When I was a girl we had female beagles and three times we had puppies. It was so educational and such fun that I wanted our Rottweiler, Dulci, and us to have the experience. Believe me, we earned this privilege, because having an un-neutered female is a challenge every time she comes in heat, especially when the dogs live outside on a farm. Once our boxer Mario was neutered (and out of the running), a good strategy was to attach them together. No neighborhood dog was going to come around with that big guy there. After she turned two, Dulci was ready and so were we. We bred her with the male Rottweiler of a good Nicaraguan friend of ours, Blacky. Nine weeks later, we had nine puppies!
It took some engineering to make sure they all got fed, but we made sure everyone got a spot – there are only 10 nipples and they are not all easy to reach! At first the puppies looked and moved like baby seals, slipping around on the tile floors of the Centro kitchen. It was only a matter of time, however, before they were up and walking. Then quickly they were running, chewing, licking, barking, and cuddling.
Watch a video of the puppies playing — What a mess they made of my garden.
The top photo is of Brett and Mark the day of our concrete counter-top pour. More about that later…
Dulci was a great mom;. she did everything she was supposed to. By the time she was done nursing, they were already hungrily eating softened dog food, three to a bowl, so it was okay. After 8 weeks we started finding homes for them, many with people we know. I heard some grumbling online about “bringing more dogs into the world when there are so many street dogs that need to be adopted.” I understand this sentiment and applaud the many who have given good homes to stray dogs. But having puppies of a known breed, with desired looks and character is another matter, and knowing the puppy was able to nurse with the mom for as long as possible and that they were loved, and taken care of medically from the time they were born is something entirely different and a comfort to a new owner.
Before they were born, I swore we would not keep one. But you guessed it, we could not resist. So our family grew by one member, Evie.
