After many years of sharing our Barbet news and writing about the growth and development of our Barbet puppies we retired the blog at the end of 2020. All of the past entries remain posted so feel free to take a look around and scroll through previous posts to get a feel for the breed, our dogs and how we raise our litters. More information about the Barbet (French Water Dog) can be found on our website: www.northrockbarbets.com
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Pupdate: The End of the Transitional Period (14 - 21 days)
Well the puppies are 21 days old today and we are through
the Transitional Period (14 – 21 days).
Lots of growth has happened with the gang this past week. All of the puppies finished opening their
eyes and they are able to hear sounds now too.
Their co-ordination has skyrocketed and they are much more nimble on
their feet. They climb over one another
with ease and are even able to move backwards.
What is really fun to watch is the beginnings of play as they grab at
each other and Coco’s ears. We’ve seen
their little tails wag and they can make a whole symphony of sounds though my
daughter still says they sound like a bunch of monkeys more than anything else!
They are all gaining well and it’s something to see them
jostling one another at the milk bar as they push and shove to get the nipples
they want. I can’t help but feel that
there are so many benefits to this sibling rivalry that goes on in the whelping
box. Couple the pushing and shoving and
tunneling over and under littermates with Coco’s enthusiastic washing of her
babies and it is quite a scene. Not only are the puppies working their muscles they
are experiencing some mild stresses in the process which will help to strengthen
their neurological systems. I am ever
watchful of the “feeding frenzy” and after the first frantic moments they do
settle in to nurse contentedly. Because I have been weighing the puppies every
day I am constantly aware of who is gaining the most and who may need a little
more nursing time and help out accordingly.
We wrapped up the Bio-Sensor exercises on day 16. The U.S. Military implemented this program with
their puppies and their findings demonstrated
that various stimulation exercises had
many lasting benefits for the pups. Although
there is some doubt as to the effectiveness of early neurological stimulation I felt that
that it certainly couldn’t hurt and since it may help our puppies I was all for
it. Studies have shown that puppies who received
early neurological stimulation were stronger physiologically and were more
self-confident. To learn more about the Bio-Sensor techniques that we implemented
please feel free to visit Dr. Carmen Battaglia’s website and look
under the Articles tab for his article: Early Neurological Stimulation (Revised).
The week ended with the A-Team moving downstairs into our
dining room which is adjacent to the kitchen and living room. They are now in the “heart of the home” and
privy to all the hustle and bustle and noises that go hand in hand with their
new location. Their new set up still has a whelping box in
it but they also have more play space and a potty area. There are toys and a snuggly bed and the
other dogs can go right up to them although I haven’t allowed them to get in
the pen with the puppies. Quincy is
rather indifferent to the whole pile of pups and looks at me with an expression
on his aging face that says quite plainly “seriously?????”. Cousin Sophie on the other hand is in “in love”, she play bows at the puppies and wags her
tail and is practically glued to the other side of the pen watching their every
move.
I am missing Club Barbet Canada’s First National Specialty
which takes place today in Long Sault, Ontario and my thoughts are with all the
competitors and spectators alike and I wish everyone a marvelous time. As sad as I am that I can’t be there to join
in the celebration, the reason I’m not able to attend is a good one. .. I am
enjoying Coco and her 11 babies tremendously and they put a smile on my face
every time I walk past their pen or hold a puppy next to my heart.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Club Barbet Canada First National Specialty
This coming weekend marks the First National Specialty for the Barbet in North America. It is a historical event and I want to take a moment to wish all of the competitors and spectators alike my very best wishes for an amazing weekend filled with camaraderie and joy. What a weekend - people and dogs brought together from all over North America for the love of the breed. Vive le Barbet! More information about the specialty can be found on the specialty website http://www.barbet.comuf.com/
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Pupdate: The End of the Neo-Natal Period (1-14 days)
Well a lot has happened here over the last 14 days. Coco and Dougy's puppies are growing by leaps and bounds. By the end of the day yesterday they were all weighing in at 2 pounds or more. When they were first born there was very little they could do other than eat and sleep. They were able to crawl around moving towards their mum or away from or towards the heat source. They not only needed Coco as their food source but they also needed her to help them eliminate. They spend so much time with their mother and even at this very early age she is teaching them the behavior they will need as adult dogs. Research has shown that "the position used by the puppy when licked by its mother when she is cleaning it and activating the elimination reflex will actually become a ritualized submission position used to stop agonistic behavior as a grown up dog." (Pat Hastings, Another Piece of the Puzzle: Puppy Development p.20)
Mr. Brown getting a little help from Coco |
Now the puppies are toddling about and all but 2 of them have opened their eyes. I imagine it won't be long before Mr. White and Mr. Brown show us their peepers...
