"Beleza" becomes puppies
by Hanne Fogtmann
Our cinnamon import from Norway, Incipit Que Beleza, was finally
old enough to be bred. She is not that big and it was not easy
to see whether she was pregnant or not. She ran around like
a gazelle, together with “Rousos”… until I glimpsed
the hint of a swelling in the coat on her sides. So I called
off the “gazelle-game” and she was not allowed to
run like that any more. She grew enormously big the last 14
days and, as a matter of fact, she was unable to jump and run
as she used to. Yes, she was very very pregnant ;o))
”Beleza” decided to give birth a couple of days to
early and obviously meant it to be a big secret… so when
I let her out in the run in the morning, I didn’t have
the slightest idea that she is in labour. Her behind gave no
hint of an approaching delivery. She breathed a bit heavily
– but she often does that indoors. Well, I had some suspicions
because she scratched a bit here and there, but not really enough
to indicate labour. Just for precaution, I went to fetch her
in earlier than usual – and I found the little “lady”
proudly licking a small dark puppy in the dog-bed that belongs
to the run. Guess if I was quick to put the baby to my skin
and fetch Beleza indoors!
Beleza had severe contractions, poor thing. She was not exactly
happy about the puppy being held away from her – but she
didn’t really know what to do about it, because of the
contractions… and I was allowed to hold the puppy. With
the puppy in a warm towel in one hand and, the telephone-receiver
in the other hand, I contacted the vet. Her age, yes… yes,
this is her first litter… (etc etc) Much to my relief it
turned out to be normal with an hour or so between the puppies.
The first two puppies were males… and Beleza’s contractions
went on and on. It was exciting to observe her behaviour: how
she knew all about the delivery… how to bite the bag with
the puppy … without damaging it … how to lick it clean…
how to get the little one to suckle … imagine if I understood
it all?
This time it was a red female. The contractions went on …
and on … then a still bigger male … but she didn’t
blink an eye, the little mum … She was tired by now, but
she fed her puppies and went very carefully about it. When her
contractions became really severe she got up … pushed out
a big big puppy … did with him like with all the others,
but the puppy was dead.
I tried all I could, to revive the puppy … but to no avail.
There was nothing to suggest, why this puppy was dead. But Mother
Nature has her ways and, as much as I wanted to, I could do
nothing to change that … I didn’t understand a thing
… and I was so sorry … I took away from Beleza the
fifth (dead) puppy … and she was already very busy with
the other four.
She was preoccupied with her four puppies and I should be ashamed
for sitting there and thinking about the one puppy which, for
some reason or other, could not live.
So we got three males and one female… What more can one
demand? Beautiful, sound puppies, full of life
A very tired Beleza … relaxing with her suckling puppies,
after the ordeal of the labour. After they fill 8 weeks, you’ll
maybe meet them on your way … at a show … or maybe
in your neighbour’s garden :o)
The four puppies’ names are BackPacker, BaZooka, Beethoven
and BellaMia.
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