energy and excitement, and he needs to expend it somewhere. Chewing a toy is a good outlet for that energy. In fact, if your dog tends to exhibit unwanted behaviors to greet you, such as jumping, barking or licking, offering a toy may distract your dog with an appropriate object to lick and chew. Soon, he may learn to pick up a toy when he hears you coming, stopping the problem entirely.

• You taught them to — When you see your dog, do you reach for a toy to start a game of fetch or tug-of-war? This may have become a routine your dog now expects, so he brings the toy to you to get the game started.

• They’re proud of their toys — Some dogs may arrive with a toy in their mouth and a playful grin, but pull away if you try to grab it. Your dog could be trying to show off his toy or enjoy the game of keep-away that ensues.

• They want to play — One of the simplest reasons why your dog brings you a toy is because he wants you to interact with him, play or attract your attention. When you oblige, you’re confirming that this is a great way to get the attention and playtime he craves. 

• They trust you — When your dog brings you a toy, he’s revealing his trust in you. If he drops it at your feet, consider it a compliment and reward your dog with a smile, a scratch and a game or two.

• They love you — Your dog’s toys may be his most prized possessions. When he offers them to you as the head of his social unit, it’s a sign of affection that reveals his love for you.

• It’s comforting — For some dogs, carrying around a toy is like carrying a security blanket. If your dog is one of those who adores having a toy in his mouth, it may be coincidence that when you walk in the room, and he runs over, he just so happens to have a toy in his mouth too. While herding dogs and

retrievers are most known for their love of carrying around toys, any breed may do it.

Why some dogs hoard toys

An extension of bringing their owners toys is another peculiar behavior: toy hoarding. This again traces back to your dog’s ancestors, who may have hoarded food by burying it in order to come back and eat it if they couldn’t find a meal. Some dogs continue this behavior in the modern day by hiding toys between couch cushions or in laundry baskets (some dogs may also hide away treats, socks or

other items they find around your home). As noted by the American Kennel Club:

“Hoarding behavior in dogs is an instinctive behavior that originated during the time when their ancestors did not have regular meals appear magically, at least twice a day. They were lucky if they ate every few days, and if there was a jackpot of more food than could be eaten at once, these dog ancestors would sometimes take some food and bury it in a safe place for later.”

If your dog hoards toys here and there, there’s no need to worry, but if the behavior turns obsessive or he starts to aggressively guard his stash, you’ll need to intervene. You may be able to curb the behavior just by putting out one or two toys at a time. You can also consult with a veterinary behaviorist to help you determine what's causing your pet's behavior and how best to handle it.

As far as bringing you toys is concerned, however, this is a natural behavior that many dogs — and their owners — enjoy, and there’s no need to stop it 

Takeaways: 

• Some dog trainers believe dogs may present you with a favorite toy as a way to please you — the leader of their social unit
• A dog may race to grab a toy because he’s got so much energy and excitement, and he needs to expend it somewhere
• One of the simplest reasons why your dog brings you a toy is because he wants you to interact with him, play or attract your attention
• When your dog brings you a toy, he’s revealing his trust in you
• If your dog drops a toy at your feet, consider it a compliment and reward your dog with a smile, a scratch and a game or two

Source: Dr. Karen Becker @ Healthy Pets.com

Vet exam -- tail dock ✓ and dew claw removal ✓

Today (1/31) the pups made a road trip to Chino Hills Animal Hospital for exams, tail docking and dew claw removal.

Emery came with us for the trip as it is best to let her nurse the babies before and after the procedure.  We had quite an adventure being routed around SoCal due to a major crash that shut down 3 lanes of I-5 North. All in all the trip was more than 4 hours.

The pups were troopers and I supervised Emery nursing them on the way while a good friend chauffeured us back and forth.

Car rides are no big deal! 

Puppy Photos!

Day 2 for the baby Believers. All babies gained weight over night, and Emery is a wonderful and doting mother. These eight beauties are so similar in size and color its hard to tell them apart, for now anyway.

Girl - "Brooklyn" Neon Pink Collar

Girl - "Blaine" Burgundy Collar

Boy - "Baker" Blue Collar

Boy - "Bradley" Orange Collar

Boy - "Bruno" Purple Collar

Boy - "Brecklen" Lime Collar

Boy - "Bowen" Red Collar

Boy - "Brixton" Yellow Collar

They're here!

