Puppy video! Enjoy!

New blog design

I changed the design of the blog ... let me know what you think! And here's a puppy photo just for fun. =)

Little Miss Darcy

Swarmed by puppies!

We love it when the puppies are awake and playful. You can hold a toy or your hands down in the playpen and they "attack" you with love. They grab your fingers and give kisses and play-bites. They're so cute!

Puppy swarm!

Where the puppies roam...

We've started allowing the puppies to "roam" in the house (under supervision). We block off any areas that are not puppy proof, we put the ornery cat away (the other two are fine), put on a good movie, and just loose the hounds.

They have about five minutes of madness, dashing around and trying to kill each other and themselves. Then they settle down and practice being utterly adorable. They cuddle with us or the big dogs, and they chew on anything within reach.

Our job is to make sure the things within reach are chew hooves, antlers, marrow bones... and not computer cords, prescription bottles, or scissors. All in all it's LOTS of fun and we love "puppy time." I tried to capture some of the fun last night and share it with you.

Meet the girls!

Here are the girls, along with photos of each of them. Just click the linked names to visit each puppy's album on Picasa.

Darcy (black & white girl)


Kiera (black & white girl)


Anya (white & fawn girl)


Fiona (black & white girl)


Siobhan (black & white girl)

Meet the boys!

Here are the boys, along with photos of each of them. Just click the linked names to visit each puppy's album on Picasa.

Aidan (fawn & white boy)


Quinn (white & black boy)


Declan (fawn & white boy)


Gavin (black & white boy)


Kent (white & black boy)

New puppy photos -- four weeks old!

Hi guys, the puppies are four weeks old now. They are fun fun fun! They've got a good handle on how to play, and when they're awake they love to spend their time terrorizing their brothers and sisters. They're also very sweet, and they love to cuddle. Their little faces are so precious I just want to kiss them all the time!

Puppies' first playtime!

Enjoy! They will be three weeks old tomorrow (Thursday 11/18).

Jo

Puppies!!

I have some week three photos to post ... see below. We DO still have a couple of puppies available from this litter, so if you are interested, please see our website. We have both boys and girls since Rini was thoughtful enough to have five girls and five boys! She is a really sweet whippet. =)

Enjoy the photos, more coming soon!

Puppies growing every day!

We have been SO happy with the puppies, they are growing every single day, nursing like crazy, and sleeping very well. I get up a few times every night with them and rearrange a pup or two, convince Rini to nurse instead of sleeping in the bed (that's a tough sell) and check the temperature in the box. I always go back to bed smiling.

We do have a couple of puppies still available, none of them have been "assigned" yet because we ask families to wait until their personalities start to express themselves before they pick their puppies. Let me know if you're interested.

You can view photos and videos of the puppies here:
Week One:
http://picasaweb.google.com/johannah.gage/RiniSPuppiesWeekOne#

Week Two:
http://picasaweb.google.com/johannah.gage/RiniSPuppiesWeekTwo#

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Wh16g13eI

New puppy pictures!!

New baby pictures from week one. The babies are all doing really well and gaining weight steadily. Five of them are over a pound already!

We are so thrilled with our new Timbreblue family members who will be taking their puppies home in January. I just love getting to know new families and seeing them take their new puppies home and enjoy them.

Here are the new photos.

Puppies born!!

Rini gave us TEN beautiful puppies on October 28th. We are so proud of her. She began labor at 9:41pm and finished at 4:05am. You can view photos on Picasa here.

The countdown has begun!

Hi guys! Rini's temperature has dropped to 98.5 and she's turned down breakfast, so we are officially on Puppy Watch. If all goes well, we should have puppies in the next 24 hours. I'll post updates as they are available. Right now Rini has retreated to the Cozy Cave and she says everyone should just leave her alone. Poor baby!

Another big belly photo...

Rini's big belly

She really isn't as uncomfortable as she appears. She's still jumping over the couch and jumping up to give us kisses. She has a hard time finding a position to sleep in that's comfortable, but otherwise seems fine. And still we wait =)

And so, we wait...

