October, 2018 … Praise the Lord for his many Blessings! He is SO GOOD.
Zuzu's Puppies ARE HERE!
8 ROBUST healthy babes ... 4 male & 4 female
December 11th- 16th Puppy Pick Up dates
We have 2 pups available.
Please email [email protected] OR call
570-448-9057or fill out our Contact Form on the "How Do I Get One?" page and tell us about yourself.
Zuzu's Puppies ARE HERE!
8 ROBUST healthy babes ... 4 male & 4 female
December 11th- 16th Puppy Pick Up dates
We have 2 pups available.
Please email [email protected] OR call
570-448-9057or fill out our Contact Form on the "How Do I Get One?" page and tell us about yourself.
dam: AKC Rock Ranch It's A Wonderful Life (ZuZu)
ZuZu (30 days pregnant)
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Zuzu had an easy time of it for her first birthing.
We are so thankful to God for her health, and the 8 puppy's!
All pups have GAINED at least ONE OUNCE in the first 24 hours. Most breeders experience a weight loss the first day(s). We are super attentive to Mom's nutrition and time in the box so that most of the time we do not experience weight loss of the whelps. The first 3 days are CRITICAL. Life can be lost.
We are so thankful to God for her health, and the 8 puppy's!
All pups have GAINED at least ONE OUNCE in the first 24 hours. Most breeders experience a weight loss the first day(s). We are super attentive to Mom's nutrition and time in the box so that most of the time we do not experience weight loss of the whelps. The first 3 days are CRITICAL. Life can be lost.
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"DID I DO GOOD?" - - "Yes ZuZu, you did great!"
Per the Airedale breed standard, Zuzu has a very LONG and NARROW head. Her foreface is flat as a pancake. She has virtually no cheek development. Her topline - top of head + neck + wither is longer, or of equal length to her back between wither and tail. Her movement is just gorgeous to watch! She snaps her toes out in front of her and floats. |
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Week One:
WELL, Zuzu has been just a fabulous Mom!
We feel so blessed to have her, and are thanking God for helping us find her. SHE IS A GIFT from GOD to US.
Not all Momma dogs are excited about Motherhood. Some do not care much for it. Those ladies we never breed again.
If the Mom is not “all for” birthing, feeding, cleaning, nurturing and WANTING to be with her pups WE DO NOT breed her again. This has happened a few times. It is an incredible chore for me to care for a Momma and a litter of pups that the Mom is not excited about being with.
There are a whole lot of factors that go into decisions about our breeding program.
Some Moms have a difficult time breeding.
Some have a difficult time conceiving.
Some Moms have a difficult time in labor and delivery.
Some just do not like it at all!
Some do not want to nurse the puppies, and do not want to care for them.
Some don’t have enough milk.
Unlike specialty dog breeders, who have to breed the dogs who have the conformation and the pedigree and titles for their sport ‘no matter what’, we have choices. If a Momma does not lick her pups and want to feed them… it is a crazy amount of work for me!
I have to rub the pups to stimulate circulation. I have to ‘potty’ the pups if the Mom won’t. (pups can not go to the bathroom on their own unless Momma licks them. It is 2 weeks of this before they can all go on their own).
I have to make sure they are warm if she won’t stay with them and I need to make sure they get enough calories if she won’t nurse or doesn’t have enough milk. Any Moms that fall under these headings only have one litter here.
Besides the hard work involved, I also don’t want to ever add a female from one of those type Mom’s who didn’t love the process in to my breeding program because chances are she might be Just like her Mom.
That said, ZUZU is a ‘gift from God’. I really mean it!
She had 28 hrs of first stage labor (panting, digging, shivering, refusing food and temp. dropping) then she nonchalantly birthed 5 pups in 55 MINUTES!
I was scrambling a bit to keep up with her; thankfully Abby (12) was assisting me!
The first pup was not dry by the time the second came; and so it went for the first 5!
She did not like the whelping box which is a 4x4 corrugated plastic which keeps any liquids contained. Every time I took her there she went right back out…
She INSISTED on being on Abby’s bed! (ZuZu is Abby’s dog after all).
So I have puppy pads which are waterproof I slid underneath her and she had 3 pups one after the other ON ABBY’S BED.
I thought “we’re really going to test just how ‘waterproof’ these pads are!” and I was not disappointed. When we transferred the babes to the whelping box, Zuzu followed and just in time to birth another, and another!