The BB's are here! Early this morning we welcomed the Jett x Emery babies -- 6 boys and 2 girls. Emery's temperature dropped to 97F for 2-3 days beforehand. She was showing signs of labor (nesting/digging) most of Monday -- but the first puppy was not born until 1:40 AM which means I have not slept 😲

Myself and whelper-helper/sanity saver extraordinaire, Denyse, spent the early morning hours bringing Emery's babies into the world. She took to them right away and immediately started loving and cleaning them. They are good sized weights between 9-13 oz. with dark shiny coats. With a sleepless night for the breeder -- I will wait to post more formal photos tomorrow. Thanks for your patience!

Can't wait to watch these babies grow! Introducing the babies (in birth order) who all have "B" names.

Girl - "Brooklyn" Neon Pink Collar

Boy - "Baker" Blue Collar

Boy - "Bradley" Orange Collar

Girl - "Blaine" Burgundy Collar

Boy - "Bruno" Purple Collar

Boy - "Brecklen" Lime Collar 

Boy - "Bowen" Red Collar 

Boy - "Brixton" Yellow Collar

Emery's big belly and updates

Update on Emery on Day 62ish . . . 

Em is showing some nesting behaviors like digging, she ate her breakfast like a champ but she is otherwise quiet. She is currently sleeping under my bed on a soft shag carpet . . .  Hoping she doesn't want to have her babies there! <wink>

Our whelping room is ready for the puppies to arrive!

Some notes on the last few days of Emery's pregnancy . . .

Week 9 

• Watch for her temperature to drop. 
• You may take it rectally if you want but she's just plain old cool to the touch compared to what she has been the last 8 weeks.
• She may also become restless, seek seclusion and in the last few days. 

Due Date January 29th (approximately) 

• Expected date of whelp. Average is 62 days but may take place from the 58th to the 68th day. 
• Keep watching for that cool to the touch.. if you're actually taking the temp, it does drop from 101 to 98 degrees.
• Appetite will disappear as whelping approaches.
• May see a clear discharge from the vulva.
• At onset of labor may pace, dig, shiver, pant and/or vomit. 
• First fetus will be delivered within 4 hours of the onset of labor.

We have an exiting week ahead, I believe in you Emery! 💘

Drum roll...🥁

Emery was NOT happy with waiting for her breakfast until after the x-ray! 😚 

I brought her food and she ate right after the vet visit! 

X-ray Day! Take a peek at the upcoming Believer Babies!

X-rays are an invaluable resource when whelping a litter, a couple reasons "why" I do radiographs on pregnant dogs. X-rays are generally done after Day 50+ of gestation, otherwise the skeleton hasn't ossified (calcified) enough to count the babies. 

You can usually count puppies readily on radiographs, again +/- one puppy. (Count skulls, not spines! Most people count BOTH). Even then, someone can be hiding behind another puppy or along mom's spine. This helps me plan for the whelp and know what to expect. 

The other advantage is that the skulls can be compared in size to the width of the dam's pelvis (not usually an issue with Vizslas).

Drum roll...🥁 Emery had her X-ray today with Dr. Beckie Williams (Chino Hills Animal Hospital). How many babies do you see? Don't forget to count the skulls and the spines!

Beautiful belly! 💖

Look at this beautiful belly on the Baby (aka one of Emery's nicknames) 💖

Emery loves her coats 🖤 🤍

Emery loves her new coats made by Michelle @ Rhapsody Vizslas

Link to Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RhapsodyCloset?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=752326421

What is a Fetal Heart-rate Doppler?

Yay! Puppy heartbeats for the Baby Believers were detected by a hand held fetal heart rate doppler (I listen for the fast beating). Emery laid quietly on her side while I checked the puppy heartbeats, she is such a patience and sweet girl (and I think she likes the treats she gets for the "belly check").

A normal puppy heartbeat (near full term) is between 170-230 BPM (beats per minute) and somewhat resembles the sound of galloping horses. An adult dog has a heart rate between 90-120 BPM.

Ultrasound doppler equipment has been used in human medicine for over 20+ years to confirm pregnancy and monitor fetus development and well being. 

In a canine, fetal heart rates can be detected around Week 5 of gestation. The doppler detects the motion of the beating heart and translates that motion into an audible heart beat (some dopplers, like mine, have a display showing the heart rate). Using a doppler throughout gestation allows me to confirm a pregnancy (after Day 30), and approximate the number of fetuses in the litter (Day 45 and up). I also use the doppler during whelping to monitor the fetusues and communicate any issues to my reproductive veterinarian.

Emery's pregnancy update!

