{"id":6045,"date":"2012-10-23T21:12:15","date_gmt":"2012-10-24T04:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bluefairyotterhound.com\/?p=6045"},"modified":"2014-04-09T13:57:23","modified_gmt":"2014-04-09T20:57:23","slug":"next-litter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluefairyotterhounds.com\/?p=6045","title":{"rendered":"Halloween Puppies 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

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To Breed or Not To Breed..?<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nThe Lucky Dog<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nPrologue<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nMeet the Puppies<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 1: Warming Up<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 2: These Feet Were Made for Walking<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 3: Looking at the World<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 4: It’s the Real Meal!<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 5: The ‘Otter’ Side<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 6: Faces in the Mirror<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 7: Taking Care of Business<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 8: It’s A First!<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 9: The Beach and Holiday Fun<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 10: Happy New Year!<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 11: Girl Power<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nWeek 12: Is She A Keeper..?<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Dam:\u00a0 <\/a><\/span>CH Blue Fairy\u2019s Black Mamba, RN, CGC, VO<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

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Sire:\u00a0 GCH White River’s He’s a Keeper!<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

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To Breed or Not To Breed..?<\/h3>\n
\n\"\"<\/a>Spring and summer 2012 were mellow and full of fun. Bella and Ozzy continued their growing up together. The entire pack got used to daily mayhem in the yard and lots of playful energy. We went back to our obedience and conformation classes. Ozzy participated in a few dog shows, getting closer to his AKC championship title. Bella enjoyed watching her big cousin in action at the side lines. In early August, we enjoyed the company of Woody and Addie. It’s always good to have the extended Pack Members for a Summer Camp<\/a><\/span><\/span>! <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>At the end of August, both Mamba and Leeloo went in heat and we had a big decision to make: breed or not to breed..? The pros were obvious: Mamba at almost 5 years old was in a perfect condition, both physically and mentally. She was an excellent Mother to her 2010 litter and she was more than ready to take over maternal duties from Leeloo just a few months earlier. The cons: are we ready for more sleepless nights..? What would be the impact on our pack? After a short soul searching it became clear that more Otterhound puppies were in our near future \ud83d\ude42 Good for us and great for the Breed!<\/p>\n

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The Lucky Dog<\/h3>\n
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\"\"<\/a>We chose Keeper GCH White River’s He’s a Keeper!<\/a><\/span> as the Sire to Mamba\u2019s second litter. We first met Keeper at the Otterhound Specialty in Aliquippa, PA in 2010. He was the first Otterhound to greet us outside host hotel. Destiny in the makings! He was a young, spunky one-year old dog with a great personality and championship pedigree. We saw Keeper again at 2011 Otterhound Specialty in Brownsville, Oregon. It was a very eventful weekend for Keeper, his handler and owners. He won Best of Breed competition at the Specialty show and a Hound Group 2 placement. He also received his Grand Championship title that day. \"\"<\/a> The following day was equally successful: another Best of Breed and a Group placement. In December 2011, Keeper competed at AKC\/Eukanuba National Championship and won the Best of Breed title. He ended 2011 as the #1 Male Otterhound in Breed Standings and #4 Otterhound in All Breed ranking. Very impressive for a 2-year old hound. Keeper\u2019s 2012 accomplishments include multiple breed wins and group placements. He turned 3 years old in August and only getting better with each show appearance. In his spare time away from the show ring, Keeper enjoys boating with his Pack, swimming, playing with the ball and rolling in mud. A charming Otterhound \ud83d\ude09 <\/p>\n

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Prologue<\/h3>\n
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Breeding process this time was very natural. The toughest part was dealing with Mamba & Leeloo both in heat and Ozzy really REALLY fascinated in the girls. He was not interested in food, toys or his playmate Bella. He must have lost 5 lbs during that time! <\/p>\n

Progesterone testing and Artificial Insemination procedure via surgical implant hardly impacted our routines. 29 days after the breeding, an Ultrasound confirmed Mamba\u2019s pregnancy. We were very excited! The next milestone, the Xray, took place on day 56. We could see the puppies for the first time: 5 tiny sculls and spines. We look forward to meeting them soon \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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Meet the Puppies<\/h3>\n
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\"\"<\/a>The wait is over! Blue Fairy puppies are here! Two boys and three girls joined our Pack on Friday morning. Right on schedule! Mamba has been restless and uneasy for the last couple of days giving us signs that we were getting closer to the big day. At about 2am on Friday she settled in her whelping box and contractions started shortly afterwards. The first puppy was born at 4am: black & tan girl weighing in at 1lb 4oz. The second puppy arrived at 4:45am a black & tan boy, slightly smaller, 1lb 2 oz but much more vocal and wiggly! He\u2019s also the blackest Otterhounoud puppy I\u2019ve seen! Dark and handsome already \ud83d\ude09
\n\"\"<\/a>The third puppy was born at 5:50am. Another boy and a big one: 1lb 7oz. The fourth puppy was a tiny girl, weighing only 1lb. The last puppy decided to make us work. We knew we were expecting 5 puppies and after 3 hours passed, we decided to load Mamba and the puppies to the truck and take a trip to our vet. An Xray confirmed we had one more puppy on its way. The vet administered calcium and pitocin shot to stimulate contractions. 30 minutes later we welcomed our fifth puppy: 1lb 7oz girl. Mamba and the puppies got the health check and we were on our way home. The Blue Fairy Pack grew to a total of 9 Otterhounds overnight \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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At home, we were welcomed by a very curious Ozzy, enthusiastic Bella and cautious Leeloo. Mamba immediately let them know that she is not ready to share her puppies with the crowd. Leeloo understood and accepted her sister\u2019s wishes, Ozzy decided to find a safe distance to watch the babies and Bella chose to stay close to Oz for safety. It will be fun to watch how these Pack dynamics develop. <\/p>\n

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Week 1: Warming Up<\/h3>\n
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\"\"<\/a>The first week was exciting for all of us. Mamba took full control of her puppies: she kept them fed, cleaned and protected. Pack Manger in action \u2013 again \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Puppies spent their first week in the whelping box in our bedroom. It was easy to keep warm and isolated from the other dogs. Ozzy continued to be curious about his new family members, consistently checking the boundaries set by Mamba. Bella was more interested in Mamba\u2019s food then the puppies. Leeloo stayed away from the box and the puppies, keeping peace in the family. Smart girl! <\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>At the very beginning, it was hard for us to distinguish puppies from each other without taking a closer look. With every day, we started noticing subtle differences. The boys are the easiest to distinguish: one is a giant bear: black body with bright brown markings on his muzzle. He is always mellow and happy to nap away from the rest of his siblings. The other male \u2013 my black stallion \u2013 is still the darkest, but on the third day we noticed rusty\/brown highlights on his head. Girls are a bigger challenge. It\u2019s easy to spot the smallest \u2013 our little junior \u2018dot\u2019. The other two are almost identical. We still have to roll them over and look at their chests to tell them apart.
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\nThis litter seems to be more relaxed and happy to stay in their whelping box. No desires to get out! They are also very quiet. The black boy is the only talker so far and he likes to express himself while eating. Only time will tell who will develop the voice next. In the meantime, we continue to watch them eat, nap and grow. It is the most entertaining and fascinating passtime in our home!
\nWe can\u2019t get enough of it \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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