Happy Birthday

Proud Mama Cleo and all nine puppies

Cleo cleaning newborn pups, note pup on right is still wet

Newborn pups Pink, Purple and Blue - hanging out in the warming box, awaiting the birth of their littermates

Cleo kept us in suspense for this litter. She started having early signs of labor Thursday evening, and continued most of Friday and Saturday. Her official due dates were June 12 and 13. At 10 pm Saturday night, labor finally started, and at 11:23 pm, the first puppy made her appearance. Cleo continued to deliver the next 5 pups about every 30 minutes, and then started slowing down. The 9th and final pup finally arrived at 5:20 am June 14. We were getting worried that Cleo was getting too tired and/or the last pup was too big to deliver easily, so we got Cleo up and were going to take her outside to toilet and stretch. We didn't even make it down the front porch steps when she had a big contraction, and out popped the last girl who I caught on the fly into the towel I had brought just in case. Final count, 6 girls, 3 boys, all very good sized pups ranging in weight from 13 to 18 oz. Poor Cleo was carrying around 9 pounds of puppies!! Mom and pups are all doing well, the pups are vigorous nursers, and Cleo is producing lots of milk.

Birth order, times and weights

Pink female 6/13 11:23 pm 16 oz

Blue male 6/13 11:53 pm 18 oz

Purple female 6/14 12:28 am 16 oz

White female 6/14 1:04 am 13 oz - dark short coat

Red female 6/14 1:18 am 15 oz

Orange male 6/14 1:30 am 16 oz - lightest pup

Blue/orange male 6/14 3:10 am 16 oz

Pink/purple female 6/14 3:23 am 17 oz - dark pup

Red/white female 6/14 5:20 am 17 oz