Rini at 60 days

Day 60

I feel like a kid two days before Christmas. I know where my presents are hidden, but I am not allowed to look at them or shake them (lol). I can see the general shape of them (I think we're looking at 6-10 babies) but I have no idea what they will look like, what kind of dogs they will grow into, what families will love them, and if they will remember me when I see them years from now. I hope so. I hope they remember the hand that gently touched their mommy's belly for hours each day waiting to feel them move.

I know it's unlikely they will "remember" anything from before they were born (especially since they are currently blind and deaf) but I like to think they'll recognize the vibration of my voice from when I used to sing to them. (Yes I said it, I sing to the babies. I am a sap.)

The whelping box

In more practical news, here are photos of the whelping box (so achingly empty) and an expectant mommy who is sick of having her photo taken. =)

Temp is 100.4, her behavior is exhausted but stable (mine is too lol), probably no babies in the immediate future. "Dad" is at the store buying last minute supplies just in case. Grandma aka Chief Midwife is packing, and will be arriving tomorrow night. I'm chewing on my nails. I know, I know, terrible habit.

Counting down ... or are we?

Rini chillin' on her chair

Day 58

Well, Miss Rini started out the day with a temp of 99.3 -- a good sign that her temp was starting to drop. Throughout the day it hovered around 99-99.6ish. Just now (at 11:20pm) it was 100.2 -- so I guess her temp's not dropping yet. She says, "Come on, I've got all week, I'm in no rush!" so I guess we're doing things on her time. =)

I'm posting a photo I took tonight, of her relaxing on her armchair. I made the fluffy bed she's lying on. I don't sew a LOT but I do enjoy sewing for the dogs sometimes. I've made some simple coats, collars, and beds now and then.

So I guess we're just settling in and waiting for Rini to show some signs that she's ready. As I said on Facebook ... it's going to be a loooong week.

Temp is 100.1 -- no puppies tonight

Rini sunbathing in the yard

Day 57

Rini's temp is in the "safe range" so we're not expecting puppies tonight. Her earliest "safe" due date would be tomorrow, Monday, on the 58th day. She is curled up on my feet on a big fluffy bed and says life is good. We are watching "Surrogates" the movie and it promises to be good.

Rini ate a big healthy dinner (with Panacur) which is also a sign that babies are NOT imminent. Usually a girl who is about to whelp will lose all of her appetite. Never fear, Super Daddy is here, thanks to Derek we have baby food (beef and veggie flavor) and vanilla ice cream on-hand for when Rini starts turning up her nose at dog food. We even have beef liver and tripe on hand. For those who don't know, don't ask. They are GROSS but dogs love them both. Until tomorrow, we are all resting here... goodnight!

Oh horrors! Rini went up a size!

Rini in butterfly PJs

Poor, poor pitiful Rini. It's finally chilly here in South Carolina, so I put PJs on the dogs before they went outside after dinner. Poor Rini was distressed to find out that she doesn't fit in her "Medium" anymore ... she had to move up to a "Large". Women know how devastating this can be for a girl's morale. Rini took it in stride, however, and I found a cute butterfly pattern PJ for her to wear. She even posed for a picture for you guys to see. =)

We're still in waiting mode...

Day 56

Rini enjoying a chewie
(Chase in the background)

With temps in the 99's and a high of 100.2 this afternoon, Rini's not going to be going into labor anytime tonight. She seems to be feeling more comfortable today and has been eating better. By "eating better" what I mean is that she finished all of her dinner, shoved Chase out of the way and ate his, and was halfway through Viola's before I caught her. Don't worry, I gave the other dogs each a new bowl of food. =)

Usually I have to protect Rini while she's eating, because Cricket, our black cat, can get pushy and he likes dog food. Today I was occupied doing dishes and putting away the dog vitamins and canned food. Rini is a sneaky little vixen! And she said she was FEEDING HER PUPPIES DARN IT!! So I gave her an ADDITIONAL bowl of one cup of dry food and she ate most of that. I can still see her ribs on her sides, so she's really using all of this extra food! I'm happy to see her appetite returning, because she went a few days where she was barely eating her meals and I was worried about her. That's another sign of impending labor, they start turning down all food.

