We are fortunate to have 1/2 sisters bred to the same sire due 1 week apart. As a breeder, this is a wonderful opportunity to look at familial traits, inheritance and try to get a firmer hold on your genetics. Both Charm and Soleil are Seeker daughters.
Charm x Charley
Charm is Mandalay Gateside Say You'll Remember Me. She is a Seeker daughter (Tyson's littermate) and almost finished with her championship. She just needs a few single points. She normally lives in Florida but came up to NH to whelp. She is moderate bitch with lots of zest (just like her father). She has never met a person or activity she didn't enjoy. Charm is MDR1 M/N, PRA clear and CEA mild.
Charley, formally known as Ch. Taliesin Karavel Counting Stars, HIC, lives in Florida and has been producing some lovely puppies. He has an outstanding temperament, long lean head, sweet face and pretty outline. Not to mention that's a lot of nice coat for a Florida gentleman! Charley is MDR1 M/N, CEA mild and PRA clear. He is herding instinct certified.
They have complementary pedigrees and cross fault each other nicely.
Charley, formally known as Ch. Taliesin Karavel Counting Stars, HIC, lives in Florida and has been producing some lovely puppies. He has an outstanding temperament, long lean head, sweet face and pretty outline. Not to mention that's a lot of nice coat for a Florida gentleman! Charley is MDR1 M/N, CEA mild and PRA clear. He is herding instinct certified.
They have complementary pedigrees and cross fault each other nicely.
Taken a few 5/8/18....looks like a full house! How many do you see?
If you guessed 8 puppies you would be correct! They were born the morning of 5/10/2018. One was stillborn and we were unable to get a heartbeat after 20 min of CPR.
We have 4 blue rough boys, 1 blue rough girl, 1 tri rough boy and 1 tri rough girl.
If you guessed 8 puppies you would be correct! They were born the morning of 5/10/2018. One was stillborn and we were unable to get a heartbeat after 20 min of CPR.
We have 4 blue rough boys, 1 blue rough girl, 1 tri rough boy and 1 tri rough girl.
Look at the difference 24 hours makes! Above at 24 hours old, below at 48 hours old. I can almost see them growing.
Soleil x Charley
Soleil (shown ungroomed and pregnant playing in the yard in the rain) is Turnberry Mandalay Gateside I'll Follow the Sun. She was born to Turnberry Collies in Arizona and came to us as a puppy back for Seeker's stud fee. She is major pointed. She been growing up in Florida but has also come to NH to whelp with her 1/2 sister. They're great friends and it is nice they have each other as travel companions. Soleil has a lovely outline, balanced movement, full muzzle and well muscled body. She is athletic and feminine. Soleil is MDR1 N/N, PRA clear and CEA mild.
Charley, formally known as Ch. Taliesin Karavel Countin Stars, HIC, lives in Florida and has been producing some lovely puppies. He has an outstanding temperament, long lean head, sweet face and pretty outline. Not to mention that's a lot of nice coat for a Florida gentleman! Charley is MDR1 M/N, CEA mild and PRA clear. He is herding instinct certified
Charley, formally known as Ch. Taliesin Karavel Countin Stars, HIC, lives in Florida and has been producing some lovely puppies. He has an outstanding temperament, long lean head, sweet face and pretty outline. Not to mention that's a lot of nice coat for a Florida gentleman! Charley is MDR1 M/N, CEA mild and PRA clear. He is herding instinct certified
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How many do you see?
We were a little alarmed that some of the puppies looked quite large. That proved to be an unfounded worry, as later that day (slightly ahead of schedule) she presented us with 5 smooth puppies. We have 2 smooth sable girls, 2 smooth tri girls and 1 smooth tri boy. All are vigorous and nursing well. Soleil is a model mom, keeping her puppies so clean we thought she'd never let them dry off!
We were a little alarmed that some of the puppies looked quite large. That proved to be an unfounded worry, as later that day (slightly ahead of schedule) she presented us with 5 smooth puppies. We have 2 smooth sable girls, 2 smooth tri girls and 1 smooth tri boy. All are vigorous and nursing well. Soleil is a model mom, keeping her puppies so clean we thought she'd never let them dry off!
Pupdates!!!
We have updates and a correction....when Soleil finally let her puppies dry it turns out all 3 tri puppies are in fact roughs! So we have only two smooths and 10 rough puppies between the two litters.