Zuzu has taken well to Motherhood. Loves to be with her puppies. Allowed me to give her a time out of the box early on (some Mom’s wont leave it). If a Momma dog stays 24/7 in the box this creates OTHER even more serious problems. One of these is called Milk Fever, and it can kill your Dam. More on that another time…
We feel so blessed to have her, and are thanking God for helping us find her. SHE IS A GIFT from GOD to US.
Not all Momma dogs are excited about Motherhood. Some do not care much for it. Those ladies we never breed again.
If the Mom is not “all for” birthing, feeding, cleaning, nurturing and WANTING to be with her pups WE DO NOT breed her again. This has happened a few times. It is an incredible chore for me to care for a Momma and a litter of pups that the Mom is not excited about being with.
There are a whole lot of factors that go into decisions about our breeding program.
Some Moms have a difficult time breeding.
Some have a difficult time conceiving.
Some Moms have a difficult time in labor and delivery.
Some just do not like it at all!
Some do not want to nurse the puppies, and do not want to care for them.
Some don’t have enough milk.
Unlike specialty dog breeders, who have to breed the dogs who have the conformation and the pedigree and titles for their sport ‘no matter what’, we have choices. If a Momma does not lick her pups and want to feed them… it is a crazy amount of work for me!
I have to rub the pups to stimulate circulation. I have to ‘potty’ the pups if the Mom won’t. (pups can not go to the bathroom on their own unless Momma licks them. It is 2 weeks of this before they can all go on their own).
I have to make sure they are warm if she won’t stay with them and I need to make sure they get enough calories if she won’t nurse or doesn’t have enough milk. Any Moms that fall under these headings only have one litter here.
Besides the hard work involved, I also don’t want to ever add a female from one of those type Mom’s who didn’t love the process in to my breeding program because chances are she might be Just like her Mom.
That said, ZUZU is a ‘gift from God’. I really mean it!
She had 28 hrs of first stage labor (panting, digging, shivering, refusing food and temp. dropping) then she nonchalantly birthed 5 pups in 55 MINUTES!
I was scrambling a bit to keep up with her; thankfully Abby (12) was assisting me!
The first pup was not dry by the time the second came; and so it went for the first 5!
She did not like the whelping box which is a 4x4 corrugated plastic which keeps any liquids contained. Every time I took her there she went right back out…
She INSISTED on being on Abby’s bed! (ZuZu is Abby’s dog after all).
So I have puppy pads which are waterproof I slid underneath her and she had 3 pups one after the other ON ABBY’S BED.
I thought “we’re really going to test just how ‘waterproof’ these pads are!” and I was not disappointed. When we transferred the babes to the whelping box, Zuzu followed and just in time to birth another, and another!
Zuzu has taken well to Motherhood. Loves to be with her puppies. Allowed me to give her a time out of the box early on (some Mom’s wont leave it). If a Momma dog stays 24/7 in the box this creates OTHER even more serious problems. One of these is called Milk Fever, and it can kill your Dam. More on that another time…
A WELL DESERVED REST !
"You will now have a bath!" There is no escaping Mom's directive... "Every Puppy Will Be Clean!" |
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To be sure each and every puppy is getting enough nutrition I weight them every day for the first week.
If someone is having an issue I will weigh them several times a day.
ZuZu had so much colostrum the pups gained an ounce the first 24 hrs.! The real milk comes in on day 2 or 3. They all are gaining at least an ounce a day which is fantastic. Normally breeders expect a weight LOSS in the first 24 hrs. We don’t typically see that here. Momma’s are attentive and have the highest nutrition available so that they produce lots of milk for their babes. My girls DON'T LOSE THEIR HAIR like others do, no matter what size litter they have. They stay healthy and active!
My momma dogs eat grain FREE and mostly RAW meat with the bones … and (if they need it) Grain Free high quality kibble (for carbohydrates and higher calories) and canned chicken meat. Mommas need some CARBS to meet the nutrients needed to produce milk. Sweet potato, carrots and apples are all great choices too.
I mostly feed my dogs RAW: beef, raw chicken with the bones, Raw Eggs, venison, turkey with bones, Tripe, Kidney, Liver, Heart (beef), and chicken Gizzards (loaded with B vitamins!). >>> I never feed raw pork; it is loaded with parasites!
