# Signs of Pending Whelping?????



## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Here's the background:

5 yr old Momma dog; has had previous litters [before we got her; no info]

Was bred on Dec. 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. (not just exposed, actually 'tied' with the dog)

She is so big, she has trouble getting up from laying down, can't get comfortable, is breathing "strong"/ out-loud, is very clingy/won't let me out of her sight. Just last night, she scratched a "nest" in her blanket. She stares at her tummy, and has been doing some open-mouth panting off and on for 2 days.

Technically, I know she's not due until Feb. 5th at the EARLIEST, but how often do they go a bit early? Is it completely unlikely, or does it happen now and again?

I ask because I'm retired and there's no reason why I can't be with her 24/7, so if there's a chance I'll just cancel any appointments and go to the grocery store TODAY and stock up on the things we need to get us through 2 weeks; that way I won't have to leave for anything......


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

Have you checked her temp lately? It drops right before whelping. The panting & nesting are signs, but it still could be a few days.

My dog always howled, loudly & repeatedly, right before getting down to business!


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

Early is not good in dogs , a day or 2 is OK. She will be very restless. Pawing at the ground. do you have a whelping box set up , if so get her use to it. her back end will look like you can drive a semi in there . She may have a discharge. I am sure there are many more thing you could notice. But if she is a house dog you will see the change.

Patty


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Yeah, these guys are pregnant for such a short time anyway, a week early can be really bad. But then, I have a mama cat who acts like she's going to have kittens *any* minute for two weeks before she actually does.  Think she does it just to keep me on my toes. Your girl is probably just prepping, especially if this is her first litter with you. When we moved into our new place, my girls were neither one themselves with their first litters in the new house; the move brought them both into heat, we bred them both, but neither acted as usual with their labors/ young. Just try to keep her calm and quiet, stress isn't good for them... maybe give her extra goodies to keep up her strength, talk quietly to her. Try to stay relaxed yourself, if you are nervous she may pick up on it and that might scare her.

Best of luck! What kind of dog is she?


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Oh, yes, we have the welping box all set up and she knows it well- it was the "brooder box" for the puppies delivered under the neighbors house last time...(don't ask)

Her milk is in; full udder/soft and warm and loves it to be massaged (spoiled girl!). Her "husband" is suddenly very interested in her behind; licking and cleaning her, so I'm not sure if she's got a bit of discharge or not.

She's been eating several small meals a day; she can't eat a regular-sized meal any more. She scratches to go out to pee alot more than usual (bladder pressure) All things I think are normal in a very pregnant dog. I just wanted to know the signs of stage-1 labor so I can get her into the welping box in time. I don't need another under-the-neighbor's house fiasco, or a "where is she??" fiasco...I'm too old for that kind of nonsense!!!!


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Jill, I know what you mean... my fool of a queen once ripped out the couch lining and tried to deliver there!  
when my girls get about a week to their due date, I confine them where I want them to deliver... they get really used to the area and can check out everything in there, and are MUCH calmer and better with their babies. Granted, cats, but labor is labor (sort of). And that way, you know exactly what is going on and when it happened. 

My father's beagle didn't start nesting until a couple hours before the first pup would amke it's appearance, but she was a bit goofy too...


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Oh, no worries about being relaxed around her; she knows she's my number-1 priority right now, (much to DH's dismay!). We log many hours on the couch together while I give her a massage and gently rub her tummy and give her a neck rub, etc, etc. It's the only way I can get her to sleep quietly without the heavy whiney/ stressed breathing. She gets canned puppy food as a treat, and hugs and kisses constantly. She's being treated like a queen. She's our Red Heeler, bred to our Blue Heeler....so, we're expecting PURPLE Heelers....


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

This is Nina; being naughty on the couch, but we don't have the heart to move her....



















I did check her temp: 100.6 and her vaginal tone is GONE- she's loosy-goosy back there... I hope she holds on for 2-3 more days.... from what you guys said, I don't want her to go early it sounds like.....


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Aww, just want to pet that big ol' belly! Poor gal looks like she's wider than she is tall, lol. Give her an exta smoosh for me.