Here are a few more photos taken in the last few days...
Puppy Pile Up - Day 12 Puppies hang out in the laundry basket for safe keeping while I clean the whelping box. Miss. Orange manged to find her way into my bed on day 13. |
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Pupdate: Northrock A-Litter - Day 8
weigh-in on day 6 |
Miss. Orange - Day 8 |
Mr. Blue - Day 8 |
Mr. White - Day 8 |
Miss. Red snuggles up after a long feeding. |
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Milky Way
Eleven puppies require a lot of milk! The good thing is that when it comes to breast milk, the more you nurse the more your milk supply builds up to meet the demand.
Coco is being such a good mother to her puppies. We are making sure that she gets lots of rest and plenty to drink. We are providing her with lots of water and also a milk mixture consisting of goats milk, raw egg, oil and a bit of honey. She is eating good wholesome meals spread out in smaller portions several times a day. Mother care is of prime importance. Stress and fatigue can interfere with milk production so we are not having visitors right now and the other dogs are kept downstairs so that Coco can focus on looking after her babies.
Nursing puppies requires an increased intake of fluids. When I was nursing my children I always made sure I had a glass of water with me. Because she spends so much time in the whelping box, I will often bring Coco her water directly to her. She prefers it to be cold and fresh - every time. Yes Ma'am! Whatever it takes to make sure you are drinking enough :0)
I am so thankful that Coco and her babies are doing well and we are doing our best to keep things going as smoothly as possible.
Cold fresh water...room service style |
Nursing puppies requires an increased intake of fluids. When I was nursing my children I always made sure I had a glass of water with me. Because she spends so much time in the whelping box, I will often bring Coco her water directly to her. She prefers it to be cold and fresh - every time. Yes Ma'am! Whatever it takes to make sure you are drinking enough :0)
All of Coco and Dougy's puppies are doing well. Here they are in the whelping box on day 4. |
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Northrock's A-Team has arrived!
Pre-labour...waiting for puppies in the whelping pool. |
Coco with her 9 babes...thought we were done LOL |
Mr. Blue, born at 2:25pm - 10 1/4 oz
Mr. Green, born at 3:23 pm - 11 1/2 oz
Mr. Yellow, born at 4:12 pm - 12 1/4 oz
Miss. Purple, born at 4:38pm - 11 1/2 oz
Mr. White, born at 4:51 pm - 10 3/4 oz
Miss. Red, born at 5:10 pm - 11 1/2 oz
Mr. Brown, born at 5:25 pm - 9 1/4 oz
Miss. Orange, born at 6:00pm - 10 1/4 oz
Miss. Maroon, born at 6:10pm - 10 1/2 oz
Mr. Gray, born at 7:40pm - 10 7/8 oz
Miss. Tan, born at 8:05pm - 12 3/4 oz
Northrock's A Litter - Born August 4, 2012 |
Thanks to everyone who has helped make this blessed event possible; Pam, Michel, Bobby & Sylvie, Julie and Kevin, Michelle and Chris...and everyone else who's support and encouragement means the world to me. Thank you all!
Happy Coco with her rainbow of pups. |
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