The day started out WHITE!  We had a blizzard with whiteout conditions this morning.  Tim let the dogs out into the blustery weather and we watched them play for a bit until the snow started to accumulate on their coats then Tim let them back into the nice warm dry dog room.  The snowfall did not last long.  It stopped mid morning and I found Tim launching an assault of snowballs from the upstairs window on unsuspecting dogs below.  It was amusing to watch the puzzlement on their faces.  Trixie figured it out after 2 snowballs met their destination on her back; then after the wonderment was gone she started playing catch with Tim and the snow.  Ace spent some quality time with Tim; Tim calls him his lap dog.  He had itchy ears so, we cleaned them out and put some medicine in them.  He enjoys having his ears cleaned out.  Our friend Peter spent some time with us today; he stole a puppy from her cozy nest and it was not more than 60 seconds and Kahlua was sitting anxiously in front of him demanding he give her precious baby back.  He held it for sometime with Kahlua’s hawk like gaze on him.  He then placed the puppy on the floor and we all watched as she scooped Bellini up in her jaws and toted her back to the whelping box; Tim was on her heels to make sure the puppy made it safely back to the bathroom.  The puppies had their pictures taken today; I have to admit that it made Kahlua very worried that her babies where not in the whelping box safe and warm so, we put her with the other dogs while I took pictures. The only thing that must be remembered when taking any sort of pictures of puppies is patience!  After a brief discussion of what I wanted Tim and I had the portraits taken with in 15 minutes.  The puppies spent a little time on the living room floor during the process….they cuddled up next to Peter’s laptop battery….it was very warm.  At this stage of life, they puppies seek warmth and most importantly momma.  Hopefully the snow will melt fast and I will be able to get some training in before the field trial this weekend.  Wow, I have Mini and SoBe out and one of them has some nasty gas……. Make sure to check out the puppies page!

Kahlua will now venture out into the kitchen with the incentive that she might get food….you know the sound of plates and silverware clanging together; that is the universal sound of food and it might be going their way with the help of a little gravity of course.  The puppies are loud and strong.  They can already squirm around in the whelping box in the bathroom.  We are now feeding Kahlua puppy food and the other house regulars seem to think if they wait for her to leave the bathroom they can have their fill….so, Tim and I are keeping a close eye on the traffic in and out of the bathroom.  SoBe I have to day is quite the little sneak; she can go into to stealth mode and before you know Kahlua’s food bowl is empty.  Actually SoBe and Mini would be happier right now if they were IN my lap while I was typing this but, no way, I am not that talented to havce a laptop and a dog in my lap while trying to blog. Tim went and extracted the puppies from the bathroom and placed them in a tote so we could take them to the vet…Kahlua tried very hard to get in with them but, Tim is bigger and faster than her so, she lost that battle and found herself in a crate in the dog room.  If we would of left her out while we were gone she would have DESTROYED the house looking for her puppies; trust me I know this from experience.   The trip to the vet brought us home with 7 puppies with a clean bill of health along with no dew claws and shorter tails.  I can hear their classical music seeping out for under the bathroom door while I am typing this.  Tim and I took SoBe and Mini out to the field down the road and ran them on dead birds.  They both did great and listened very well.  The weather is suppose to take a turn for the worst out in this neck of the woods…..snow.  I am tired of snow, we just got rid of it and now it is coming back.  I am putting up a strong protest but, I don’t think Mother Nature cares all that much.  I am planning on naming and taking individual pictures of the puppies tomorrow and posting them.  Of course in Harvest Hunters fashion the puppies will be named after drinks of alcoholic beverages.  All my other dogs enjoyed the weather today as well.  Trixie and Miata sat on the dog house and looked at the meager flow of traffic coming into Cyrus.  Jimmy and Baker had a grand time doing their laps in the yard chasing each other; I have to add that they have already wore a rut into the ground.  Ace likes to hang out in front of the door and watch us with a goofy grin and Tyrael perched on top of the hill watching his domain like a proud lion on the Serengeti.  SoBe and Mini are my bug fighters….they are very quickly losing the battle against the box elder bugs that seem to find their way into my house.  I hate box elder bugs; they creep me out.  I guess they are a sign that winter will be over soon and spring will shortly follow with a period of endless mud in between.  Remember to get your Frontline ordered; you will be needing it soon!

It was a long night and we made it through it….Tim, Me, Kahlua, and all 7 puppies!  Kahlua is camped out in the bathroom with her babies all nice and warm and snuggled with each other.  Light chirping can be heard through out the house which was a happy soothing sound for Tim and I…all the puppies are happy and have great lungs…no breathing difficulty there.  Kahlua refuses to leave her warm little nook in the bathroom which consists of a whelping box, lots of dry towels, soft classical music, and plenty of warm air (provided by a heater set at 80 degrees).  We have tried to coax her up to go potty and drink water but, she is on lock down.  Tim and I have been checking in on the babies every 1 1/2 hours to make sure all is good.  There are 7 little warm/ healthy puppies that are nursing on her.  She gets a little weary look in her eye when we pick them up to hold and snuggle them…..the smell of puppy is so intoxicating it makes you want to fall asleep all snuggled up in a big warm fluffy blanket in front of a fire; nothing like the smell of new born puppies!  They all have very healthy coats with a great shine to them.  The black little boys look like their coats are made of black volcanic glass (obsidian).  The babies have an appointment on Monday at H & H Vet in Benson to have their tails and dew claws, never mind the vet gives them a good look over to makes sure they are healthy.   Tim and I took Mini and SoBe out to Benson to do a quick training session on live birds.  I need to get them ready for the Minnesota Heartland Trial on April 4th & 5th.  Mini’s 2 birds were both fliers and she did a good job retrieving them; no barking.  SoBe got 2 dead birds and a flier.  We did good with the dead birds and the flier was not so good…I was not watching her when they shot the bird I was watching the bird….number one rule in handling is watch your dog and as a result of me not doing so, she left a nano second to early.  I did not give her the retrieve but, worked her up the field the rest of the way to her next bird which was dead; I then sent her back for the retrieve and she buttoned it.  Tim and I also took Mini, SoBe, and Miata on a walk…. the weather was so wonderful we could not stay inside!

Kahlua so far has whelped 4 puppies….3 females (liver & white) and 1 male (black & white).  She started at 8pm (Friday, March 27) and it is now 9:40pm so, it is going to be a long night!  I will keep you all up to date as the action happens.  Well, the total count is 5 liver & white females and 2 black & white males.  The one black & white male is just perfect….he looks like a little holstein cow!  I will be putting up pictures and names on Saturday.  Trixie, Mini, SoBe, and Miata are very excited and are curious about what is going on….they can smell and hear the new babies.  They are standing at the bathroom door peering in to see what is going on.  Trixie is the most excited right now; she wants her own!  I am going to rest now.