"Labor can take
HOW MANY hours??"

The EARLIEST the puppies can be born without any problems is this Monday, day 58. We are hoping she will go longer, because they would still be considered preemies at that stage and would probably require supplementing and we might have weak puppies. So we are hoping she makes it until at least Wednesday or Thursday if she's going to be early. Ideally she'll wait the entire time and whelp on time, the 31st.

If you're on the waiting list and you did NOT receive an email from me yesterday titled something like "Rini Update 10/22" with information about what to expect, please email me at johannah@timbreblue.com and let me know because I don't have you on my list.

I also urge everyone on the waiting list for this litter or considering a whippet to join our Timbreblue Pupwatch email list, which is for new owners or people considering whippets. Please join and introduce yourself! You can ask any and all questions there and not be afraid of people "flaming" you -- we don't put up with that! Everyone is polite and helpful. Here is the link: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/TimbrebluePupwatch/

Another couple of photos...

Rini wants to know
why she is still awake.

Because I'm excited and I can't help posting a few more photos of Miss Reeners... here you go. =)

Her temp is still in the normal range. Today we took it four times, according to the new protocol. We'll be "on high alert" when it gets down to the 97 range. Today's temps were 100.0, 99.9, 99.7, and 99.5 so a slow gradual drop but nothing scary. Tomorrow we'll take it first thing in the morning and three more times.

So far her appetite is great and she's still getting plenty of exercise although she doesn't feel like it. I took her for a 1/2 mile walk in the evening when it was nice and cool. She was quite chipper!! I'm going to try 3/4 mile tomorrow and see how she does with that.

BIG BELLY!

I'd like to have her doing a mile a day. I was doing two miles a day with her up until about a week ago when she said she'd rather sleep. But I think she'll enjoy it now that the temperature is down and it feels so good outside.

Counting down...

Day 54

Rini on Day 54

The puppies' birthday is getting closer and closer! Rini is feeling very tired these past few days and has been resting a lot. I had a bed set up for her next to Viola's cozy cave but she has been sleeping under my feet at the computer table, so I moved a big fluffy bed over there and put it where she has been sleeping, I think she really appreciates it and has been flopping down there pretty often.

Her temps today have been in the low 100s so we're feeling pretty confident that we're still a few days out. Her earliest due date would be Monday at day 56. We have the whelping box put together, supplies assembled, vet on alert, and we're ready to go!

Wednesday PM update

Rini's temp: 100.1

Rini on the big comfy bed I
put at my feet for her.

Nothing to worry about ... we're going to get great sleep tonight. Derek put together the whelping box today so we are all ready! We still need to unpack our heat lamp and get it set up, and put together a warming box with a heating pads and some towels to keep pups warm while their sisters and brothers are being born. I'm posting a big belly pic for you to enjoy =)

Wednesday AM Update

Day 53
Rini's temp: 99.7 which is a little low but not in the "whelping soon" range. We're looking for drop to about 97 which will happen when she is within about 24 hours of giving birth. I'll be checking her temp twice a day now, and three times a day starting Friday. Exciting times!!

Rini, are your babies sleeping?

Bigger and bigger she grows...

Rini on Day 52

DAY 52
Updated big belly photo attached. Rini gets bigger every day. She is now having trouble jumping up on the couch. She can do it, but you can tell it's tough and she hesitates a little longer each time.

In other, really good news, we found a house in Virginia! It looks like we will be living in Buckingham, Virginia, on a 25-acre farm with antique farmhouse. It looks absolutely perfect, we're just going to get a few more photos and then visit once before making up our minds. But right now things look promising, and we'll be only 1-1/2 hours from Mom and Dad instead of 6!

We felt the babies move!!

