For nearly two years we have been able to keep our male dog Patch away from our female dog Dolly, but this year nothing we did could keep them apart, so we weren’t surprised when Dolly was with pups. Dolly did not enjoy pregnancy and in the beginning it didn’t stop her doing anything, in particular chasing rocks down the hill – she loves this. But the last few weeks she was so sad, you could see it in her face. I would even go as far as to say she was depressed and anxious.
We didn’t know for sure when the little ones where due, but we really hoped they would arrive the week Charlie (our grandson) was here on school holidays, it would be such a treat for him. Dolly even came to the airport to pick him up but it was evident that she must be close; in fact I almost thought she was going to give birth in the car, but she didn’t. I was now getting worried about her and wondered if I should call Gian Luca the local veterinary, but Mum, Richard and Charlie told me to give it a little while longer.
The next morning I let her out for her morning walk and I was hanging out my washing, and in that short a space of time she vanished, we called and called but she didn’t come back. Now I was really worried, being a first time grandma to puppies this was all new to me. Both Richard and I traipsed the mountainside looking for her, it was almost six weeks ago when we had those bitter cold winds, I was frantic and after half an hour of combing the hillside, I decided there was nothing I could do, I would have to leave them and wait for her return. But when I was back in the house there was no way that I could settle, so I thought I would just check the shed again. I had asked Richard to look in there but ladies you know what “men looking” is like.
As I walked to the shed I could here the cry of a newborn, she was there, she had found an old box which we had placed a cushion in for the cats, as I reached in there were two puppies, one was moving about the other cold and still. I guess he was stillborn; he certainly was the biggest of all the puppies. I wrapped him up and tried to revive him but he had gone. So I grabbed Dolly and the other puppy and took her to the privacy of my office where I had another larger old box with towels and bedding ready.
Over the next one and half hours (almost a pup every half hour) we had four healthy puppies and it wasn’t hard to tell that their Dad was indeed Patch. Patch is a mountain dog, we know who the mother is but we don’t know who the father was, he is an extremely handsome dog, white all over with the exception of a patch over on eye (hence his name) and he has a light brown circle around his tail. He almost looks whippet like, but has the face of a fox – I do call him my little “Volpe” (my little fox).
Each of the puppies are so like him, they are all white, we have two boys whom I have named: Spot because he has a patch over one eye and two black dots on his head and Rascal who has just the patch over one eye. Then we have two girls called, Sweep (after Sooty and Sweep my two favorite bears when I was growing up) and she has the traditional fathers patch but the other eye, well it looks as if someone has used eyeliner and gone carefully around her eye, she also has slightly longer fur than all the others and then finally Kissing Kate (Kate for short), she started life off as bandit because she has a patch over each eye, but then I realized she was a girl and swiftly changed the name to something more suitable.
They are now six weeks old, each one with their own individual personality, each one so divine. They all absolute love their Uncle Jack (our seventeen year old cocker), at first he was a little grumpy around them, but now I believe it has given him a new lease of life and at night their like to share his bed whilst their mother likes to share mine. They follow him about with adoration and awe, hanging off his ears and any other bit of long fir that hangs within their grasp.
They did try to make friends with the duck, chickens and cockerel but you should have heard them squeal as the cockerel decided he could take this little one on. Of course, it was Spot he is the biggest and the greediest and the bravest of them all, he goes boldly where the other puppies hang back. Although saying that it almost changes by the day. Sweep is definitely the runt of the litter, but she is the most beautiful, she has a softness almost verging on the timid but I hope that I can train that out of her. (Mind you her father is very timid)
Now each evening when I sit to watch the news on the television we now have Patch and Dolly, plus the four puppies, they all snuggle in stretching and snuggling until they are all comfortable. Poor old Richard, he thought it was bad enough before when he had competition with mum and dad. Although I haven’t told him that I have seen him on the sofa cuddling them too.
They now have a routine, they wake up at around 7am, we can hear them playing and annoying each other, when we get up at around 7.30am they always have a bowl of milk, it is so funny to see them all around their bowl, heads buried in the milk but all of their little tails wagging in unison. They then go loopy for about an hour and a half, when the weather is nice we are all outside, they just love to explore everywhere, but I have to keep a watchful eye out for the large eagles and crows we get, I have been told they could easily take one of these little creatures. (I now need eyes in the back of my head! LOL) So by about 9am they are ready for their morning sleep which will normally last until lunchtime, unless I awake them before.
They all know my voice so all I have to do is say “come on puppies” and they are there. So we can now go walking outside, they help me feed the other animals and just love to be with me. Most days we are either out working in the forest or have other commitments so they have to spend a fair bit of time in the house on their own but they seem to be quite happy, usually hiding behind the wood basket, or the other day they found my large sack of Christmas decorations. I watched and laughed for ages as they rolled on of the babbles around the floor, I was exhausted just watching them.
I have been amazed at how easy they have been to almost housetrain, although we are not quite there yet, I have been using an old potato sack with a tray with cat litter on top. I certainly get all the number two’s on the sack or in the tray, we still have a few little accidents with the number one’s but it is early days. I wish I could say the same about the old feller (Jack) he is great unless it is raining outside, even if I can get him outside he will still have the odd accident inside and he hates being left on his own.
I really don’t know how I am going to let them go, I am so attached to them already, but I know that I have to find new homes for them. So if anyone is interested or knows of anyone who would be interested I still have a couple to place. Being the good grandma I will always be available to dog sit if required. But please remember A DOG IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS THEY ARE FOR LIFE
article by sensone