Start                                           The MC-litter                   The litters

born 31 maj 2009      

 

 

         

           Sire: Stenrikas Karska Knutte                                Dame: Duritzans Beatrice  

 

A summary of what I have heard from the pups:

 
Maizey (Matchless) lives rather close by and I see her now and then. Soon we will start on a puppy-training together. She is still clearly smaller than her brothers
at home, but she is growing and is a happy and lively little girl.
HD will stay at home and has now got his own page on Our dogs.
Norton lives in Blekinge (about 45 km from us) and his mistress helps him to send me happy MMSs now and then. He behaves well and has learned how to be
around hens and sheep. His mistress now knows that I meant it literally "you have a vallhund around your feet". He has his own page now.
Nimbus and his brother Nelson (Henderson) have returned to the "old neighbourhood" of the Vallhund but "they do not anderstand what good it will be to go 
on leash. They think that they go better on their own."  
Zsa-Zsa (Ducati) is just the pet her mistress wanted - whenever we speak Zsa-Zsa is on her mistresses lap. And she keeps guard so no one will be able to
walk in om her mistress unannounced. 
Nelson (Henderson) - see Nimbus above.
Yamma (Yamaha) lives i Skåne. I don't know more at the moment but hope to get back with his life's adventures.
Sunny (Sunbeam) will, by his own choice, move to my sister in Stockholm when she returns from her late vacation. He has his own page now.
Some pictures of the siblings can be seen in the Kennel gallery.

 

 

 

Twelve weeks

 

Now Zsa-Zsa too has moved out. I had a report the next morning and it seems as if she too is well-behaved and likes her new home. But now I have to

count the dogs twice before I realize that there shouldn't be more of them. It seems so litlle with "just" six dogs :-)  Now only Sunbeam, Sunny for short,
is left of those to leave. No one has has fallen for him yet (except my sister who hasn't got the time for a pup) . If he doesn't find his family soon she will
come to get him anyway. She really wants to have him and he did his best to get on the right side with her. It is just a matter of finding the time...  Well we
will see what happens. He is an easy-going young man so it is no extra trouble having him. Both the boys are aware of the electical fence and they both
stay out of reach for the lawn mower and they have great fun together or with the bigger dogs. HD is entered in the pup course and Maizey will be there
as well.

 

 

Tio veckor

 

And they attended a "dog party" - Mum Bea and uncle Ville will be three years old on Tuesday and grandmother Tuva and her sister Milla will be six years
old on Friday. The birthdays were celebrated at the same time and all of the nine dogs had a walk in the forrest first. It was the first time on a leash for the
three pups still here,  Zsa-Zsa, Sunbeam och HD. Zsa-Zsa thought it was a stupid invention and refused to walk no matter how I tried to entice her, but given
the choice between being dragged and walking she soon decided to walk and got plenty of praise. Then she got the idea and behaved perfectly. Sunbeam
did rather well but wanted to get carried the last distance. It was nice to sit on Britt's arm and watch the others. HD walked as if he never had been without
a leash, well a bit to and fro but he is just a pup!

Now when they are bigger and fewer all seven of the dogs are free with me on the grounds until I have to focus on a job. Then the pups have to stay in the
pup's pen so I know that they neither disappear or get hurt. They are really good both at keeping an eye on wher I am and at coming when I call! Sometimes
they are a little too close so I almost trip over them in order not to step on them...

 

 

Nine weeks

 

Now Maizey has moved as well. And Tuva is back after six weeks vacation with her sister. The pups now go from the kitchen out to the stairs outside
by themselves when I remove the obstacle from the door opening. And they are more awake.

 
These pups have still not found their new families:
 
 (Norton) Sold on August 4th                           (Yamaha)  Sold on August 2nd                          
 
 
 Sunbeam                                                (HD) Will stay with us	               
 
 

Eight weeks 

 
Nelson, aka Henderson, and Nimbus have moved to their new home. That means less pups to take care of but also emptiness. We have had a daughter 
and two grandchildren to visit which meant a break in the routines. Right now we are training control of bite - the pups are allowed to hold, but not bite, 
fingers and other parts of my body. But between themselves the play-fighting is tough and Lyra is working hard to rear them. They have found out that if 
they  scratch hard enough at the blanket in their box they can get at the papers beneath the blanket and tear them to little pieces. That is fun!  If they are 
allowed to be free in the yard they follow me. Sometimes so closly that I trip over them. On the whole they are very keen on company and cuddling.
 
