Sheba's First Litter

A New Beginning

2008-08-24T11:28:00.007-05:00

On Friday the puppies were fluffed and buffed. Bev took a few last photos and both Bev and Herb got in a few last cuddles. The foster homes, who have been anxiously awaiting these five little puppies, were all ready for their new arrivals. Everyone met at the Helping Paws training center and the foster homes cuddled and played with the puppies wondering which one would be theirs. Finally it was time and the puppies were given to their new home. There were lots of smiles and laughter as the puppies started the next phase of their life - service dogs-in-training. Over the next two to three years these special families will work with these dogs daily at home and in public. They will attend weekly training classes where they will learn the skills needed to train the dogs over 70 cues, starting with basic obedience skills and socialization and progressing to specialized service dog skills such as opening a door, turning on and off lights, getting help, retrieving items, and the list goes on and on. When the dogs are ready to graduate Helping Paws will give these dogs to an individual with a physical disability. The love and time the foster homes invest in these dogs will help someone else live a more independent life. What an awesome gift and what special people these foster homes are. If you would like to follow these dogs on their new journey, consider sponsoring a puppy through the Blue Coat Benefactor program. For more information on this program and on Helping Paws in general, please visit the Helping Paws website; www.helpingpaws.org. A new website is currently being developed and will be released in September.

Bev and Herb returned home without the puppies but thanks to Herb's creativeness, there will always be a reminder in their yard of Sheba's first litter.

The Week in Review

2008-08-24T10:37:00.009-05:00

This last week was really busy for the puppies. On Tuesday they made a trip to the Helping Paws training center for puppy testing. Each puppy went through a series of 10 different tests. Puppy testing helps the Helping Paws staff determine which foster home will receive which puppy. On Wednesday the puppies took another car trip, this time to Inver Grove Heights Animal Hospital. They received their first shots and had a microchip inserted which they all took really well, especially considering the size of the micro chip needle. Dr. Windsor gave them all a clean bill of health. Here are a few photos of their last week with Bev and Herb.

Seven Week Portraits

2008-08-24T10:35:00.003-05:00

Rose

Bud

Click

Clack

Clementine

The Last Week in Photos

2008-08-19T11:04:00.005-05:00

Puppy Love

2008-08-19T10:53:00.003-05:00

I get the feeling Herb really likes the puppies.

2008-08-19T10:44:00.002-05:00

According to Bev, Sheba is not paying that much attention to her pups any more. After looking at these photos I can see why. Apparently her tail is fair game and those puppy teeth are sharp. Bev doesn't think she will be too sad when the puppies leave on Friday.

Keeper, however, is really going to miss his little buddies.

Stair Masters

2008-08-19T10:04:00.002-05:00

These puppies have definitely mastered the stairs. Here are the five of them
headed down to the yard.

Four left.

Three left.

Two left.

And then there is always the one that just won't get with the program.

The Puppy Pacifier

2008-08-19T09:57:00.002-05:00

The perfect way to get a litter of puppies to settle down for the night is to give them some puppy pacifiers, or as they are better known, frozen water bottles. The puppies just love to curl up to them, hug them, lick them, etc. A few minutes with the pacifiers and they calm right down and go to sleep.

Wake Up Bud!

2008-08-19T09:22:00.004-05:00

When Bev sends me photos I usually go through them quickly to see if there are any that fit together to tell a story. After looking at the last week of photos the one connection I immediately saw was Bud and his apparent inability to keep his eyes open.

Just in case you are worried that there is something wrong with Bud, the photo below tells the real story.

Six Week Portraits

2008-08-18T11:45:00.003-05:00

Here are the six week portraits. They really look like little puppies now and are absolutely adorable. According to Bev and Herb they are also extremely good - quiet, content and you can hardly even tell they are in the house.

Rose

Bud

Click

Clack

Clementine

Photos From Last Week

2008-08-11T10:44:00.005-05:00

I was away for a long weekend and wasn't able to post these photos last week. I think Bev has been waiting to send me new photos until I used these. So here they are and Bev, send me some new ones!

Five Week Portraits

2008-08-11T09:37:00.004-05:00

These puppies are getting really cute! Here are the five week portraits.

Rose

Bud

Click

Clack

Clementine

And Sheba after five weeks, looking just as good as ever.

Lots of New Entries

2008-08-05T10:36:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to make sure everyone notices that there are six new entries as of today. I needed to get caught up with all of the photos Bev has sent me.

Hanging with the Big Dogs

2008-08-05T10:19:00.002-05:00

Bev and Herb's house is a dog's paradise. They have a big fenced yard to play in and seven big dogs to play with. This week the puppies got to experience all of it.

This is Chance playing with one of the puppies.

Hunter and Keeper playing with a puppy.

