What Day Is It Again?

 by Lynn Dee Galey

This morning's text from a friend: “Good morning, Lynn Dee. Today is Thursday, 6 May,” followed by a laughing emoji.  Friends find it rather humorous that 10 years of retirement compounded by New Litter Sleep Deficiency results in me asking what day it is before I can answer any questions about plans.  

It has been a wonderful, blurry week since Annie whelped her litter of 8 puppies.  Fast and easy with healthy pups born already plump are what any breeder wants.  It is her first litter so I keep a fairly close eye on her although just yesterday she showed me that I can ease off.  

Moving around the box as she cleaned the puppies, one of her rear feet landed directly on top of Baby Doc, the pup nicknamed after his grandfather due to his markings.  No need for concern however as she stood there balancing on three legs with the foot still touching the puppy but with no pressure on him. When she moved on to the next pup she lifted that rear foot and carefully moved it away from him before shifting her weight. 

So eight hunters and their families are excited about their new pup that will join them in late June.  Others are disappointed that there were not enough pups to go around: to me that notification is one of the worst parts of breeding.  

Every week I send buyers photos of the puppies so they can watch the growth and progress and begin to choose favorites.  Photos are often accompanied by information, descriptions and educational articles.  With many distance buyers who do not get to see their pup in person until delivery time, these updates are important and part of the long process of getting to know Firelight and their puppy better. 

My many repeat buyers tell me that the whole family looks forward to the weekly birthday updates.  The owner of the sire of this litter, Tip, tells me that when they were getting Tip, his family would print out photos of each of the male pups and post them on their refrigerator.  As the date to choose their boy got closer photos were switched around putting the favorite on the top.  For them it was Tip all along and still is.