Elsha is Almost Ready! 1

Elsha and North are one of our cute couples here at Pine Lodge. They are getting ready to have their second litter of puppies together.

We have raised these two up since they were puppies. Oh, were they cute! We had to keep them, and see how their testing would go. . .to be a Pine Lodge breeding dog, there are several health related tests they must pass. Of course, being good looking is also necessary. Another important component is the temperament of each dog. We are looking for puppies that will grow up to be intelligent and friendly dogs. Happily, these two lovebirds passed every test.

Elsha and North are both medium sized Australian Labradoodles. This means they weigh somewhere in the very broad range of 26 pounds up to 45 pounds. They actually are both in the thirty-something range. Their puppies should be 32 to 42 pounds when fully grown. Because of their color genetics, they will have apricot and red puppies, with some having white markings. These may be on their chin, chest, face, head, and/or feet.

A dog’s gestation is 9 weeks! Elsha is due this Saturday, September 2^nd. Dogs tend to have their litters within 2 days of their due date. As you can see in this puppy count x-ray, she is having 11 puppies! Elsha herself comes from a litter of 16! We are very happy she is not following in her mama’s footsteps for litter size this time.

As the time draws near, we find Elsha mostly laying around. If we can’t find her, she’s laying in a crate. Otherwise, you might find her in the middle of the floor in the office. Or laying on the cool grass. She even lays on the gravel around the fire pit! We’re really not sure what that’s about.

We will know the special day has arrived when Mama Elsha isn’t wanting to lay around so much. Her temperature will drop from the normal doggy range a couple of degrees. She will begin pacing more. When she does lay down, she won’t stay for very long. She will get restless and will look for a dark spot to be in. She will “nest” in a pile of blankets. But don’t worry, we will keep an eye on her so those 11 babies will be born safely in a whelping area, where we can make sure each puppy has a great start in life.

We will keep you posted on when that great Labradoodle Stork arrives here at Pine Lodge Labradoodles!