Now we are waiting

Ever since Heidi went home last week our house seems so empty now. Our two granddaughters sure livened things up around here and we hope to host them again next summer and eventually their little brother, too when he’s old enough to be away from Mom and Dad. Of course the whole family is welcome here and they had been staying in the camper and guestroom in the past, but to have one grandkid at a time allowed us to happily entertain and spoil them to our hearts content.

So now it’s back to our old routines. However, the quietness in the house will not be for too long, I think.  We are preparing for Elsa to give birth to her puppies. It is my guess it will perhaps happen in a week’s time or 10 days. 

After we had dropped off Heidi in London to her waiting Dad who had parked at the McDonald on Wellington Road South close to the 401 Highway, we moved the now finished whelping box eagerly into our guest room. Benno did a great job building the whelping box.  There is a fair amount of information on the Internet and we tried to get the clues there of what to do.  Mind you there are many puppy mills that do not provide anything like this for the expectant dog and her offspring and puppies are being born regardless of what has or has not been provided for them. 

Elsa’s box I painted with non-toxic varnish on the inside and a white Urethane paint on the outside. To decorate the box a bit I painted little paw prints around the entrance.  The yellow wood piece on top is a seat so we can sit there and watch what is going on inside.  I might have gone overboard with all this, but it is for our enjoyment too and we are excited to be experiencing this event. Elsa seems to know exactly what the box is for and has moved in with her toys.  Reggy, interestingly, has not put a paw in at all but likes to sit on the sofa to look in from above.  For the time being we have protected the carpet underneath the box with plastic table protectors, which I happened to have laying around and inside the box I have put a triple folded blanket and several bath towels. 

We want Elsa to have her puppies in the comfort of the house and to nurse them here for a little while.  When the pups start to become active we will relocate the setup to the (heated, if needed) garage where we will provide them with a play and poop area as well.  The box has a slide in door to close up when needed. Additionally Benno fabricated two little ramps for the little puppies to get in and out of the box when the time comes for them to explore their next surroundings.

So now it’s waiting time as I’m observing Elsa’s growing belly.  She rests and sleeps more now than before her pregnancy and although Reggy tries to tempt her to play with him, she rarely gives in.

I told both dogs that they could lay down on the sofa where it would be more comfy, 

but this is where they wanted to sleep