From left to right: Charlie Brown, Chief (on step), Quincy, Keeper, Hunter, Sheba and puppy.

Keeper

Sheba

Chief

Hunter showing the puppies how to jump the fence . . .

. . . and Bud giving it a try.

Herb rounding everybody up to go inside.

Mastering the Step

2008-08-05T10:12:00.003-05:00

This was a big week for the puppies. They learned to drink,
tried out the playground equipment and mastered the step into the house.

Here is Clack, leading the way.

The rest of the puppies giving it a try.

Two down and three to go.

Three down and two to go.

And Bud finally makes it in.

Bev told me this whole process took about 15 minutes, but they all made it
in the house on their own.

Puppy Playground

2008-08-05T10:08:00.002-05:00

The puppies were introduced to the puppy agility equipment this past week. They really liked the tunnel, gave the teeter totter a try and decided to grow a little before tackling the hoop and balance beam.

First Drink of Water

2008-08-05T10:03:00.002-05:00

The puppies had their first drink of water this week. Here is Clack giving it a try . . .

. . . and Rose stepping up to the bowl.

They all seem to have figured it out . . .

. . . and like true Labs, there was a little playing in the water.

REALLY Cute Photos from the Last Week

2008-08-05T09:58:00.003-05:00

Keeper

2008-08-05T09:53:00.003-05:00

Keeper is Bev and Herb's 18 month old Goldendoodle and apparently the favorite playmate of the litter. He spends a lot of time in the pen with the puppies, playing with them and just hanging out. Bev says she is pretty sure he would nurse them if he only had the right equipment.

They Cute Photos Just Keep Coming

2008-07-31T17:31:00.003-05:00

Here is Herb with his favorite little girl.

More cute photos.

Finally the Truth is Revealed - They are Slobs

2008-07-31T17:24:00.003-05:00

Bev has been sending me photos of these puppies eating and they always look so calm and organized and basically like really polite eaters. They were making Tiga's puppies look like total slobs. After looking at this last batch of pictures I feel much better. Notice the progression from nice orderly meal time to gluttony - even laying in the dish.

Four Week Portraits

2008-07-31T17:20:00.003-05:00

It is a good thing that I updated the blog yesterday with the three week portraits because Bev has already sent me the four week shots. Here are the little cuties.

Rose

Bud

Click

Clack

Clementine

It's Hard to be Yellow

2008-07-30T13:23:00.003-05:00

For those of you who don't know, Bev sends me the photos and I post them on the blog. Sometimes as I look through the photos I notice that Bud is sometimes apart from the other puppies. Here are all five puppies, the four black puppies get to be on the bed and poor Bud, the lone yellow puppy, has been pushed to the side.

He sometimes has to go off on his own and find a new bed.

Here he can't even nurse in peace. Rose is intent on disturbing him by biting his tail.

But don't feel too bad for him - he sometimes gets even.

But then those black puppies get back at him and shove him into the corner again.

Fortunately, he has found another yellow dog to be his friend.

And Keeper is more than happy to stick up for him.

It must be helping because he eventually was allowed closer to the bed.

And then eventually was allowed into the bed - now just one of the puppies.

He is liked so much now that they are even hugging him.

Okay, before anyone gets upset that Bud is being treated poorly by the other puppies, keep in mind that this is totally made up and I have taken a lot of liberty with Bev's photos.

New Digs!

2008-07-30T13:18:00.002-05:00

The puppies outgrew their whelping box and have moved in to a nice roomy pen. They now have lots of room to play, more room for toys, a crate to try, platforms to get under and on top of and a new bed.

And there is more room for Keeper.

More Cute Puppy Photos

2008-07-30T10:11:00.006-05:00

Bev is keeping me well supplied with cute puppy pictures. Here are some from last week.

A Makeover for Sheba

2008-07-30T09:33:00.004-05:00

I know lots of moms who just really feel the need for a makeover after having a baby. Well, it looks like Sheba has revamped her look with a foil and a perm. I think the white and curly look works for Sheba.

Okay - so this is really Chance, one of Bev and Herb's other dogs.

Sheba wasn't too happy about having the other dogs around when the puppies were born. It seems as though she has relaxed her attitude on this issue. Apparently, Keeper, the Goldendoodle, also has visitation rights now.

Three Week Portraits

2008-07-29T08:40:00.006-05:00

The puppies are actually four weeks old today and I am just getting their portraits from last week posted. Sorry for the delay. Bev won't send me their four week photos until I get these posted so here they are - the puppies at three weeks.

Rose

Bud

Click

Clack

Clementine

Puppies First Meal

2008-07-22T10:23:00.004-05:00

The puppies are now three weeks old and ready for some solid food. They start off eating ground up dog food mixed with some rice cereal and water. It looks like they got the hang of it right away. They are rather dainty eaters and not one of them felt the need to lay in the food dish.

