Being puppy-less at the moment, I've been getting my puppy-fix at a friend's house. Read my submission to the ABDC below to find out how...
WARNING, SOME LANGUAGE AND PHOTOS ARE EXPLICIT!
There are three tiny black Lab puppies piled warm on a heating pad in a blue bin when I arrive at the home of my friends, Dick and Phyllis. They
host Leader Dog "mom" Amber in their cozy country house located just north of town.
Amber paces around the dining room and pants; her sides bulge and heave. According to a recent x-ray, there should be five more puppies to come. This is Amber's third litter born here.
"They're coming much faster this time," Phyllis says.
The mid-afternoon sun shining in the bay window augments the heat-lamp that is attached above the whelping box. A scale sits on the kitchen counter, ready for weigh in. This will be my first litter-assist and I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'm anxious to witness the wonder.
Amber steps into the warm whelping box, easing onto her side. Contractions rack her belly. She struggles up, curls her head around and before we know it, a slick black sack plops onto the towel. Amber teethes away the membrane and bites at the umbilical cord. Phyllis leans in to help extract the puppy from the sack. She gives Amber some time to lick the pup clean. Another female.
Dick is disappointed. So far there is only one male. He notes the time of birth on a record sheet.
Phyllis cradles the puppy with a clean towel and brings her to the table where Dick is waiting with string to bind off the cord. He snips the excess and drips a bit of medicine on it to prevent infection. Phyllis ties a bit of orange ribbon around the puppy's neck. The puppy will wear orange until her return to
Leader Dogs for the Blind six weeks hence. A quick check to make sure the puppy's palate is not cleft and she is weighed in. Then, it's back to momma, who is now at rest in the whelping box.
Phyllis places Miss Orange near Amber's tit. The puppy's pink tongue forms a perfect suction seal and she sets to suckling.
When the next puppy comes, I tie the cord with my smaller fingers. Maybe I will be of use after all. By the end of the evening there are seven healthy puppies. Dick is pleased that there are two males.
There is a moment in time when anything is possible.
Prince Fielder waves off his teammates and catches the pop fly that sends the Detroit Tigers to the World Series.
Leader Dog "mom" Amber births seven black Labs with a
destiny.
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| Leader Dog "mom" Amber gazes up with her melted chocolate eyes. |
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| Phyllis lends a hand in removing the sack from another one of Amber's puppies. It is amazing to see the tiny nails on each paw trying to poke through. |
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| Miss Orange latches on and gets to suckling next to her sister. |
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| Mr. Blue matches the soft blue blanket where he snoozes between feedings. |
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| Amber cleans off Miss Yellow while she and four of her siblings have dinner. |
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| Phyllis cuddles a newborn. |
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| Chain reaction. Amber sits up. Five puppies lose suction. Two hang on. |
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| Seven Future Leader Dog puppies keep warm in a pile. |
Stay tuned...more to come on Amber's puppies!
