How Many Puppies???

Breakfast on the deck!

State Government Shut Down Continues
and I'm really starting to enjoy this.  Is this what retirement is like?  Last night I slept straight through the night, no worrying about things I can't change.  Might as well seize the moment, or whatever.

Breakfast on the deck is a great way to start the day, especially when it's warm, sunny and not humid (at least not yet).  Ron and I have been eating separate meals, since he does not enjoy eating outdoors (although he makes an exception for a picnic).  I eat most of mine outdoors when the weather permits.  So nice to have a deck and a yard full of flowers.

This blog is a little late today as my first chore was to put in my application for Unemployment Insurance.   State employees were given an assigned day to register, to spread out the volume of new apps.  Nice website, easy to complete application.  A novel experience for me - never expected to have to apply for UI, but glad it's available.  Half my salary is better than none, especially if this lasts a long time.

Poor Reebok

The countdown has started, less than a week until the puppies are due.  Hopefully they will arrive on Monday, during the day, during Vet office hours in case we have any problems.  Dals are generally easy whelpers and good mothers, so hopefully things go smoothly for us. 

Wonder how many pups we will have?  Because Dal litters can contain patches (they can't be shown) and deafs (who we do not place), a good-sized litter increases the odds of getting show potential puppies.  Then there are markings to consider and whether or not the pups will have complete eye and nose trim.  Too heavily or too lightly spotted are problems, as are missing bits of eye trim and areas of pink on the nose.  THEN we start worrying about structure and movement, tail carriage, correct bites (they should be scissors) and eye color.  And attitudes!  Some dogs are born with hey-look-at-me personalities, while others are quieter and more laid back.

Things that may keep a pup from being considered show potential are often valued by buyers selecting a companion pup.  Patches and blue eyes are particularly popular.  While we can show blue-eyed pups, most breeders would prefer dark-eyed show prospects.  BAER hearing testing and a vet check are also part of the process.  Male pups must have two testicles, and we prefer that show prospects hear in both ears.  Hearing in one ear, called unilateral hearing, makes no difference in companion pups, and most owners wouldn't even notice that their dog only heard in one ear.  Having unilateral hearing does not disqualify a dog from the show ring, and a number of top showdogs have been unis.  Unilateral hearing increases the possibility that the dog will produce deaf pups though, so they are generally bred to dogs who produce particularly good hearing numbers.

When I told Reebok that ten pups would be nice, she just yawned and smiled.