A Week's Worth of Photos

2008-07-22T10:10:00.004-05:00

I was out of town for a long weekend, but while I was away Bev was busy taking great photos.

The puppies can see and hear now and are apparently starting to notice the world outside of their whelping box. Here are a few puppies looking at the big new world outside the door.

Apparently Clementine wants to do more than just look. The first little escapee.

The next three photos show the puppies playing the age old game of "Hide the Yellow Puppy."

Looks like Bud got tired of the game and had something to say about it.

Meet The Proud Papa

2008-07-22T10:06:00.002-05:00

Meet Jack, the sire of this litter. He is a very handsome Iowa boy. Thanks Cheryl for the photo.

Two Week Portraits

2008-07-15T22:45:00.002-05:00

The time is flying by. It has already been two weeks. Bev sent me the puppies' two week portraits and as I looked through them I was very surprised to find that the puppies were looking back at me. Yes, you can see some eyeballs in these photos. I haven't talked to Bev to find out if their ears are opening up also. It must be very strange to be born without two major senses, sight and hearing, and then all of a sudden you have both. Talk about sensory overload.

Here are the puppies' two week portraits.

Rose

Bud

Click

Clack

Clementine

and Herb, looking none the worse for wear after two weeks of puppies in the house.

We Have Lift Off

2008-07-15T22:43:00.002-05:00

Bev has been telling me that the puppies were getting up on their feet and moving and now she has sent me proof. They look a little wobbly, but they definitely have their bellies off the ground. They still can't hear or see but they are starting to be mobile.

The Life of a Puppy

2008-07-15T22:39:00.001-05:00

What do puppies do all day?

They nurse . . .

. . . and then they pass out.

More PPPs (Plump Puppy Pictures)

2008-07-15T22:34:00.002-05:00

These photos are definitely proof that Sheba has more than enough milk to go around.

Weighing In

2008-07-15T22:19:00.003-05:00

I am a little behind on getting blogs posted. These photos are from July 11th.

It has been brought to my attention that I have neglected to mention a few things. First off, the red and green markings on the puppies are nail polish and we use these marks to tell the puppies apart. I think Bev and Herb know the puppies well enough now that they could tell them apart without the markings, but it is nice to have them for the rest of us.

The second thing I have had questions about is the puppies' names. Bev and Herb have given the puppies names to use while they are living with them. The foster homes who will get the puppies when they are seven to eight weeks old will have the privilege of giving the puppies their permanent names. Like their nail polish markings it is nice to have these temporary names to give them a little individuality.

Rose (Red Back) weighs 2 pounds 8.5 ounces.

Bud (Green Back) weighs 3 pounds even.

Click (Green Left Shoulder) is the largest at 3 pounds 1.5 ounces.

Clack (Green Right Shoulder) weighs 2 pounds 9 ounces.

Clementine (Red Tail) is the smallest at 2 pounds 3 ounces.

Check Out The Puppies Growth

2008-07-09T17:34:00.003-05:00

The photo above was taken when the puppies were just a few days old. If you look at where they measure against Sheba's leg and then compare it to the photo below you can really see how much they have grown. It looks like they are not only growing in length, but also in width. These are pretty strong, sturdy puppies. They are already getting up on their feet enough to have their tummies off the ground. Thanks Bev for keeping these great photos coming.

One Week Portraits

2008-07-09T17:08:00.003-05:00

Rose

Bud

Click

Clack

Clementine

Five Days Old

2008-07-08T08:14:00.004-05:00

The puppies are now five days old. Sheba is a fantastic mom and the puppies are very plump and content. Bev and Herb are suffering from puppy addiction. It is hard to tear yourself away from such cute little puppies. Thanks to Bev we have lots of great puppy pictures.

Apparently Sheba is a very relaxed nurser.

Like mother, like son. Clack, just as relaxed as his mom.

The puppies have really plumped up in the last five days. The fragile look has definitely gone away and they have turned into sturdy little puppies. They still look a little rodent like though.

Clementine

Rose

Is it a piglet or a puppy? It's Bud.

Click

The Puppies Are Here

2008-07-03T16:52:00.005-05:00

Sheba delivered her first litter of puppies on July 1, 2008. She took her time starting at 2:00 am and finished around 2:00 pm. When she finished there were five beautiful puppies and Sheba and her puppies (and Bev and Herb) are doing great. Sheba is being a loving and attentive mom and the puppies are thriving.

Sheba looking very tired, but very happy with her five puppies.

Herb cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn puppy.

The puppies are as follows: Rose and Bud, Click and Clack and Clementine. Rose is a black female marked with a red back. Bud is a yellow male. Click and Clack are black males; Click has a green left shoulder marking and Clack has a green right shoulder. Clementine is the little black female marked with a red tail.

Click and Clack

Bud and Clementine