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

Oh and usually the temp drops to 98 or 99.

Good luck!!


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

OMGosh Jill, that poor thing looks like she's going to explode! I think I'm having sympathy pains for her.


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## Hip_Shot_Hanna (Apr 2, 2005)

Keep taking her temperature every few hours. When it drops below 100, it may be 24 hours til whelping. When it drops below 99, it should be within the next twelve hours. It's really THAT predictable!  One of the things I loved about whelping - knowing when to expect labor. Good luck!


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## mamalisa (Feb 1, 2004)

My Cricket is just as bad...poor thing can't reach her own backend to clean it!

It's a race to the puppies!


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## firefly81 (Jan 17, 2007)

on my dogs i ussually dont leave them for any amount of time once there is a week left, just relaxes them more to now mommy is there. ussually the momma wont eat the day of, and if u think she wont let you leave her sight now just what it gets worse, i have slept manny night on the floor next to the welping area, to make them feel better. with my first litter of boxer pups, the momma would have had them on the bed if i would have let her. uck! just watch her she will let you know when its time mine allways have.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Uh... Her temp last night at 10:00pm was 100.6 Now, this am at 7:00, it is 99.9....does this "count" as a "drop"?? I wil check her temp again at noon...... <worried> it's too early!! :Bawling:


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Jill, if I can help...
When you're checking for that drop in temp, try to take it at the same time each day. Their temps fluctuate a bit just like ours do... and I have one queen who's temp doesn't drop at all, though I've tried different thermometers, just one of her quirks. I know you're excited/nervous/agonizing, but try to remember, dogs have been having puppies for ages, and most of them have been just fine. Easier said than done, I know...


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## mamalisa (Feb 1, 2004)

Jill...Cricket has been doing that for a week now. Usually a bit lower in the morning. Anytime after 55 days is ok. My youngest dog's mama (supervised breeding with AI!) had well developed pups an entire week early.

Breathe. Can your girl still reach her hind end? Cricket can't!


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## CrownPoint (Jun 25, 2006)

99.0 degrees is usually the temp most females deliver at. I have had them deliver anytime between 99.0 and 100.0...if you can't count back 63 days, monitor the temp twice a day and be ready.


Crown Point Dog Supply
http://www.crownpointkennels.com
800-604-6579
518-597-3850


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

mamalisa said:


> Jill...Cricket has been doing that for a week now. Usually a bit lower in the morning. Anytime after 55 days is ok. My youngest dog's mama (supervised breeding with AI!) had well developed pups an entire week early.
> 
> Breathe. Can your girl still reach her hind end? Cricket can't!


Ha Ha! No, she sure can't! Her "husband" does it for her! She also rocks herself before she gets on the couch; sortof a "one-two-three-go!"; too funny!

55 days, huh? Everything I've read says 58 at the earliest; but we all know the animals don't read the books!!!!

The pups are SO active in there; they look like a herd of golf balls trying to get out! They are STRONG; they push against my hand HARD when I gently pet her belly. And, from what I can tell, she must have about 30 in there...  j/k.....

I sure hope she keeps it below 9 pups, though...she's only got 9 working nipples...otherwise, they'll have to time-share the buffet :1pig: 

She would not move off the couch this morning for her breakfast; she just rolled her eyes at me like, "are you kidding?? Look at me!", so I brought her bowl to her and she had breakfast in bed...


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## mamalisa (Feb 1, 2004)

Crick stands while I wash her britches with a washcloth. She can barely make it up the stairs, and I can feel the puppies moving. It's kinda hard to see thru all the hair (Australian Shepherd!) 

Poor girl can barely eat, I hand-fed her mac'n'cheese this am, along with milk still warm from the cow. I'll make her scrambled eggs when I get home from work---I'm saving the liver til she can clean herself off!


