we are having puppies

Eventually, with a little homeopathic assistance, Tuuli came into season.  I wanted to take as few chances as possible with getting a successful mating, so I wanted to know the very best days for making the attempt.  With a view to finding that out, I had her progesterone tested.  For those who don't know, this involves the vet drawing a blood sample which is sent off to a lab and the amount of progesterone in the blood is measured.  The progesterone level increases throughout the season until after ovulation when it gradually decreases again.  By using this method we can determine the day of ovulation and thereby calculate the best days for getting a successful mating.  And by 'successful' I mean not only accomplishing the deed, but actually getting some puppies as a result.

Armed with that knowledge, I picked up an eager Taito.  As his family, Emma & co, were away, Jane very kindly agreed to assist me with the mechanics.  Two very sore backs later (the humans, not the dogs), we had one success.

I always prefer two matings on successive days as I believe it is likely to increase the possibility of having a good-sized litter.  However, my back was not up to the job of a second attempt and so I had to content myself with one mating at exactly the right time.

A month of waiting and then the fateful day when Tuuli had an ultrasound scan and we found out that she is indeed in whelp.  Big cheers all around!  The radiographer saw only 4 puppies with a possible 5th, so this could be my smallest litter to date.  This is the very reason I don't like to keep too many people on my waiting list at one time - the inevitable messages that with such a small litter there will be some disappointed people who will now have to wait for the next time.

In the meantime, we are now on belly watch, and Tuuli is already starting to fill out.

 Standing

Sitting

Lying (and punching her front paws)

In the meantime, Taito is a bit knackered but quite smug and very handsome.

 Photo: Blake Bower

And while I was popping in and out with Taito, I grabbed a quick pic of his little brother, Buddy (Infindigo Persikka Sonni).

naturally

Nature is a funny thing.  Somehow it intervenes from time to time and takes necessary action that we, as puny humans, may fight and rail against in the hope of gaining our own selfish desires.  But nature will have its own way, and I find it's usually right and therefore pointless to struggle against it.

Take, for example, Keksi's last litter.  One puppy was born much later than the others and was unable to suck.  Keksi just didn't want him.  I kept him warm and kept trying to get him to feed, but Keksi would just push him away with her nose.  In the end I gave up trying and accepted what nature & Keksi somehow knew.  I cuddled him up next to his brothers and sisters so that at least he had some comfort but I didn't try to save him.  He only lived for a couple of hours and Keksi obviously knew that he was not a viable puppy.  Perhaps if I had tried harder he would have survived, but who knew what problems he might have had as an adult.  Keksi knew and nature knew so I left it to their better judgement.

And now I think nature is playing similar tricks with Tuuli and her elusive season.  (In case you are wondering, no, she STILL has not come into season.  Sigh.)  This is my logic:  if Tuuli's season had started on time, or even a week or so late, then the puppies would have been born approximately now or a week ago.  And in case you don't live in the UK, I will point out that we are smack in the middle of an official heatwave.  30°C in the daytime and not much cooler than that in the bedrooms at night.  It's tough stuff for we unaccustomed humans, and it's even tougher for Lapphunds who, let's face it, would prefer it to be minus 30°C.  

I find that Lappies struggle with being too warm when they have puppies anyway, regardless of the weather.  Neither Keksi nor her mother Neka enjoyed lying down to nurse their puppies because they just got too hot.  And the blog archives are full of photos of puppies spread out as far apart from each other as they can get in an effort to keep cool.  So if Tuuli had had her season on time, and her puppies on time, then it would not have been much fun at all for her or for the puppies.  Or me, frankly.  Nature strikes again.  

But I would just like to point out to nature and Tuuli that if her season were to start, say, tomorrow, then the puppies would be born in late September and I'm fairly certain that the weather would be just about perfect for puppies.

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On a completely different note, what do you think about kennel Facebook pages?  Many kennels have their own pages where breeders and owners alike can post photos of their dogs and keep up-to-date with what's going on.  I haven't yet done this.  Is it something you would like to see?  Particularly for the owners of Infindigo puppies - would you like me to set up a page?

In the meantime, there are other ways you can follow what's going on (or what's not going on, in the case of Tuuli's season) apart from on the blog.  There is the website and it's news page, of course there is also Twitter, and you can also follow on Instagram where you will see not only pics of the dogs, but also other frilling fings like food, flowers and fashion.  You can find me here: @infindigo_jennifer

Here are a few recent shots from Instagram.

Neka squished into the corner for a snooze

Tuuli looking gorgeous

Tuuli looking like an insane cartoon dog

Tuuli (right) visiting Emmi & Miika

Keskiyo, Maija & Tuuli all want the funny-shaped stick

Funny Keskiyo with no ears

strange phenomenon

And did I mention irritating? Very, very irritating.

For a week or 10 days after Crufts Keskiyo was absolutely convinced that Neka was in season. More than just the trying-it-on-to-see-if-it-flies that he attempts from time to time, this was full-on, whiny, bug-eyed & panting certainty that she was up for it.

To be fair, there was someone in the neighbourhood in season, which Keskiyo always knows all about. But for some reason he was determined that it was Neka.

So, was it Neka? Definitely not. Neka was spayed 2 years ago. Here's an interesting thing, though: if she had not been spayed, then she definitely would have been in season after Crufts. How do I know this? Because she was always in season just after Crufts. In fact one year I think we might even have missed going altogether because she was in season during Crufts.

How did he know?

Like I said, strange.

However, it's true that Maija and her littermates were the result of a tryst between Neka & Keskiyo during one of those Crufts seasons. I suppose it's possible that there is some springtime smell he might associate with having his jollies with Neka, and then with a bitch in season nearby, you can see how he might get confused.

So, strange but interesting too.

And, man, he was driving us crazy! Now he's over it. Finally.

And speaking of Maija's littermates & Crufts, we all take a couple of days to recover from that event each year. It's equally draining for dogs & humans alike. Here's Inko illustrating how we were all feeling the next day.