So much has transpired since my last post. To much to share in one sitting. I'll share some of the knitting I have accomplished this last year and also talk about our dogs, first the dogs.
Our beloved Trucker passed away about a year and a half ago. Rick found him in the backyard when he came home from work. We were devistated but especially my Husband. Not only had his father passed away a week before, but Trucker was the best dog ever.
He was the best dog ever, loved sitting with his daddy watching tv. I remember that he passed away on a Friday. The next day I had signed up for "The Hero's 31" workout at Team Crossfit Monrovia. A workout which honors the special forces that were killed including one of their dogs. I did the workout and told Eric (owner of Team Crossfit) that my workout was not only in honor for our fallen heros but also in honor of our beloved Trucker.
After the workout Rick and I met with a lab breeder in Chino. We picked out Trooper, our new baby boy.
I know some people would think it was too soon to get another puppy but we had to not only for us but our female mastiff Trolly. She has never been without a companion and she was depressed as well.
Our theory with getting a lab was they live longer than mastiff's. When Trooper was old enough our plan was to breed Trooper and Trolley and get a lab/mastiff mix.
Fast forward - Trolley didn't go into heat for an entire year after Trucker passed away. This is so wierd, the day after Trooper's first birthday, Trolley went into heat. We didn't seperate them, just let the Lord do his work and if it was his will for us to have puppies, so be it. We weren't sure if they did the deed, we never saw them doing it. We kept track of when she went to heat and had a fairly good idea when she should have puppies if she was pregnant. After about a month, sometime in July 2013, we took her to the vet to see if she really was pregnant. She was starting to get rather large but the vet couldn't tell because the puppies bones don't calcify until the last few weeks the the pregnancy.
Saturday August 17th we took Trooper and Trolley for a walk. She was pretty big by now, but had lots of enery and was happy to be going for a walk. After we had come back home and everyone had calmed down I noticed that she had broken her water on the dining room floor. The rest of the story about the birth of the puppies is taken from the journal I kept during the whole procedure.
"8-17-13 - Sometime between 11:00 and 12:00, Trolley's water broke. Noticed clear liquid on the floor with gel stuff in the middle of the puddle. Had more fluid over the next 1/2 hour. 2:00 pm no action except panting and nesting with the blankets. Rick and I said a prayer to the Lord for help with Trolley and her puppies. That He would watch over us and keep our doggie safe. We prayed in the name of Jesus, Amen. She peed and pooed @ 2:45 pm. First puppy born at 3:00, color black. Second puppy @ 3:52, third at 3:57, fourth 4:15, 5 & 6 @ 4:39, 7 @ 4:48, 8 @ 4:56, 9 @ 5:15, 10 @ 5:42, 11 @ 5:48, 12 @ 6:06, 13 thru 15 ? i kind of lost track.
Sunday 8-18-13 - All puppies alive and doing fine Praise the Lord. Its been 24 hours since some of the puppies were born. All still alive and nursing. Trying to do it with 5 puppies per shift every hour or so. Trying to give the runt extra milk. Got some canned puppy milk and bottles just as extra insurance. 15 puppies is alot of milk production for Trolley. Trolley ate some chicken and some canned dog food that was chicken and brown rice. She drank alot of water and went into the backyard to pee.
I'm a little worried about the runt, 1/2 the size of the other puppies.
8-19-13 - The runt died in the middle of the night and the other really small puppy is not doing well either. I know its not going to make it. We lost four more by the end of the day. I'm not sure if Trolley is making enough milk. Got the ingredients to make formula from the mastiff book. Started feeding the remaining puppies every 1-1/2 wht the formula plus letting them nurse.
8-20-13 , 7:20 am - All puppies seem to be doing great except for one. I hope we don't lose him. I just don't know what the problem is, I suspect if might have to do with Trolley's milk, just don't know. We are going to lose another puppy. This one went down hill fast. Lost it and another one, down to seven. I was on my knees praying for my puppies to survive. "Help me Jesus to know what to do. Work through me to heal the puppies and make them strong. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen."