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

Our Lab female had huge litters, 10, 11 pups. She would be sooooo hugely uncomfortable and then a few days before she had the pups, she would suddenly kind of start sagging like her whole belly just dropped straight down. Before they were right up near her backbone but all of a sudden her belly was hanging down to the ground. As huge as they get and you think they can't possibly get bigger, it usually works out just fine. If you're really worried, get her in to the vet and put your mind at rest. It might not be a bad idea to have an idea of the vet's schedule for the next week or so just in case. I haven't the stomach to handle the worry about my baby (pregnant mom) which is one of about 100 reasons I gave up on trying to breed. Good luck and now that you've got us all on pins and needles, I hope you'll share bazillions of puppy pics!


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)




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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

Yes, her belly is huge, but her vulva doesn't look like she's ready to go. The longer she goes, the better off the pups are. I'd be ready on day 58 (or is it 59? - I'd need to go to the book it has been so long) though. I'm sure those babies will come out the first chance they get!


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## glidergurl03 (Feb 28, 2005)

Give her some love for us, but don't hug her too hard, she'll start spittin' out puppies! Poor preggo pup


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## scorpian5 (Feb 16, 2004)

my collie just had pups this last friday. She didnt eat that morning and i could tell that she was acting strange and i put her in her box. that nite when i got home she had one and by the next morning she had 11 and they are all doing fine.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

scorpian5 said:


> my collie just had pups this last friday. She didnt eat that morning and i could tell that she was acting strange and i put her in her box. that nite when i got home she had one and by the next morning she had 11 and they are all doing fine.



Wow! 11 l'il buggers!! Good for her! Is this a standard collie? I may be interested in a pup! seriously!

Well, Nina started panting off and on this morning, temp was *100* degrees even, at 6:00pm, it was *99.0* even and the panting was constant. She is also begging to hide under our bed  . 10:00pm her temp is down to *98.5* and DH caught her burying her head under the sofa cushion! She'll probably have them within the next 12 hours, correct?? GREAT, DH and I both have "the crud" and need our sleep so desperately; but, she's our "daughter", so parent we must


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

If you're counting from the FIRST day they tied, she is now at day 62 so she is plenty ready to go. You count 59? days from the first breeding. Good luck! She'll probably start having pups tonight so you might want to get as much napping done today as you can!


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

I excited for you. Nothing better than little, chubby pups. Good luck & I hope you feel better when the time comes!!


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Brother! She panted, she nested, she tore up newspapers, she remodeled her nest, she gazed at us woefully, she paced, and she DIDN'T whelp  

I am exhausted. This was WORSE than "mare-stare" (staying up with a due-to-foal horse), because she was just loud enough to keep me awake, but not loud enough to get my "oh, goody, puppies" adrenaline flowing.

DH really interfered with my plans...... He REFUSED to allow me to sleep in the tack room next to the whelping box (as planned); he said I would die of pneumonia, so I then REFUSED to leave her out there by herself all night long. SOOOOOO....she got to build the taj mahal of newspaper nests in a nook in our kitchen and WE slept on the sofa bed next to the kitchen door! This is reason #534 why I think it would be a bad idea for us to have kids....

I actually have pics of The Nest, but not the energy to post them yet....I had *hoped* to have little squirmy poopidies to photograph by now..... BUT, her "12 hours" isn't up until 10:00AM..  you think she can read a clock?? :shrug:


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Jill, you are making me so antsy. I want purple heeler baby pictures to gush over, and i want 'em now! :grump: Those non-cooperative doggies. Hmmph.


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

Oh, Jill, she's close!!

I'm guessing within the next 24 hours. I know, not what you wanted to hear. But 24 is at the very outside. I'm thinking, maybe by this evening. How's she doing now? Still restless?

Get some rest & have fun!!


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

I feel for you, Jill. Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, on my Pyr(named Jill  ) to whelp. Just hope she'll do it when I'm around as she is a goat guardian and would go crazy if we took her away from her charges, so she will be welping outside where its cold. She has already claimed a corner of the larger barn and has been trying to dig to China for the past four days.....


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

AS I WAS TYPING the last post, she had #1 on the recliner! We have to burn that thing now!!!!!!   :dance: 

Gotta go back to the nest!!!! More soon!!!