 
Seven weeks
 
We have developed some routines. Two things decide what is possible:
1.   When dry food is to be served the grown dogs have to be locked out as they will eat all of it otherwise.
2.   I am a morningsleeper so the day doesn’t really get started till after 10 o’clock.
About 5 in the morning the dogs wake me up. I let the grown dogs out. Then I clean the kitchen for the pups and sit down on the floor to play with them 
for a while before I feed the grown dogs. At that time I have to sit on the floor to persuade Ville to eat – he feels neglected. After that I go back to bed.
At 10 o’clock I get up, clean the kitchen again and remove the food bowl while we make and have our breakfast. After that I read the newspaper. 
The moment I put the paper away the dogs start fussing. Even the pups know that NOW it’s happening – everybody gets to go out!
The pups are carried to their pen in the garden and the food bowl is placed in the middle. Within 10 minutes I can take away eight tiny heaps (of poop) 
they are really good at that! Then comes loud protests from the pups – they are upset about me picking up the heaps from the other dogs. They want me 
to be with them!
All cleaning done I spend an hour or two sitting with the pups. They play, chew on me, the food and each other and protest loudly against the injustice of 
the grown dogs being allowed to be out loose in the entire place. When the pups get tired I go inside for my two o’clock coffee. Then we start all over again 
if the weather permits it. Otherwise I get the pups into the kitchen again and we play there.
Now Mum’s milk is just something extra but they live mainly on the dry food. They get a mix of small pellets from Robur and Bento Kronen’s Active. If they are 
very hungry they can choose the small pellets which are easy to eat while Active is more tasty and gives the teeth good exercise – good when the teeth are itching.
At night time the grown dogs can’t get to the pups and that way the little ones can eat undisturbed whenever they like, from our bedtime until our breakfast.
 
The puppies are showing increasing peronality.
Matchless Maizey
An adorable little whirlwind, very much aware of her charm.
Harley-Davidson
Totally convinced that he is my dog and will remain that. I am not equally convinced. A gentleman certain that life does not include anything he can’t handle.
Norton
A calmer but also more careful young man. Even though he plays with the others now and again he is perfectly happy to stay cuddling with me.
Nimbus
Playful and happy but sometimes he is cuddling with his eyes fixed in mine so I just drown in his kind gaze.
Ducati Zsa-Zsa
Full of energy and always at something. A real beauty who isn’t afraid of taking the boys on for some jokes.
Yamaha
The next bundle of energy even if he has calmed down a bit the last week. The smallest one after Maizey in a quite even litter.
Henderson
The one to look most for human company. And constantly full of beans.
Sunbeam
Deserves his name – he IS a sunbeam! He wants a lot of contact without being pushy. If your hands are full he is happy to just lie close and cuddle, 
otherwise he likes to play with and chew on your hands.
 
They have become very difficult to weigh. Even though I try to read the scale quickly they are moving on the tray constantly. The latest weight figure is more of 
a guessing than a proper weighing so I will stop trying.
 
 
Six weeks
 
The puppies now play pretty wildly together. In order to keep my feet to myself I have bought some toys. The grown dogs carry them away so the pups
are without anyhow. Now I bougth a number of chewbones and some new toys and I tied them to different objects in the kitchen. That started a great
activity among the pups - including Lyra!

 
 
 
                    
 
 
                    
 
 
 
 
 
              Matchless Maizey though preferred to come to us ...                      
 
 
 
The day before her mistress-to-be took this picture of the beauty:              
        
 
 
 
 
9/7 Today has been full of events for the puppies. First they got in close contact with the vacuum cleaner - a bit awful, but exciting as well. Then I forgot
to close the kitchen so all the pups followed me into the rest of the rooms downstairs. Thay had not been in another room before, but that didn't bother them
- there was lots to explore! And when I went from one room to the nest so did the pups. They also found the mirror-door to the wardrobe and tried to find the
dog they could see in it :-D.
 
 
 Alas the picture isn't clear but I only got one... 
 
Then we got visitors with two Vallhunds. The pups didn't mind more dogs, that meant more chances to play. But the best plaything is their mistress: she works as
a jungle gym, chewing toy, food dispenser, cuddly toy and peeping toy - if you get your teeth into her she sounds. What else can a pup wantfrom a toy?
 
 Chewing  and peeping. 
 
 
And they have got some kind of step to get not only out of but back into their box. One can sleep on it as well!
 
 
 
When you have emptied the food dish you get tired ... 
 
Five weeks
 
Now they have started eating dry fodder. The pup food I had bought for them was not to their liking - the smell from the other dogs dishes was much nicer.
That food has too big chanks so I had to smash them into smaller pieces. They eat that happily. They show more and more their different personalities and
they play eagerly with each other. Some of them not only play with Lyra but actually challenge her even though she is so much bigger. But when I turn up they 
quickly gather around my feet.