Weeks 1 and 2
Not a lot happens to these little guys the first few weeks. They sleep, nurse and grow. We handle them several times a day, doing weight checks, neuro stimulation and general cuddling. When we do litters close together like this, I sleep with them for the first two weeks....translate this into very little sleep for me. We had no setbacks at all, which is wonderful and set a new personal record with the help of Sirius. Born at 4.50z she is a full oz smaller than the smallest puppy we've ever had survive. She needed a lot of extra help maintaining her temperature, hydration status and we did supplemental tube feeding the first week, but we were able to fully wean her off of supplemental feedings by day 10 and she's continued to grow and thrive. She was able to nurse at birth and did get colostrum, which is very important for her immune system until she is vaccinated. Size is determined by position in the uterus and location of the placental attachment. She apparently didn't have a very good spot, but should grow up to be the same size and just as healthy as her siblings.
Firsts
Eyes opened later on these puppies than I'm used to. Charms puppies were a solid 16 days old before any eyes were open, Soleil's Vega was the first to look around at about 12 days. We started offering gruel to Charms puppies after week 3 as weight gain was dropping and she was having trouble providing enough for them to eat....she's a small girl and 7 puppies are a lot. They doubled weight by day 7! They were growing so quickly she just couldn't keep up. We started a second meal of gruel at 4 weeks. She's still nursing them, but not quite as long- they have teeth! OUCH! Soleil's puppies are fat and happy, but going after her food bowl, so we will offer gruel at our more traditional 4 weeks.
Weeks 3 and 4
Naming- we give puppies 'crib names', basically baby names they keep until they are registered and renamed by us or their forever family. The Charm litter got semiprecious stones and Soliel's litter is named after stars. To help identify them in photos we put colored collars on them at 3 weeks. We can, of course tell them apart in person, but it is fun for others to be able to pick out a puppy in a group in a photo. Here is an identification key.
Charm puppies: Jasper-Green (rough blue boy). Onyx-pink (tri rough bitch) Lapis-Turquoise (rough blue dog). Topaz- yellow (rough blue dog). Jet- light blue (tri rough dog). Garnet-red (blue rough dog). Opal-hot pink (blue rough bitch).
Soleil puppies: Sirius- black (sable smooth girl) Arcturus- grey (tri rough bitch with blaze) Vega- purple (smooth sable girl with blaze) Bellatrix- tan (tri rough girl white nose) Orion- blue (tri rough boy)
Charm puppies: Jasper-Green (rough blue boy). Onyx-pink (tri rough bitch) Lapis-Turquoise (rough blue dog). Topaz- yellow (rough blue dog). Jet- light blue (tri rough dog). Garnet-red (blue rough dog). Opal-hot pink (blue rough bitch).
Soleil puppies: Sirius- black (sable smooth girl) Arcturus- grey (tri rough bitch with blaze) Vega- purple (smooth sable girl with blaze) Bellatrix- tan (tri rough girl white nose) Orion- blue (tri rough boy)
Family
This is Lapis at 4 weeks with his grandfather Seeker. The resemblance is striking! This photo became very special to us as we lost Seeker to a very aggressive infection a few weeks after this photo.
Weeks 4 and 5
Soleil is such a trooper. She nursed right up until week 5 and then tapped out. Puppies were then on 3 meals a day and going out after every meal and Charm had quit nursing the week prior so it worked out well. The 12 puppies are going through 16 cups of food daily! They love going outside and have really gotten the hang of using papers on one side of their pen inside for going potty. Puppies had first exposure to water and all took a little dip in a broad shallow plastic tub outside. It looks like Opal and Lapis are possibly staying here. Final decisions on these two will be made at 8/9 weeks. We may still have a rough tri male available.
Weeks 6 and 7
Hopefully I will be able to get photos this week. The heat index is frighteningly high and the puppies are kept in air conditioned comfort so I worry about them being out for longer than necessary to do their business and get a little leg stretching. Everyone got microchipped the beginning of the week and the jewel puppies all got their first vaccines. They were so brave without a single squeak! We had to loosen collars for the first time...they are growing so fast! Puppies were very patient for cheek swabs for MDR1 tests which will go out in the mail on Monday. They love to chase children in the yard and a few have developed a rather intense interest in my socks....we are starting "no bite" on those naughtier pups! They are very insistent regarding meal times, singing to me when they hear me on the stairs. They are one of my louder groups of puppies!
Where Are They Now?
Puppies are now 11 and 12 weeks old and almost all of them have left for their new homes. Jasper is still looking for just the right family, his original family having had some health issues that necessitates putting puppy plans on hold.
Gateside Mandalay Diamond Tiara- (Opal) is staying here.