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Oh, hurray! I'm going to be glued to this thread now.
Puppies, puppies, puppies... :happy:


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

woo hoo! :dance:


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

So much for a nap today! LOL! Congrats and I'm glad they came during daylight hours for you!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see piles of puppy pics!


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

ok, pup #2 is also a boy, gonna look just like daddy (#1 looks just like mommy)....where's the purple?? :shrug:


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Ok, still waiting on #3, but mom is doting and doing great...only problem I see so far is that now that pup #2 is all clean, it is obvious he is from a later breeding and a bit premature. He has small bald spots on his hind legs and feet and little bald patches on both forearms. I helped him find the nipple that the other pup had "primed", and #2 IS sucking, but very slowly & not as demanding as pup #1. I will keep an eagle eye on that one.....


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

I know you're incredibly busy & excited right now, but how's it going? Lot's of puppers?


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

alrighty, #3 came breech, another boy  looks like mom...so that's 2 like mom and 1 like dad....she's about to have #4, so she's going every 1-1.5 hrs....jimminy crismas! I'll never get a nap if she's going to do 8-12 at this rate!!


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

#4 is here! A girl!  Looks just like daddy but with even better black markings and she came _forwards_, thank goodness!

Momma has had a bowl of warm milk, a squirt of liquid vitamins, and some warm water...she's trooping right along!

I think I'm going to run out of newspapers......


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

#5 came only 20 min after #4....another girl just like her daddy!! Inhaled alot of fluid, but I swung her a bit upside down and she bubbled it out  

Momma is getting irritable with me, so I need to start being a bit more subtle when I "help"  (only when I'm swinging her puppies! oh my!) :hobbyhors


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Hee hee, you think you're running lo on newspaper now, just wait until they figure out how to potty! The horror! lol
If mama seems tired, you might try letting her lick a little Karo off your finger... I give it to my girls when they're getting tired and still have a ways to go.


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## APPway (May 27, 2005)

Great to hear she is doing ok keep watching the post to see how its going keep us posted and let us know how many she has and after your nap will be looking for pictures.

APPway


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Well, after #5 at 2:30pm, she quit on us... DH has gone to the vet clinic to pick up a shot of oxytocin to see if we can't jump-start her again... She's in really good spirits; loves her puppies, but it's EASY to feel at least 3 still in there.

If the oxy doesn't work, our wonderful vet is ready to meet us at the clinic (only 10 min away) whenever we need him, so for now no worries.

I am deliriously tired, and on cold medicine to boot, but I know Nina is more exhausted than me, so that keeps me going.

She got a bowl of warm milk with a bit of sugar in it as well as some warm water and a spoonful of her favorite canned meat food. I have liquid baby vitamins and she got a squirt of that in her mouth, also. She even left her puppies to go outside to poop and pee and then charged back in to cuddle her brood; so I can say with relative certainty that she's not in any trouble at this time. More soon! -Jill


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Ah Jill, they do that sometimes... she probably just needs a rest, poor tired mama...


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

Dont panic too much and take it easy on that oxytocin. I have heard horror stories with that stuff. I have had dogs whelp perfectly healthy puppies 6+ hours after the last. GOOD LUCK


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Chma is right, I've known of cats to go 36 hours between and everyone to be just dandy.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

#6 finally here. Black w/ a white blaze; where'd that come from???  

We gave the oxytocin at 5:35pm and she had this pup at 6:05....more to go!


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

#7 at 7:05pm....I think she's back on the assembly line! Got her second wind and seems perkier after a hard nap.


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## Sunraven (Jan 20, 2007)

Hey Jill, are the parents working dogs?


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Hi, well, the sire certainly is; Nina is older and prefers the couch  ,
but "JJ", the dad, is ranch bred, ranch raised and trained by my husband and I. JJ's sire was a popular stud dog near where we used to live in Cameron, TX. He is owned by a Mr. Hernandez who breeds and trains top roping horses.

My husband and I don't own cattle, but we use JJ on the farm every day to bring the goats up from browsing and to keep my herd of broodmares in line. JJ's only 1.5 yrs old, but all I have to do is point and say "that one!" and he'll bring the proper horse to me. He's been "heeling" anything he can follow along after since he was 8 weeks old, so all we did was channel his desires to our needs.

