Chris Wilson Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 3 weeks ago this coming Sunday, at 3 am we were awoken by a real kerfuffle from the dogs outside. The sort of kerfuffle that a fox in the woods around the kennels would create, not an intruder mania. It didn't subside, it grew more intense. Jane said leave it, go back to sleep, it'll be a badger or something. I wasn't sure, you get to know your dogs, and agitation has definable levels and characteristics. It did subside, but not abate, and it was then I heard a squealing and squeaking... Something was amiss, and I grabbed the gun and a torch, and went out. The squeaking had stopped, but a general aura of agitation and expectation was about, lots of grumbling and growling, 6 dogs were wide awake and *something* was going on. Then I saw a pool of blood in one kennel, a run with a dog and a bitch Russian Black Terrier in it. First thoughts were a Guinea Fowl, which sleep on some fencing near the kennels, possibly for the security the dogs presence give, had been daft enough to enter the kennel, and a dog had grabbed it. Unlikely though, only owls would be on the ground, moving, at night, and they certainly wouldn't go near dogs. Maybe a fox had been brave, but again, highly unlikely.. I opened up and went in, expecting something nasty. Then the squeaking starts again. Nothing in the kennel box itself, where the dogs actually sleep, but something was stirring either in the air space underneath, or between the side of the box and the steel building the kennel runs are built on the side of. Nothing underneath, but by now the dog and bitch are wound up, the bitch fending the dog off, then dashing to me and tugging my dressing gown. I move the sleeping kennel a bit, and in some dried leaves there's this black object, unmoving and only just visible. Too late in the year for a badger cub, so what is it? I poke about, thinking is it dangerous, will it bite? Then it dawns. A puppy, just the one, frozen cold and bedraggled. The blood on the concrete is the afterbirth, the excitement the birth itself, the smell, and the whimpering. No sleep for a while now... Heat lamp and warm artificial lambs milk seems to work a miracle and the pup starts to come round, it's body temperature up from critical to near normal within an hour. The mother seems active, and shows no sign of a further impending births. We had NO IDEA she was pregnant, none at all. She feels empty, but it's very hard to say without a scan. We are on alert for more, but none come. She starts to feed the little chap, and we decide to grab some sleep. In the morning pup is feeding, and mum is caring. No more pups, and a close examination outside shows no dead births, and no other blood suggesting she may have eaten one or more (which happens, especially with stillbirths). We debated who the dad might be, and cross examined each other as to how she got together with a male when she was in season. No real answer to either question, we thought we'd been totally vigilant, but obviously not vigilant enough! Play it as it comes was the decision, and almost 3 weeks later he's enormous, and starting to eat solids. Noisy blighter, too. Jane says call him Rocky, as he's obviously a tough little fellow any other ideas? http://www.chriswilson.tv/puppy/pup.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermonkey Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Mr T was alway's pretty hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 No idea on the name but he's a handsome little fella! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_supra Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Very Cute! I like the name Rocky too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Good story, will you be keeping him then Chris? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eve Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 I think Rocky suits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 Good story, will you be keeping him then Chris? Nah, it's going on Ebay next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Nah, it's going on Ebay next week Chris you're not allowed to sell animals on e-bay as pets... ...but you can sell them as 'live food' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 What breed is he? And would he fit in with a GSD? The other half has been badgering me for a pup, and well if it needs a good home I MIGHT be interested... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 Just joking, more than my life's worth to sell him. What's one more mouth to feed... But mum is being spayed in a couple of weeks! He's a Russian Black Terrier, and if your GSD is another male it probably wouldn't work out well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Russian_Terrier Not a brilliant write up, but gives you an idea what they are like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Aaah, Apollo is a rescue male GSD, while he has a lovely temprement (suprisingly since he was tied up outside a shop, starved,weighing 19kg, he is now up to 36kg), he has his moments and this is my worry with a puppy. I'm going to push for another GSD puppy in a few years when he is a bit older (We assume he is 7) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colsoop Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Lovely looking dog and ncie story too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supragal Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 I love reading your stories, it's like a book Awww look at his baby blues, so cute. I'm no breeder but this must be madly unusual? To have a litter of 1 I mean!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 I love reading your stories, it's like a book Awww look at his baby blues, so cute. I'm no breeder but this must be madly unusual? To have a litter of 1 I mean!!! Our new kitten was a litter of one too, which I thought quite strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guru Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Great read Chris and very glad to see he is ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobSheffield Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Great read, he is a little cutie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 One isn't that unusual, the mother is quite small, and she was quite young, too. They often throw huge pups in those circumstances, I suspect he may be quite a big dog later, but you can never be sure. A person chose the smallest bitch from her mothers litter, and it's now gigantic. If she'd had several we would have had to sell them, but just one, in those circumstances, we are just too soft for that... Aahhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyb10supra Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Nah, it's going on Ebay next week Thrown him in with one of your de-cats looks like a freindly little fella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazboy Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Rocky? For a Russian dog? It's got to be Ivan Drago surely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamanC Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Cool woofer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Rocky? For a Russian dog? It's got to be Ivan Drago surely! Or just Ivan for short? Aww - ain't he cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supragal Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 One isn't that unusual, the mother is quite small, and she was quite young, too. They often throw huge pups in those circumstances, I suspect he may be quite a big dog later, but you can never be sure. A person chose the smallest bitch from her mothers litter, and it's now gigantic. If she'd had several we would have had to sell them, but just one, in those circumstances, we are just too soft for that... Aahhh Do RB's not tend to have big litters as a rule anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Stick him in a box and send him first class Chris and I'll have him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun. Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Nice Chris .. the Mrs has said call him "Pedwar" Shaun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merckx Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Lovely looking pooch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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