With the aid from the neighbouring children they learn to be handled by differnet people and that "two-leggers" always mean that you get cuddled and played
with. They get bouncy when I carry them outdoors, that seems to enjoy them a lot. 

 
 
Four weeks 
 
30/6   It was hot and suffocating - the pups panted so they were put into the sink to get wet for cooling down. That was not too popular ... 




             
Matchless                                                                   Ducati                                                                          Nimbus                 


            





After that they got necklaces. That was even less popular, but checking aunt Lyra's food was great fun. 
      

                 
     
 
 
They are three weeks and get to try new food
 
 
 
They liked it very much
 
even though it sticks to the fur as well ...
 
 
 
Everything has to be explored 
 
 
 


 


 




Midsummer in the puppies box 




 


     


 


Sleeping in the corner                                                         Dinnertime             


 




A bit over two weeks old - first meeting with grass! 
 


The weather was fantastic so they got out for a little while and they seemed to like it. 


 


                    


 


 



                  


         Toward the milkbar


              




 


One week old



The puppies eat and sleep and seem to enjoy life. All eight have become twice as heavy and they like to be close to their mistress.


Some pictures of the entire litter - I can't identify the individuals!
 
                     

 
Increase in weight (grams)
 
 
 
Matchless
H-D
Norton
Nimbus
Ducati
Yamaha
Henderson
Sunbeam
31-maj
153
208
140
137
197
160
218
139
07-jun
340
485
355
300
430
345
460
400
14-jun
570
675
560
570
650
570
685
630
21-jun
775
930
765
745
820
785
905
825
28-jun
1025
1140
1005
975
1070
995
1115
1035
05-jul
1300
1440
1350
1320
1470
1300
1410
1370
12-jul
1600
1900
1760
1750
1870
1730
1780
1750
19-jul
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26-jul
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
02-aug
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The delivery 
 


Saturday morning Bea showed signs that the first stage of labour had started. She was shivering, panting and fixing her bed the entire day. I myself didn't get 
much done as I was watching over her most of the time. Late night (about 11 pm) she got green discharge but no labour pains so after half an hour I called 
Läckeby Veterinary Hospital. I packed her papers, a box with a blanket for the pups and a blanket for Bea. Plus a spare tank of petrol as I was short! And then 
off we went to the clinic. We arrived at 1 o'clock and had to wait while they stitched up another dog who had had surgery, while I hoped for the labour pains to start.

When Monica (the vet) checked Bea was still not open very much so we agreed on the safer option, caesarian. Bea was shaved and anaesthesized - THEN 
the first pup plopped out!! Monica called me and asked me what I wanted to do and we decided to wake Bea up and let her give birth naturally. So Bea and
the pup Matchless got back into the treatment room and we waited for the next puppy. We waited and waited - but no labour.
The blood test showed perfectly normal calcium levels, but she was given intravenous calcium and then the pups started to plop out like on a string. Very varied 
in size, but all of them alert in spite of the long wait and the anaesthesia. One of them was so tiny that we thought it was not fully developed but just a tiny body, but she 
kicked soundly when her airways were cleared! After the fifth pup was born Bea was X-rayed as we wanted to know how many more we had to wait for. Nr six was 
then in the birthing canal and three more were waiting for their turn! The last one was born about half past 7 in the morning so it was a VERY tired crew: staff, owner 
and dog heading back to their homes after payment and other paper-work was done.

. 




 Our super vet. Monica  and the very nice nurse Madeléine

Back at home I tried to remember in what order the pups had arrived and what names I had given them. I weighed them and gave Ossa, the tiny one, some Esbilac
before going to bed to sleep a couple of hours.

I have to admit that I had hoped for a smaller litter. Poor Bea has to take care of all of them and I feel sorry for her. She behaved perfectly and took good care of her
babies.




Then a report on the litter - the names are chosen because "Knutte" associates directly to motorbikes (in Sweden):

Matchless docked bitch 153 g
HD docked male 208 g
Norton docked male 140 g
Nimbus tailed male 137 g
Ossa tailed bitch 84 g
Ducati tailed bitch 197 g
Yamaha docked male 160 g
Henderson tailed male 218 g
Sunbeam docked male 134 g (born in the morning sunshine!)
 
Evening 3rd And now they are only eight. During the day I had stopped the weight-reduction and made a turn so Ossa was gaining a few grams. I put her together 
with the others to make her realize there was life outside my clothes. The grown dogs went out with me and when we came back Ossa was dead. It wasn't unexpected, 
but still very sad. After making sure she was really dead I buried her next to Bellatrix. There is an empty place after her, but she lives in our memory and she has eight 
siblings growing visibly!
 
Seeing the difference in size one can see why Ossa didn't make it. (Here with Ducati.)