Noni’s “Little” Litter Has Arrived!
The wait is over — Noni’s “LITTLE” pups (not so little) have arrived!
Noni was quite big at the end of this pregnancy but she's also a tiny girl so 6 pups creeping up to a lb. Each was expected.
Six gorgeous white as snow, squeaky pups made their way into the world yesterday, and I am over the moon excited to share them all with you.
Itty, Bitty, Thimble and Pebbles are our gorgeous girls, while Buttons and Snippet are our two handsome little dudes.
These wee six are strong, active, wiggily, determined, loud and nursing very well.
Noni blessed with a daytime birth from around 3pm - 6pm which was a huge bonus! Births usually have a funny habit of happening during the wee, dark hours of the night. So a daytime delivery was a very welcome change. Noni did an incredible job from start to finish. So proud of this girl.
She was a little unsure when her first puppy arrived, which isn't unusual for a first-time experience. But after that first little one, everything clicked and she quickly settled into her squeaky pile, her instincts took over, and she became focused on exactly what she needed to do. By the time the sixth puppy arrived, she was fully in the groove.
She has been doing phenomenal all day today — attentive, comfortable, and very focused on her babies. There is a lot of preparation that happens before puppies arrive, but once those babies are here, there is no substitute for simply watching, observing and allowing mama to do what she was made to do.
Not a lot of sleep was had last night as I kept a very close watch over everyone.
The first days are when tiny details matter most. Puppies change quickly, and close observation gives us the opportunity to notice those changes early. Weight checks, nursing, temperature, behavior and overall activity all become part of the daily rhythm.
There's always tonight for sleep!
Six thriving pups snuggled into mama, making happy little squeaks and squeals, it feels like a pretty fair trade.
The other dogs are, naturally, very interested in what is happening behind the nursery doors. There has been plenty of sniffing, listening and general investigation happening from the other side. The aunties are particularly eager to meet the newest additions to the family. They adore being puppy sitters when the mamas are taking a break.
For right now, we're going to give Noni some quiet time with her babies.
The first few days are all about bonding, resting, nursing and settling into a routine. Once Noni is comfortable and the puppies are a little more established, we'll begin allowing the other dogs to take part in the nursery routine.
The week ahead is filled with doting, kissing, snuggling, smelling and close observation of all pups. Regular weight checks and record keeping. Monitoring nursing and individual progress. Nutrition and plenty of care for mama Noni. Keeping the nursery clean, warm and comfortable. Watching puppy behavior and activity, making sure everyone is getting their fair share of Boobie Barnacle time and, naturally, an unreasonable amount of simply being in the energy bubble of new wee life of soggy mushroom smelling squishies.. truly my favorite scent.
Six Little Pups. Six Very Lucky Families.
While we're busy enjoying these first days, we're also getting the gears turning on the next part of the process — allocating six families to this litter.
The beginning of a litter always feels like it is moving slowly. Everyone is tiny, sleepy and still very much in the newborn stage.
Then suddenly...
Eyes open.
Ears start working.
Puppies begin waddling around with purpose.
They discover toys but their favorite game is chew my siblings face off.
Before we know it, we're watching six little personalities bloom and blossum right in front of us.
The next two months fly by in a flash. For now, though, we're going to enjoy the quiet moments. The tiny squeaks. The full little bellies. The puppy piles. The sleepy faces. The endless weighing, checking and record keeping. And yes — probably a whole lot of puppy cuddling. I have a feeling very little else is going to get accomplished around here during this first week. And I'm perfectly okay with that. It's what I do, it's what I love.
Welcome to the world, Itty, Bitty, Thimble, Pebbles, Buttons and Snippet.
Your adventure has officially begun. 🤍
