The pictures aren’t the greatest, but here is the progression so far of Sonic’s expanding waistline. I’ve gotten her switched over to a different, higher calorie food, and she’s eating more volume and more frequently. She’s really expanded a lot this week. It’s impressive! She is still eager for her off-leash runs and other exercise, but I suspect I’ll see some degree of slowing down in the coming two weeks.

On January 30, puppy daddy Arrow added another Open standard and Open JWW leg to those already earned. One more on each for the titles!

Sunday update: Arrow finished his OA title today, and a single bar down prevented the completion of his OAJ. Heidi and Arrow will be working to finish up the title next weekend.

Today, I headed to Lowe’s. I bought a 6′ x 10′ piece of vinyl flooring for under the whelping box and later on the bigger puppy pen. I hope it has decent enough traction for the babies. I also got a couple of packs of puzzle piece foam matting and a 10′ x 12′ tarp in case the vinyl flooring proves to be to slippery.

Then I headed to Joann Fabrics in search of some whelping box lining material. Decades ago, I did a lot of sewing of equipment for showing my horses, including nice flush fleece – not the polar fleece kind that is so popular now, but the type that crate pads are often made from. I had to ask one of the clerks where to find it. I did find some, though nowhere near as plush as what I used in the past, but it should be much easier to sew and wash.

When I got home from those errands, my son helped me move and reassemble the twin-sized bed that I’ll use during the early nights after the puppies are born. Things are gradually taking place!

Yesterday, I ordered some pup color puppy marking collars from www.pupcolors.com. Should be more than enough!

Today, I ordered some more of one of the supplements that I have been giving Sonic based on Avidog’s recommendations.

I also ordered 6 maxi garden trays for eventual use as potty boxes for the babies.

On Sunday, I’m going to my friend Helen’s house to borrow her whelping box and various other items we’ll be needing next month, both for whelping and for growing puppies. I’m also in search of a puppy food, since I will be switching Sonic over to that when she’s two weeks from her due date, to provide more calories for the growing babies.

January 25, 2016

Heidi Hebert showed Puppy Daddy Arrow to two Grand Champion Select awards this weekend at the big dog show in Novi, Michigan from Thursday-Sunday. Sonic stayed home to grow the babies. We (Sonic, Jag, and I) went for nice long runs – well, the dogs ran while I walked – in the neighboring farm fields after we got home from the dog shows this weekend. Her pregnancy doesn’t seem to be slowing Sonic down any yet, but her waistline is definitely changing. Her tuck up is going away!

While at the dog shows, I bought a puppy bed, some 4′ x 4′ pads for the whelping box, and a bag full of puppy toys that will be very hard for Sonic to resist.

On Wednesday January 13, Dr. Helen Szostak, DVM palpated Sonic and said, “Yes, there are puppies!”

On Friday January 15, I took Sonic for an ultrasound at Remrock Farms and Dr. Larry Letsche, DVM said he saw 6 to 7 puppies. This is not a definitive number, but at least gives me an idea of how many to expect.

First due date is Friday February 19, five weeks from today.

I have just submitted this ad for the 2016 Spring FCRSA Newsletter:

I have scheduled an ultrasound for Sonic on Friday January 15, 2016 @ 9:00 AM, which is day 28 from the first breeding. My understanding is the ultrasound will show whether or not she is pregnant and whether there are a few puppies or a lot, but not exact numbers. Fingers are crossed!

All together, I had Sonic’s progesterone level tested three times:

12/14/15: 1.82 ng/ml (Day 7 of season)

12/16/15: 3.73 ng/ml (Day 9 of season)

12/17/15: 4.19 ng/ml (Day 10 of season)

I decided that instead of running a 4th test on 12/18, we would take a trip to see Arrow instead.

Arrow and Sonic were bred 3 times, on December 18, 20, and 22, 2015, on days 11, 13, and 15 of Sonic’s season. They accomplished the breedings with minimal assistance from their humans. Based on her progesterone tests, puppies will be due around February 19, 2016.