8-21-13 - Down to six puppies, they all seem healthy and strong. Bottle feeding every 2 hours in addition to nursing on Trolley. I don't think she is producing enough milk.
All six puppies are doing great. Drinking alot of formula. Seem really strong. We were visited by a couple of women we never met. They wanted to pray over our house. Upon reflection, they must have been some of God's Angels.
8-22-13 - All six puppies still alive and thriving. Rick in charge of feeding today. I had to go back to work, rather be home with the puppies.
8-23-13 - Praise the Lord, all puppies are doing great. Rick did a really good job yesterday. Looking forward to the weekend. Slept a little better. Going to get barrier fence and move them into my room. (This part not in the journal. Trolley had her puppies in our bedroom in her favorite spot. Since the puppes were born, Rick was sleeping in the living room while I had the bedroom so I could feed them during the night).
8-27-13 - Moved the puppies into my room on Saturday. Trolley ok with the change. All the puppies are doing great, growing really fast. I think Trolley is producing enough milk but still giving them a bottle 3 - 4 times per day.
8-29-13 - All six puppies doing great. Growing fast. Only feeding bottle 2-3 times a day. Trolley nursing most of the time.
8-30-13 - Puppies eyes starting to open, also learning to walk. It has been so hot. Put fan in room, little guys are panting.
9-3-13 - All the puppies eyes are open. Learning to walk. SO CUTE.
9-5-13 - It has been so hot. Puppies don't like it. Put a fan on the floor with a bowl of ice in front of it. Puppies love it, all fell asleep in front of the fan. Trolley dosen't like to nurse is this weather. This morning at around 4:15, all puppies woke up and were crying for milk. Rick and I were both feeding puppies with bottles. They were so radical, crying and carrying on. After feeding they all went back to sleep. Going to be over a 100 degrees for the next few days.
9-10-13 - All the puppies are getting so big. We have cut back on the bottle feeding, once or twice a day. They are so cute. Running around waging their tails. Its getting more difficult for Trolley to nurse because they are getting so big. Going to start with puppy food this coming Saturday.
9-12-13 - Couldn't wait until Saturday. Started last night Ground up the puppy food in the blender and mixed with formula into a mush. Put their little faces into the dish and they started eating.
Fed again this morning, they love it. Used two pie dishes, 3 per dish. Also introducing them to water.
9-13-13 - Feeding puppies 3 tines a day with puppy food. Trolley dosen't want to nurse them anymore, they are to big. Now they are eating puppy food and drinking water, they are pooping all over the place. Time to start laying down newspaper.
9-23-13 - 5 weeks old. All puppies are thriving and doing extremely well. Eating dry puppy food and water. All so cute. Decided to keep one, a little girl. Love them all.
10-3-13 - Puppies are so BIG. Getting shots on Sunday.
10-8-13 - Puppies all had their first set of shots. (10-6-13 - 7 weeks old). Vet said all very healthy and well adjusted.
All puppies have new homes,(we are keeping one, a female Javabean). 2 males and 2 females sold. 1 female given away. Posted posters that Rick made and put up on Craig's List.
10-10-13 - Down to two puppies, Javabean and Tank. Tank going to new home on Friday. Going to realy miss that little guy. He is the pick of the litter, wish we could keep him also.
10-12-13 - Our neighbors, Chris and Bella couldn't take Tank. Rick called the gal with the ranch who wanted two puppies. She drove down in the afternoon and picked him up. It was so sad. We really wanted to keep him, but we can't have four dogs.
Javabean is doing great. Her parents, Trooper and Trolley are so good to her. She sleeps with both of them.. Learning how to go outside to do her business and how to use the pet door. Can't wait to go camping with her.
This concludes the journal I kept. We did take her camping in our little airstream trailer.
I will share about that experience next post as well as trying to share all the knitting I have done in the last two years.
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