Pregancy - The First half

In speaking with a lot of you waiting on puppies, I've heard a lot of questions about what it's like, how different it is from humans, and general curiosity.

Dogs tend to take their pregnancies in stride. They do much of their normal routine. Some change in personality is normal. Often they become more affectionate and quieter, particularly in the early part of the pregnancy as they are adjusting to the changes in their body.

Rowan spent the first couple of weeks being completely normal. Still a busy, busy girl, playing ball and wrestling with the boys. Then, right around week 3, when the puppies begin to implant in the uterus, she suddenly slowed WAY down.

She won't jump up into her crate anymore. (Hers is on the top level - my crates are stacked in the laundry room to save space.) She will put her front feet up and look back over her shoulder at me for a boost. :-)

She began picking at her breakfast. Perhaps she is a bit nauseous in the morning. She still eats her supper like a starved thing, which is pretty normal for her. Often she is complaining the whole time I'm filling the bowls, as if she'd EVER missed a meal in her life....

She now (we're in week 4 of her pregnancy) grabs her ball, circles the living room twice, and just lays down. Definitely NOT Rowan behavior.

The other night, I was standing at the stove cooking chicken for Tucker, one of my older dogs who is sick and not eating well. Rowan is pretty good about getting up on the counters and learned the hard way about my flattop range. All of the sudden, I feel two little feet tucked into my belt, and see a little black face peering under my elbow. "Is that for ME????" Thump, thump, thump goes her tail against the microwave cabinet behind us...

Other than sleeping more and skipping breakfast, she is just like she has always been. I don't see a lot of physical changes in her except that now, when you look at her from above, there is no waist - she just goes straight back. Soon she will lose her tuck-up (the line that goes up from the ribcage to the hips) and begin to have a bit of a belly. I'll post a photo next week when hopefully you can see how she's beginning to fill out.

Questions are welcome. You can email me directly at JTACorwyn@aol.com. I will answer privately and post any particularly interesting questions here on the blog.

Also, anyone who is still interested in a puppy can email me as well. I have begun to take deposits for this litter from approved homes.