We keep looking for signs of impending delivery.
Is she anxious? Nope
Is she panting? No more than usual.
Is she restless? Only for a minute at a time.
Is she large?
Large Penny.
Penny's first x-ray shows a bunch of puppies!
9, or maybe 10. Perhaps 11.
54 days in. Eight days to go. Nine to eleven puppies inside.
Penny had her x-ray this morning. The vet could count nine puppies but saw evidence suggestive of a couple more.
Not only did we get Penny a maternity clip at her last grooming a month ago but she is also losing fur on her belly as she nears her time.
Placing a hand on her belly and waiting quietly, we can feel puppies moving inside.
She loves the cool marble at home. She was pressing her belly to the cool floor while the vet showed us her x-ray and gave us last minute advice.
We also checked her progesterone for the third time in a week. The numbers are falling steadily and look like they will remain high enough for the puppies to remain in mom for another week.
Our new whelping box arrived today. It looks super sturdy and well built. We like it.
We hope she waits another ten days before she births her babies but we're ready for them with all the whelping tools.
Originally built as the Sun Room, it spent years being the Toy Room, occasionally the Christmas Tree Room. Now it's the Whelping Room, complete with a new whelping box.
Penny hopped right into her whelping box. Janet cheated by bringing in some chicken jerky.
While Penny is getting larger and slowing down, Tilly still wants to run. And although Penny has never been a fan of playing fetch, Tilly will keep bringing back the ball longer than seems prudent, given the chance. If we didn't give Tilly a ball to chase every day, she would try to get her little (though now large with pups) sister to run with her, something we want to avoid.
Henry took these pictures while letting Tilly run around.
I've got a ball. You really, really, really want to throw it, don't you?
I barked at her, I ran around her, I even gave her a play bow but she just won't run. What's wrong with her?
No ball is safe with me!
A fiery Labradoodle with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty "Hi-yo, Tilly, away!"
I'm ready for my close up..
Penny had her first ultrasound and we now know there are puppies coming. They only show up as tiny blips at this point. We are getting the house and whelping box ready. This is the most excitement we've had since Audrey graduated in May.
This is Penny when she was eight weeks old. Next week we will breed her to Sun Valley Brennan and hopefully will have puppies born at the end of August 2017. They should be ready to go to their forever homes at the end of October 2017. Let us know if you are interested in one of her puppies.
Food might drop on the floor.
We'll be here if you need us to pick up anything.
The fearsome Attack Labradoodle.
fear me
The dining room table is as good a place to wait for food to fall as the kitchen.
Nothing has ever fallen, but you can't blame a girl for trying.
You want me to get the floss?
Nope. I still don't see the floss.
Running around the yard is tiring work.
The bed is always more comfortable with two.
Is dinner almost ready?
Penny, back from the groomer.
I'm just naturally majestic.
I'm pretty sure it's time to eat.
I'll just be waiting over here. For supper. Which it's time for.
Penny gets her fabulous coat brushed.
I can sit very quietly when beautifulness is at stake.
Wesley was trying to create a portrait with Tilly…
While Penny supervised …
And Janet worked the camera.
Wesley is holding Tilly, helping to get the perfect puppy portrait.
Mr. DeMille?
I'm helping too.
Penny
It's December 28th. And we're wearing fur coats. Why is it 80 degrees?
At Don and Mary's new house in Fallbrook.