I also feed: sardines and cooked fish fillets, cooked pork on occasion, cooked liver (some don’t like it raw), and Kefir (I make myself) or plain Yogurt. and canned plain Pumpkin (no sugar).
Momma’s also get a supplement called BITCH PILLS even before they are bred and during their whole pregnancy.
It is a supplement specifically designed for nutritional needs of mating and pregnancy.
At birth we switch off to OXY MOMMA which is specifically designed to help Mom heal from birthing and support lactation.
I also make them CHICKEN SOUP (remove bones) w/ sea salt, carrots, celery ** no onions** for dense nutrition and to keep them drinking and BONE BROTH (discard the bones).
I love to feed my dogs ALFALFA. I use pellets (like what you feed a horse). They are not processed, or heated at all.
ALFALFA is loaded with minerals because it has a VERY deep root system. It is also DARK GREEN – high in antioxidants and chlorophyll; which builds blood. It cuts WAY DOWN on grass eating, which most dogs do.
Because dogs have a very short digestive tract, they can’t really digest roughage products like fruit and vegetables enough to get the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from them if they are Whole. So I blenderize them! Save up the ends of the vegetables you eat in the freezer until you have enough for a blender full 😊
In the blender I put: the ends of the broccoli, ends of the romaine, ends of the celery and leaves of celery, kale, spinach, organic carrots, GARLIC, and an apple. Feed about 1/8 cup per day. (see below)
If someone is having an issue I will weigh them several times a day.
ZuZu had so much colostrum the pups gained an ounce the first 24 hrs.! The real milk comes in on day 2 or 3. They all are gaining at least an ounce a day which is fantastic. Normally breeders expect a weight LOSS in the first 24 hrs. We don’t typically see that here. Momma’s are attentive and have the highest nutrition available so that they produce lots of milk for their babes. My girls DON'T LOSE THEIR HAIR like others do, no matter what size litter they have. They stay healthy and active!
My momma dogs eat grain FREE and mostly RAW meat with the bones … and (if they need it) Grain Free high quality kibble (for carbohydrates and higher calories) and canned chicken meat. Mommas need some CARBS to meet the nutrients needed to produce milk. Sweet potato, carrots and apples are all great choices too.
I mostly feed my dogs RAW: beef, raw chicken with the bones, Raw Eggs, venison, turkey with bones, Tripe, Kidney, Liver, Heart (beef), and chicken Gizzards (loaded with B vitamins!). >>> I never feed raw pork; it is loaded with parasites!
I also feed: sardines and cooked fish fillets, cooked pork on occasion, cooked liver (some don’t like it raw), and Kefir (I make myself) or plain Yogurt. and canned plain Pumpkin (no sugar).
Momma’s also get a supplement called BITCH PILLS even before they are bred and during their whole pregnancy.
It is a supplement specifically designed for nutritional needs of mating and pregnancy.
At birth we switch off to OXY MOMMA which is specifically designed to help Mom heal from birthing and support lactation.
I also make them CHICKEN SOUP (remove bones) w/ sea salt, carrots, celery ** no onions** for dense nutrition and to keep them drinking and BONE BROTH (discard the bones).
I love to feed my dogs ALFALFA. I use pellets (like what you feed a horse). They are not processed, or heated at all.
ALFALFA is loaded with minerals because it has a VERY deep root system. It is also DARK GREEN – high in antioxidants and chlorophyll; which builds blood. It cuts WAY DOWN on grass eating, which most dogs do.
Because dogs have a very short digestive tract, they can’t really digest roughage products like fruit and vegetables enough to get the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from them if they are Whole. So I blenderize them! Save up the ends of the vegetables you eat in the freezer until you have enough for a blender full 😊
In the blender I put: the ends of the broccoli, ends of the romaine, ends of the celery and leaves of celery, kale, spinach, organic carrots, GARLIC, and an apple. Feed about 1/8 cup per day. (see below)
APPLES, CARROTS, KALE, SPINACH
Raw Meat, Raw Chicken, Raw Eggs, Sardines, Kefir, Veggie Mix, Alfalfa. Some Mommas want the egg shell too.
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TRIPE..…. Zuzu loves it!
Celery, Broccoli, Carrots, Apples, Swiss Chard
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Tails and dewclaws are done. Everyone is doing well.
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BIG YAWN
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Getting Older...
TAIL'S UP!
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Beautiful Conformation.
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To The Play Pen!
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YUM, YUM, YUM!
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New Toys!
Ain't I adorable?