Last night, cuddling on the couch with Rini, we both felt the babies move. It's so exciting! It really is the miracle of life. A good friend's litter was born last night and it was so beautiful and awesome to have Rini with us while their puppies were being born and we were saying "next it will be us!"

Baby Mama's just chillin'

Day 51
We call her Baby Mama because she's so young ... and here she's just chillin' out, letting it hang out and not caring a bit what anyone thinks. You go girl, Baby Mama! Don't let anyone tell you different.

An updated belly photo!

Rini enjoying the Cozy Cave

I managed to snap this photo today of Reeners enjoying the Cozy Cave. We LOVE it, the dogs love it, and Rini rarely manages to steal it from Viola. So enjoy the moment! And just LOOK at that BELLY!

What, no more food?

Day 47

More food please?

I'm attaching a photo of "Little Mama" who is enjoying all of the extra food and special attention. She says she could eat like this ALL THE TIME and be perfectly happy. I told her not to count on it. She gets filet mignon flavored canned food with all of her meals, and extra snacks in between meals, pretty much food anytime she wants it. She needs to keep her glucose level and she needs to keep bringing in calories because the babies are still developing.

We're on Day #47 out of approximately 59-63, so we're getting down to the finish line. Tonight my husband Derek is putting together the whelping box in the "whelping suite" (aka our former master bedroom) so we'll let Rini get used to that and little does she know she'll be spending a lot of time in there =) We'll set up the spare computer and webcam in there, to do a test and make sure everything is set up properly.

Right now we can easily feel the puppies, and according to the whelping calendar we should be able to feel them move by the 16th! If we can capture movement on video we'll post a video of the puppies kicking. With whippets, because they carry so little body fat, you can often SEE them moving under the mother's skin.

When we have one week to go we'll schedule a last prenatal visit with our vet and get her x-rayed to see approximately how many pups we are to expect. X-rays are more reliable than ultrasounds for counting the
number of babies. I'll post a photo of the x-ray for you all to see. It's neat in a geeky, scientific kind of way. =)

Mom (Sharyn Hutchens) is arriving on the 29th to help with final preparations and to be here for the birth and first few days. It's definitely a big relief for my mind to know I have someone with much more experience than I do helping with the litter! It will also really help with those first few sleepless nights to have three people on duty.

There's always room...

DAY 46

Rini with Daddy

There's always room for a cuddle whippet! Miss Rini may be getting awfully BIG but there is still room for her to cuddle with Dad ... he just has to sit forward a bit =)

We're settling in to a routine now. Derek gets up way earlier than I do, so he lets Rini outside first thing and then offers her some dry food to settle her stomach and keep her glucose level. The goal is to get her small amounts of nutrients constantly throughout the day. When I get up around 9 or 10am I feed everyone their breakfast, and Rini gets about 3/4 cup kibble with two tablespoons of canned food, omega 3 capsule, vitamin E capsule, and her folic acid tablet. Just like a human mommy she has to get her folic acid!

We keep a bowl of one cup of dry kibble in the kitchen and offer it to Rini several times a day. She's not too shy about letting us know when she wants some food!

She gets a small lunch of about 1/2 cup dry kibble and canned, soaked in hot water. Then dinner is later at night, around 9pm. It's a repeat of breakfast (minus the folic acid) plus a packet of Panacur. We give pregnant girls Panacur starting at 40 days to ensure the puppies are born worm-free. It also helps give us higher birth weights.

I'd say overall she's eating about 3 cups of food per day. She doesn't always eat all of the dry food, but some days she wants a bit more, so it evens out. She's feeling good, running in the yard with the other dogs and getting plenty of exercise. It's so darned hot here that I've been trying to keep her from running too much, but some exercise is good for keeping her fit and healthy so she'll have a smooth delivery.

Carsickness or morning sickness? Ugh either way...

