Joey's Birthing Story

I have been in on many births of babies, but NEVER puppies and let me tell you, I have a whole new respect for female dogs. Holy Moses, it was AMAZING!! Humans go to all this reading of books, buying the latest in birthing & baby equipment, take classes on breast feeding. Then we moan, scream & groan during labor and it takes a team of people to deliver one child (more if there is a multiple birth). Having had children myself I am in awe of the tenacity, spirit & strength of a birthing female dog. Attribute it to anything you want, doesn't matter, plain & simple they go through the process with dignity & strength!
I knew Joey was going to deliver last night. She was being snippy with the other dogs and staying away from them. I went up to bed, but I couldn't fall asleep, I kept going down stairs to check on her. Finally she followed me upstairs to the guest room where I had a pad & bowl of water set up for her, but when she saw Annie laying there she growled & barked at her, as if to say, "Hey, get the heck off my birthing pad", but Annie was not going to budge, so Joey went back down stairs. 
A little while later Annie did move to the other room & Joey nested down on the pad next to the bed. I watched her for a while  then dozed off to sleep.  I figured I would hear Joey when she started laboring. She never made a sound.
Long around 4:30 am I awoke to the sound of whimpering, I looked over & she had already pushed

out 2 puppies. The whimpering was coming from the puppies. I got up and sat next to the pad. Joey didn't seem to mind, she almost seemed to be pleased. I rubbed her back and could tell she was about to push out another. The process was nothing short of astonishing. 
They come out in the sac, she tears it open, eats the sac, slurps up the fluid and then thoroughly cleans them, drying them in the process. They find her nipples on their own and start nursing. She lays

back to take a break and 20 min later here comes the next one, the next & the next. I felt around her belly & knew there she wasn't done. 30 minutes go by and she starts contracting again. I thought maybe this was the placenta, but no she had one more to birth. 6 pups in all.
So for 3 - 4 hours she is contracting pushing, birthing, cleaning and feeding puppies ALL AT THE SAME TIME and then eats the placenta. Amazing!! 
The first 2 were white with black spots (obviously looking like the heathen that got our little Joey

pregnant), then 2 black with bronze/white feet & a little spit of white on the chest (looking like Joey), then the last 2 looking like the first two. I named them Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro, Cinco & Seis. Uno & Dos were determined because one was wetter than the other.

Joey cleaned up as she went along, other than moisture on the pad, you would never have known puppies had just been birthed there. (But I will send that out for cleaning)
I got a few pictures and left Joey to rest with her puppies. Since she is upstairs she is safe from the

other dogs nosing around her puppies. After she rest a bit, I will take the birthing box up and help her transfer into that. That way when Joey needs to go out or eat, her pups will not be able to "roam around" while shes gone. We won't really know how

many males & females for a few days, but the lines are open for anyone wanting to lay claim to their favorite (hint hint).
 

Many of you have probably witnessed this with dogs or cats and think I am making too much of it, but for me it really had an impact. I guess animals escaped Eve's curse, so nice for them. I had planned all kinds of projects for today but I think I will just let the house stay quiet for Joey, she deserves it after all that work. I love how she has them all snuggled up together and lays her head over the top of the group to keep them warm & safe. 

Stay tuned for the Chronicles of Joeys Puppies.