For example, let's say the horse shoer is here to trim everyones' hooves. Well, I have an old sassy broodmare that refuses to be caught when she sees that truck  . So, I can stand at the gate, say "JJ, HERE!" and he hups right at my side. (sits and waits for a command) Then I will point at the old girl and make a "chhh chhh" sound, and he'll go get her moving in whatever direction I point after he's "on" her. Now, Old Sammie is 23 yrs old, so I don't want her galloping anywhere like an idiot, so JJ knows to continue pushing her until I say "SIT!". He instantly disengages and stops. He'll looks to me for another direction (like, get another horse, or whatever). Usually I just say "HERE!" and he's back sitting at my side so I can praise him for the good work he's done.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Well! #8 arrived at 10:35PM!! THE BIGGEST ONE YET! And it's a girl  

Nina was soooo tired, I had to feather her insides (wiggle a finger inside to stimulate harder contractions) and then when the pup crowned, she bit the amniotic sac open too early, and the pup slipped back in while trying to breathe! Thank goodness I was right there with clean fingers! I slipped two inside; one on either side of the puppy's head, hooked the head, and pulled. Baby came out blue and I had to swing it to get the fluid out, but then she pinked up. :hobbyhors 

Nina suddenly perked up, loved on her puppies voraciously, then we took her out and she peed, poopd, and came in to scarf down her previously untouched dinner. We *hope* this means she's DONE done. I felt her tummy all over pretty firmly and can't feel any more; but there's so much room in there now, one could easily evade my fingers and "hide".....

I'll know in the am I guess! pics in am...I need some zzzzzzzzzzz


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## Corgitails (Jun 2, 2003)

Jill - is JJ's sire one of Reuben Hernandez's dogs?  (NOt sure if that's the right last name but the roping horses fits and the dogs fit...)


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Well, no purple.....but we did get a Holstein!  

As far as we can figure from the litters of our previous heeler *****, the ones with "high white %" will speckle out their white and merle their black. The high black ones will simply go blue, and lord knows what the sable one will do?????? Everybodies got black freckles on their noses. The two red ones will be like their momma, with extremely subtle roaning (not the flashier merling).

I'm not sure, but she may be gearing up for one last one this morning.... she's a bit crampy; smallish contractions. Could be just cleansing, but my previous heeler ***** presented us with the "last puppy" at 4:00 in the afternoon and then SURPRIZE!, another at 9:30 the next morning!

Oh, yeah, and Nina's ears are not-traditional because of a shotgun blast from her previous life...not because she has bad ear conformation! When we got her, we were horrified to find a shotgun pellet/bb behind her ear, in her neck, one lodged under the skin of her belly, one behind her elbow, and one under her jaw. Her ears have "notches" out of them from the blast skimming her head! we just say "she's a survivor!"


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## Corgitails (Jun 2, 2003)

Actually, they won't merle out- because they're not merle. They WILL, however, fill in with ticking. ACDs aren't merle, they're ticked  Two different sets of genetics for two different (but commonly confused) patterns.)


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

So cute! I sure wish we could bottle up that puppy breath and hold onto it. Congrats to all! She sure looks deflated. Those are fat and sassy little puppers!


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## mamalisa (Feb 1, 2004)

you beat us....the Crick is in early labor, but nothing yet.....I think she's waiting to have 'em on the couch!


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Corgitails said:


> Actually, they won't merle out- because they're not merle. They WILL, however, fill in with ticking. ACDs aren't merle, they're ticked  Two different sets of genetics for two different (but commonly confused) patterns.)


  Sounds just like the color descriptors used in horses! rose vs. chestnut vs. sorrel vs. bay vs. brown bay, seal bay, black bay, blue roan vs. grey.....  it goes on and on, and I know you're right; the color patterns are genetically "attached" to different alleles and I'm certain the "merle" gene for say, Collies, is NOT the same as the gene that makes the patterning on a Blue Heeler! I was just trying to help the general HT pop understand the colors of the puppies will change as they get older!


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