Day 43

Supersized Rini! Day 43

I wish I could report that the drive home from Virginia was as carsickness-free as the drive up there, but alas... my poor girl's tummy didn't hold up past the first curve on Mom's mountain road. She puked three times BEFORE we got on the interstate, if that gives you an idea of how things went. Once you're on a straight road they usually settle down and sleep. She settled down, but then I made the mistake of stopping for gas ... yep, sick again. Poor baby mama dog. I probably should not have given her breakfast, but I didn't want her to miss a meal and nutrients for the babies.

I'm attaching a photo of Mama Rini curled up in her human daddy, Derek's spot on the couch. Yeah, when you're preggers, you get certain extra perks in our house.

It's sinking in...

Day 40
It's sinking in that in about three weeks I'm going to have little tiny miniature whippets in the house again and life will be turned upside down. I'm very excited, but also nervous. What if something goes wrong during the whelping? What if Rini needs a c-section? There are so many things to worry about ... but in the end everything works out and as long as mommy and babies are happy and healthy everything is fine.

Rini is happy as a clam getting anything she wants to eat. This week she decided she likes canned food and kibble separated and would rather they not be in the same bowl. She's so crazy ... but I'll do anything to make sure she eats a nutritious meal and she knows that =)  She's a little princess and a diva but she makes my world complete so I do whatever it takes to make her happy. She's such a little drama queen too, if she's rejecting dinner she'll either turn away disdainfully like, "how could you insult me so?" or she'll look at the food, look at me, look at the food, and let out a huge SIGHHH... crazy whippet!!

Traveling while pregnant...

Rini feeling a little carsick but ok!

DAY 39
Most whippets have a problem with carsickness until around the age of 2 or 3, but this is easily solved by giving a tablet or two of meclizine (Dramamine 2) at least an hour before getting in the car. This helps nausea and vomiting, and most whippets will get over their carsickness or fear of cars if they aren't getting sick every time they get in the car. Rini ALWAYS takes her meclizine and NEVER gets sick. I tried one trip without, and spent the next day washing blankets and towels. Yuck.

However. Meclizine is a "Class B" drug for pregnancy, and has been shown to cause cleft palates in lab rats at high dosage. You can bet your boots I'm not giving my Reeners any of that. So we toughed it out ... the road from SC to VA is not incredibly smooth, and not incredibly straight. She swayed and she drooled, she moved from the back to the front of the car, she tried riding in the seat next to me (no good), right behind my seat (nope) and the very back (ok for a while, but not for the whole trip). Eventually she settled down about halfway back, and slept. All the way to Virginia, and no carsickness! YAY!!

Rini's updated belly photo...

DAY 37

Rini on day #37

It's almost time to begin our Panacur Protocol. Starting on day 40, we give pregnant girls Panacur every day until two days after the puppies are born. This ensures that the puppies are born worm-free. Other breeders wait and just worm the puppies, but we have never had puppies born with worms by following this protocol, and our puppies are larger and healthier than some others. Our puppies average around 11-13 ounces at birth.

Rini says mashed potatoes are good for the babies...

Jo and Rini just chillin'

DAY 36
Rini has been using her "condition" to get special favors. She asks for yogurt, I give her yogurt. She asks for a bit of my dinner, and I give her a bit of meat or some rice or something. NOT AT THE TABLE mind you, but pretty much immediately. I don't allow any of the dogs to beg ... but somehow Rini gets anything she wants ... it's "for the babies" of course!

Tonight with dinner we are having Derek's special mashed potatoes, which include caramelized onions and garlic, fresh rosemary, milk, butter, and sour cream. I agree with Rini ... yum! But since they have onions and garlic included, she's not allowed to have any ... poor Reeners!!

Here's a video of Miss Rini

In case you were wondering, it's pronounced "Reenee" ... she was named for Aquamarine, her litter was the gemstone litter of Juliet's. Here's a video of Miss Rini relaxing at home and playing with my hand. Crazy girl!

Photos don't do her justice...

Rini's getting her beauty sleep

The photos of Rini's belly really don't do her justice. She is as big as a house! Every day she gets bigger and bigger.

I was looking at photos of Chippy's pregnancy and Chippy was bigger at this stage, but she's a much bigger dog overall. Rini is so petite that any extra weight shows on her.

