Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 6:54PM 
Just took her temperature and its still high so looks like I may get sleep tonight I will check it again at 10pm. Pups must be getting into position as she is making all sorts of moaning noises under her breath at times.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 9:00AM 
Well she complained a lot last night and kept me up off and on but temps are still high.
Dennis is still very sick. So I am hoping not for a few days. We are hopeful.
Friday is a good day - Saturday I would have to cancel all my groomings. Friday night during the night I would have to cancel my Saturday. One is not coherant when you do not get sleep. Tomorrow would be good. Day times - but still Dennis sounds like death. :-( One can't win.
It is what it is. But the longer she takes the closer the pups will be to Adele's in age. That's good too.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 8:22AM 
This was taken at 8am this morning. It still has not dropped. Good thing as I have a full day of grooming and Dennis is seriously ill. Can we say flu in a big way? I kept getting congested and headaches but kept taking things when signs started. He did not. I am not sure if that helps or not but maybe that's a placebo effect. He is in bed and may be all day. So, I best get grooming and taking pups out. Oh boy!
This is her matings:
Darlah
Temps still up. Tonight they are 100.1
Monday, October 31, 2016 at 9:07AM 
This morning Jeannie is at 99.4. It's good as I have not completed getting ready for her. We still have ice cream (vanilla) to get. Moms get ice cream during delivery but not before. We also get baby bell cheese as the girls love those with the exception of Saffron - our first. Giving calcium DURING labour helps the whelping along. If you overload with calcium even after whelping you can create eclampsia so you give a little at each meal.
Moms when pregnant are offered food 4 times a day. Sometimes they eat, sometimes not. Their tummies are chock full of pups. This means that they have little room to eat. But eat they must when they can. They have puppies developing.
After they whelp they eat as much as they want. They can often eat up to 8 full meals a day. It's amazing. How much they eat also determines how much milk they bring in. If mom has watery stools or stops eating, milk production declines. MOST moms have loose stools after delivery but not watery. The only girl we have ever had that had firm stools is Saffron who remained solid throughout.
This loose stool business and discharge (yes they have discharge) means for the 1st week I am cleaning her private areas and drying it all day long and Dennis is doing it all night long. You must dry them to avoid the pups getting wet and getting chilled. These are the things that you never read about with breeders. We just do it. Mom must stay clean to avoid any bacteria transfer. We always clean and sterilize but there are benefits to exposures in small doses so your body builds up immunities. You can't get crazy about it.
There are benefits with keeping the xpen area clean always and your yard for young and for old. Dogs who live in clean environments enjoy keeping their area clean. It is easier to train them. That doesn't mean they won't have accidents but dogs who are brought up in unsanitary conditions think this is normal and are more difficult to train. You have to get them to see the benefits of having a clean environment.
I will be checking temps again mid day though she is not showing signs of anything so I suspect it will remain up. We shall see. They can fool you at times.
Darlah
She ate her lunch so nothing imminent.
Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 7:18PM 
Jeannie's Temperature at 715pm TodaySome females stop eating during the last twenty-four hours before labor, although this is certainly not always the case. The rectal temperature will drop between 97.9 and 98.2. This tells you that usually between 2 and 12 hours pups will arrive.
A temperature of 101 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 to 39.2 degrees Celsius) is normal for a dog. In the last week I have found it does drop a bit below this and goes up and down. But a true drop is close or at 98.0. We will not have pups tonight. :-) I can sleep. I didn't expect them tonight but I figured it was best to start checking temperatures. I won't check again till morning.
First stage of labor:
(This stage often goes unnoticed if you are not intuned to your girl (I am), and takes place in the 24 hours following temperature drop.)
Temperature FINALLY drops to 98°F from its normal 99, 100, 101°F (you should have been taking it regularly for a few days).
If you are really committed, the temperature taking does work. You will find her temperature around 99 to 101, and as soon as it starts to drop below 99 and continues to drop (now you take it every hour or two) you have about 12-24 hours from the start of the drop. When it bottoms out to 98 or 97.9, then you have about 2-12 hours.
You may find your dam much more restless and not able to get comfortable. She will stretch out on her side.
You may find her eyes different; they will dilate, and she will stare at you.
She may not want you out of her sight. She may go to her whelping box.
She may vomit. She may try to have a bowel movement from the pressure. She may urinate frequently.
She will refuse to eat and seek a quiet spot, like a closet or under a bed. This is the time that you MUST take her outside on a lead always. They will do crazy things like hide under the deck to have their babies. We had thsi happen once. Crawling under the deck in mud was not fun. Fool me once....
She may have some mucus discharge, and her vulva area will become puffier. This has not happened to Jeannie yet.
Second stage of labor:
Your female may go to her whelping box, or couch, or wherever she has chosen to have her pups, and start digging.
She may start shivering and panting, examining her rear, and licking her vulva.
She may have mild contractions, vomiting, pooping and urinating more.
Third stage of Labor:
Water sacs present and break
Shivering and panting may continue and get stronger, as well as digging.
Contractions will become stronger and closer together.
Vomiting, grunting and pushing.
Friday, October 28, 2016 at 3:57PM 
Click on photo for larger viewHere is Jeannie's xray. If you look at this post, you will see we are on track for these dates. The vet suspects Tuesday or Wednesday. That is good as we are at the show tomorrow and was ready to just send Nathan. These are estimates. So with mother nature anything can happen. We believe we are expecting 4 unless 1 is hidden. Can you count the spines?
No one is in position so it is not imminent!
Jeannie weighs 13.2lbs
Friday, October 28, 2016 at 10:22AM 
Today we find how many pups I have and an idea if I am going to whelp soon or I took later. Xrays will be posted to the blog so you can count.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 6:11PM 
I am outdoors cooling off. It feels good. I am starting to get that bloated look that happens near the end. We will find out how close we are Friday.
Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 9:43PM Jeannie makes - I am so uncomfortable noises now when in my lap. She just can't get comfie. Belly is growing.
Thursday, October 20, 2016 at 8:23PM 
The belly is growing. I like to be cool on the tile. I like to eat but not the usual stuff. Mom is trying to feel if I have kicking. It can happen 1 to 2 weeks before. She's not feeling it yet. In 8 days we go for our xray. We will be posting them here.
I snuggle with mom off and on all night. I cool off them come to snuggle and cool off.