Christmas Puppies!

On Sunday night we were finishing up dinner and I mentioned to K that we should start being on the look out for signs of labor in Zama. I figured she would be having her puppies some time towards the end of the month or early January.

I let the dogs out and tidied up while K got the kids ready for bed. Indi and Dexter came back in when I called but Zama didn't. After the kids were tucked in, K and I put on our boots and coats, armed with a flash light and headed outside to look for her. I told him I wanted to check under the shed because if she was going off to give birth that would be where she would go.

Sure enough, upon calling her name we could hear her tail wagging against the underside of the shed.

This is the hole she had squeezed herself into to get under the shed.
K and I tried to coax her out with cheese but in the end he got the shovel and the six foot pry bar and made the hole bigger so that between the two of us we could drag her out by her hind legs. It took almost an hour. Had we left her under there, her puppies would have succumbed to the elements as it was -20 the next day.

She labored all night and into the afternoon yesterday before giving birth to her first pup around 1pm. The kids came in a got to see her have the next four pups. She did great other than being exhausted. I thought she was done after the fifth pup.
This is the eighth pup being born. My friend K requested the gory shots.

I helped with the last two pups as Zama was too tired. This one I had to break open the sac and lift its face to hers so she could lick its mouth and nose.
Here's a pup next to good old ET on VHS just so you can see how big they are.
Zama on guard with her nine pups. Risky and Dexter had come into the room and she was making sure they didn't get too close!
Risky and Dexter wondering what the heck is going on!
Mama and pups are doing well. Zama got up this morning when she heard me doling out kibbles and then she went outside which gave me enough time to change all the bedding and put the pups on fresh towels. The next task is to try and find out who the heck is the father!! We thought we had that figured out until the pups came out all black! Oops!