She's still very active and dashing around the yard playing with Viola and Henry, so it's not slowing her down any, but she is taking a lot of naps. We're taking her for daily walks to keep her in shape so when she's in labor she'll have the stamina to make it through the whole ordeal, especially if she has lots of puppies like her mother, Juliet, whose last litter was 12 live puppies. Yowzer!!

Her belly just keeps growing...

DAY 33

Rini's belly photo - day 33

Well there is definitely no doubt now that Rini's belly is expanding. We're starting to guess how many puppies. I say 12, Derek says 9.

We're going to have Rini x-rayed a week before the babies are due and we'll know within one or two approximately how many to expect.
X-rays are more reliable than ultrasounds for canine pregnancies because it is much easier to count the skulls and spines in an x-ray. They look like tiny apples and zippers. You just match up the number of apples and zippers.

Fully-formed miniature dogs...

Rini relaxing in comfort

According to the whelping calendar, Rini's babies are now about the size of large walnuts, and they are fully-formed miniature dogs. Her abdomen is starting to expand (check!) and I should start to increase her food ration slightly (check!). Around Oct 11th I should be able to feel the babies easily.

This past weekend we were at the Timbreblue Reunion and Mom (Sharyn Hutchens) tried to feel them and she said she thought she felt something. With whippets it's easier because they don't carry much fat at all.

I told you Henry loves his bunny!

Henry & Bunny

New photo of Daddy Henry adoring his bunny. Really he is easy to please. He just wants somewhere comfy to sit, and his bunny.

That's my crazy leopard print dress he is lying on. Hey, everyone wears crazy stuff sometimes... right??

Rini's brother Cobalt

Photo by Holly
Ricker Curran

This is Rini's brother Cobalt, photo taken at the Timbreblue Reunion on Saturday. Isn't he lovely!!

Cobalt is owned by Stephanie and Jamie Odom of Florida, and he's very intelligent and sweet just like his sister. He was one of three blue "triplets" born in the Gemstone litter by Juliet and Blue. The other "triplet" is Rainey, who is owned by Carrie Jubb and Chris Elledge of Virginia. We were able to reunite the triplets at the Timbreblue Reunion this weekend!!

Rini is a little bit grumpy...

DAY 31

She's had a short temper with the other dogs, and they don't understand when we try to explain about hormones and the birds & bees... Viola just says that Rini better snap out of it, and the boys get their feelings hurt.

We're definitely noticing an expanding waistline, and her appetite is endless, although she gets full on less food at each meal. Pretty soon I'm going to switch her to 3 or 4 small meals spread through the day. I'm glad she's over her morning sickness.

Getting Rini to take her folic acid tablet is a daily challenge. She doesn't like the taste of it. I started out just tossing it in with her food, and she'd eat it, but she's wise to that now and picks around it. So I tried putting it in a Pill Pocket (which is a piece of tasty meaty flavored putty that you can wrap pills in) but she quickly caught on that the smell of a Pill Pocket means there is a PILL INSIDE so I am trying to think of new strategies. I think our next step is to wrap it in a piece of cheese. She is nuts for cheese!

New belly photo!

DAY 30

We've officially hit the HALFWAY POINT! We're on day #30 now and Rini is feeling great. We just got home from the annual Timbreblue Reunion in Harrisonburg, Virginia and she had a great time.

She was impatient with Chippy's young puppies but figured out pretty quickly that they don't know how to jump up on the hotel room bed and she does ... so she retreated to the pillows and I wrapped her up in a blanket so she could glare at the puppies from afar.

I have some bad news for her, some puppies are in her future... LOL!

Henry loves his bunny...

Henry with his bunny

Daddy Henry's favorite toy in the Whole Wide World is his little bunny. I've attached a photo of sweet Henry with his bunny. He loves his bunny soooo much and he gets very sad if another dog plays with it. He isn't an aggressive dog, so he doesn't try to take it back, he just stares at me very sadly and looks over at the other dog and back at me. "Pleeeease Mommy, get my bunny back..." and I always do. =)

Henry was so good!

