Ellie's Litter of Westie Pups

Welcome To Ellie's Pup Page

12/13/06

Ellie is due to have pups around December 19 or 20. Linda took her to the vet today for X-rays and he saw 6 pups. We always anticipate with great care the whelping time. We have already separated her from the other dogs so she can have peace and quite. All of our dogs have full run of our entire basement area. They sleep on toddler beds, have their own sofa and love seat, and their own TV's. We have one room set aside for the nursery and that is where Ellie has been moved. We observe her closely and keep check on her temperature. It has not started dropping yet, so she still has a few days to go. She is really big and uncomfortable. We will soon place her whelping box in the room with her.

Pups from previous litters.

12/14/06

Ellie continues to waddle around as the time gets closer. Our moms never have pups during business hours. It is always in the middle of the night. We are always with them and we lose a lot of sleep. I will be on vacation the next several days and will be home to help Linda. The first signs of soon whelping is when mom stops eating and her temp begins to drop. We will watch closely over Ellie when that time comes and never leave her alone. We normally spend three days with her 24 hours a day just to be sure everything goes just right. We normally get our sleep after the pups are born, if all the pups are nursing and appear to be healthy. Ellie is such a good mom, we never have to worry about them being taken care of. She is a special, caring mom. We weigh the pups three times daily for the first 5 days and then two times daily just to be sure they are gaining weight. They will double their weight in the first 7 days.

12/16/06

Ellie ate a big breakfast early this morning, so pups will not be born within the next 12-18 hours. Normally, our moms stop eating within 18 hours of whelping her pups. Her temp is still normal. She is very big, yet appears to be very agile, but doesn't run and play with the other dogs. She goes out to potty and then is ready to go back to her room and relax in her whelping box.

12/18/06

Whelping pups is not an exact science! We thought those pups would be born tonight, but Ellie had a big dinner so that means at least 12-24 more hours. They never have pups during business hours. They will probably be born between 1 and 6 AM on Wednesday! We think! I have taken this week for vacation so I will be here to help Linda. In fact, tonight will be the 3rd night I have slept with Ellie. She is a quiet bed fellow. She sleeps while I dose. She gets up rested and I am worn out! STAY TUNED! More to come.

12/19/06

Ellie had another great night. She woke up this morning quite restful and I slept very little. I really think she is enjoying this! She may have even changed her mind about having pups. She ate about half her breakfast this morning and seems very peaceful about the whole matter. Hopefully, late tonight we will have pups.

12/20/06

Ellie slept good and awoke early to begin a new day. But this day was different! She began contractions at noon and by 7 PM she had 3 healthy girls and 3 healthy boys. Mom and pups are all doing just fine. The pups appear to be strong and healthy. They came into this world knowing what to do! They have been nursing mom ever since. It has been a blessed day! I'm ready for a good night's rest. STAY TUNED!

12/21/06

Ellie and pups were up and going at 6 AM and had a great night. The pups are active, strong, and are keeping Ellie busy. This is always a busy time, but hopefully, we can get pictures of the pups posted today.

12/22/06

Ellie is such a loving mom and was so good during the photo shoot. She quietly and patiently waited for her pups to be placed back with her in the corner of her whelping box.

The pups stay in a pile. If you move them, they will just pile up again so they can be close together.

12/31/06

All the pups continue to grow and have been taken care of in a special way by Ellie. All they do is nurse and sleep, then nurse and sleep again.

1/9/07

The pups are really changing. Their eyes are open and they have begun "wobbly walking". They are rolling and playing more and chewing on each other's ears and tails. They enjoy our attention and are very loving.

1/16/07

One of the most difficult tasks we have is to get pictures. The pups are really growing and becoming more lively and rambunctious! Their hearing has begun and they are really walking well. We will begin supplementing their diet tomorrow. We soak their dog food in water to get it softened and then we mash it up and add some canned food. It is amazing how they eat! Just as they came into the world knowing how to nurse, they also learn quickly how to eat solid food. Within a couple of weeks, Ellie will begin the process of weaning the pups. We let her go at her own pace in that process. She is the one who decides when the pups are completely weaned. They enjoy being held and really enjoy every minute we spend with them. This is a great time of socialization for the pups.

In our next photography session, we will get several individual shots of each pup. The girls are Pink, Yellow, and Green Babies. The boys are Red, Black, and Blue Babies.