Emery Day 51

Hanging in the whelping box where she likes to nap

Last week was Week Seven - Days 42-49 – January 8th 

• Your bitch will begin shedding the hair on her belly in preparation for the birth- this is totally normal and no cause for alarm! The puppies will continue to grow and develop, and now look almost completely fully formed.

• Towards the end of the seventh week, stop feeding the puppy food you have been introducing and go back to feeding her regular nutritious food- as much as she will eat. This triggers the bitch's body to begin to store calcium from the rich puppy food she has been fed until this point, an important mineral during the later stages of the pregnancy.

This wee is Week Eight - Days 49-57 – January 15th 

• Your puppies could be born at any time from now onwards, so be prepared! Avoid any rough and tumble play or stimulation which might lead to the onset of early labor, as ideally your pups should spend another week in the womb. Your bitch will probably begin 'nesting' at this stage, and you may even be able to see and feel the puppies moving within her tummy when she's lying down.

• Towards the end of week eight, your bitch will start producing colostrum, the forerunner to her nutrient-rich milk, and then the milk itself. Continue to feed as much as your bitch will eat (note you do not want her fat) and prepare for the birth!

• Weight gain end of pregnancy = 2 lbs per puppy. Emery has gained nearly 10 lbs. and she still has 12 more days to go and most weight is gained in last week. 

You can read more about canine pregnancy here: https://canna-pet.com/dog-pregnancy-stages-a-week-by-week-guide/

Flashback to pre-pregnancy Emery . . . and this week!

Emery in November 2019

Emery this week! She's certainly grown plumper around the belly! She has gained 9+ lbs. so far. 

Getting ready for puppies!

We’re getting ready for puppies! The whelping box is ready to setup and we’ve put aside the necessary supplies to assist with Emery’s whelp (puppy birth). Today we received the adorable puppy collars used a few days after birth and until Go Home Day.  

What is Puppy Culture?

Our Moonlight litters are raised using Puppy Culture protocols, we have seen the difference in our adult dogs raised using their program and we can't imagine raising puppies any other way. 

Learn the basics in less than four minutes with this video:

https://www.facebook.com/puppyculture/videos/347043355481212/

Written by Jane Messineo Lindquist creator of Puppy Culture

So many people ask us for a good written explanation of the Puppy Culture program that they can pass on to others. This is something I have grappled with a lot lately as we are re-doing our website and I think we really need a true explanation of the program. I'm going to throw out some things but it's still fairly "free form" so bear with me.

On the top level, Puppy Culture is a socialization and training program specifically developed for puppies from birth through the end of their critical socialization period, with age appropriate protocols and lessons laid out in an organized format. But that really does not get to the "why" of Puppy Culture, or what makes it different.

Puppy Culture is based on the premise that the puppy always leads the learning, and puppies learn best by appropriate experiences at the appropriate time. So what we are doing is teaching you to observe the puppy, and, based on the behavioral markers you see, serve the puppy the experience or lesson that is optimal for him at that moment in time.

By letting the puppy lead, we are:

• Maximizing the benefit of any given protocol or lesson,

• Minimizing any danger of overfacing or scaring the puppy

• Creating confidence and self-efficacy by presenting the appropriate level of challenge that the puppy CAN do without failing or presenting a danger to himself.

Finally, we teach owners to enjoy each puppy for the precious individual he is, and to tease out the best qualities in that puppy, rather than holding the puppy up to an arbitrary yardstick and labeling him as a problem if he does not measure up.

Many puppies are labeled as having behavior or temperament issues when they are simply being served an inappropriate experience for their developmental age. This can hobble the puppy for the rest of his life with an unjust label that will cause people to treat him in an unthoughtful manner. By letting the puppy lead, you avoid this and enjoy your puppy for the wonderful individual that he is.

So you watch the puppy and see what learning experience he's ready for. And learning what those experiences are and how to effectively serve them is a big part of the Puppy Culture program.

Why is this so important? Because things that are perfect in one developmental period could be useless or even detrimental in the next, and vice versa. So we teach you to know where you puppy is developmentally, and what to do right now.

Yes, Puppy Culture is a "positive," reinforcement-based program and we do not use corrections or outmoded dominance theory, but that is really all a by product of observing the puppy and serving him the learning experience he is asking for.

And I will add that our program is based on the latest science and studies on puppy and animal rearing, and we include many experts and authors in the film to further explain the logic of the program.

Still working on all this but these are my current, somewhat unorganized, thoughts 🙂. Your thoughts and comments are welcome and will help make the new website better!

More of Emery's belly!

Emery and her ever expanding belly!