Daddy Henry

We took Henry to the Timbreblue family reunion this weekend and he was a perfect gentleman! We weren't sure how he was going to react to a huge dog park full of other whippets but he was absolutely wonderful. I was running around helping to organize the reunion most of the day, and he stuck right by my side.

He was friendly with other dogs, and the ONE time I heard him growl was a very small minor growl when a younger male got up in his face and was bugging him. I told him to cut it out and he quit immediately. I think that's quite good for an intact stud dog who is not used to a lot of other males. He's not "sharp" with other males the way a lot of intact males are. I'm very happy with his temperament!

Feeling much better now...

DAY 26

Thank goodness, it seems like Rini's morning sickness is pretty much over. She's eating regular meals now, where a few days ago she was skipping every other meal and never wanted breakfast. I was worried about her getting enough nutrients for the babies. Right now she is growing organs for the babies so it's critical that she have a balanced diet with enough of everything.

Rini's belly on day 26

She's starting to put on weight gradually, which is what we want to see in a whippet momma-to-be. Her tuck-up is filling in, and she's looking a tad chubby =)  I have been reassuring her that she is gorgeous as always. She is always eager for any leftover bit of chicken from our dinner or a little yogurt.

She's sleeping a LOT so she must be going through that pregnancy phase where you are simply exhausted all the time. Lots of photo ops, I am attaching a "belly photo" and a photo of her sleeping, taken today.

Is she or isn't she?

DAY 24

Well it's getting close to the time when we will know if Rini is truly pregnant or not. Her nipples are enlarged, and she's starting to turn down breakfast, which could indicate morning sickness. We'll know for sure if she throws up, that is usually a dead giveaway.

It LOOKS LIKE her belly is a little bigger, especially up under her ribs, which is where the baby bump usually starts. She's been a little moody lately and clingy, which is also associated with pregnancy hormones.

Of course we've been giving her a daily folic acid tablet with her food, along with omega 3 and vitamin E gelcaps. I've also been trying to give her additional fish with her dinner whenever possible to increase the omega 3 content.

Big belly ... my girl's got it ...

DAY 21

First belly pic attached ... she's starting to fill out a little bit, and since I dropped her food from one cup per day to 3/4 cup the only way she's putting on weight is if she's preggers. She seems to be lying on her back a lot more lately and sleeping on the floor more. She's a little more clingy and seems more affectionate, but maybe I'm imagining that...?

A little about Henry...

DAY 4

We got Henry from Debbie Butt of Sporting Fields Whippets in 2009. Henry is "Sporting Fields Move On" son of Ch Sporting Fields Live On. Every dog or bitch in his pedigree for three generations is a champion. He himself has 14 points, one major, in limited AKC showing. It takes two majors to get a championship in AKC.

He has gorgeous movement, is very elegant, and has beautiful lines. He has a gorgeous head and expression. If I was to improve on him, I'd give him a better topline and better rear angulation, both of which Rini has! So it's a match made in heaven.

As far as temperament, Henry is a dream. He is SWEET sweet sweet and so affectionate. It's hard to believe he is a stud dog, because he is so easy to live with. He gets along great with our other male dog, Chase, and he is friendly and playful with all of the dogs in our household. It's hard to believe he was raised in a show kennel since he is so well-adjusted and easy to live with. He crates well, he eats great, and he's a happy-go-lucky dog all around. He's even picked up obedience training quickly and easily and is eager to learn new things.

The good news...

DAY 2

The good news is this is the breeding we would have planned for her, if we had planned it. Henry is linebred Sporting Fields, which is exactly what I wanted to work into our breeding program (and why we got Henry from Debbie in the first place). We had planned to wait until Rini was 2 years old (at least) but we're happy either way if she is pregnant or not.

Here is the litter pedigree: http://thewhippetarchives.net/testmating.php?dam=89668&sire=49889&gens=6