I have not kept up with the blog the way I would have wished, but let's begin anew --

Bella delivers through the night and has eight beautiful little black and red pups. She began her labor last night around 10:00, and by noon today had whelped six boys and two girls. She was quite the trooper throughout and today seems none the worse for the wear.

Bella was one of five pups born here in Tasha's first and only litter. Some may remember that during delivery of Tasha's second litter one of the pups turned, cutting off the blood to the uterus, and the entire litter of five was lost, as was Tasha's uterus, ovaries, and all chances to produce any more pups. Bella's sire Zane, owned by Shane and Ashley Ezell, has also not produced any more litters. So Bella, her two sisters, Lili and Kayla, and her two brothers, Brutus and Capone, are Tasha's and Zane's lone progeny. But now --- GRANDPUPPIES!!!

So now Bella becomes our first second generation mother here at Ravenna Kennels. She's the first to whelp a litter who was also born here. She actually whelped in the same birthing room in which she was born. We're so excited -- we've been anticipating this litter for a while.

Here are mother and pups.

Here's Amigo, the pups' sire.


Here's the eight pups.


And here's Bella when she was a pup here at Ravenna Kennels.

K Litter's Growing Well

Saturday, we let Fancy have a little respite from her motherly duties. She got out in the kennel yard and romped a bit. The pups were 8 days old and it was the first break she had taken away from them. I think she enjoyed the time off. then when she went back in, she returned to her responsibilities.

Then yesterday, Tuesday, I noticed that about half of the puppies are starting to open their eyes. They are also crawling around a bit more. It's time now to put carpet in the whelping box so they can get some traction as they learn to walk.

As you can see, mother and all 11 puppies are doing well.

K Litter's Day 3

Pacolet, SC - Mother and all eleven babies are doing well this morning. Fancy has finally started moving about some. "Whelping eleven babies wears a mom out," she commented in the early Sunday morning hours. "But the satisfaction of caring for these precious ones makes it all worthwhile." She was all smiles.

Fancy was exhausted, but did take a moment to look at the camera.

Fancy's Delivering Today

Fancy's not due till next Tuesday, July 7, but we were surprised to go to her whelping room this morning and find her already in labor - with 4 puppies already. By 8 pm she's had 11 puppies - 6 boys and 5 girls. Of those eleven, 4 are sable girls, 3 are sable boys, 3 are black & tan boys and 1 is a black & tan girl. Here's some pictures:

Here's the first seven pups.
Here's Fancy and the first seven.
Here are the first six.

No Pups Yet From Maggie

We took Maggie to the vet yesterday - since we counted her due date up being Tuesday, June 16. The vet did an ultrasound and saw live puppies ---- yippeee! ---- and said probably next week. She said that the date of first breeding is not always the date of conception. So ..... we're still waiting.

Maggie's Getting Used To Her New Digs

Maggie has not yet started her labor, but she is due on Tuesday June 16. So we moved her into her new kennel, which opens up into her whelping room.

Here she is coming into the whelping room.

And in these next pictures, she's getting used to her whelping box.

And now, we're leaving her for the night.

We've Just Added Some New Dogs to our Kennel

Last week, we drove to Louisiana and Alabama and picked up two new girls and a new boy for our kennels. They are all cajuns from Louisiana and great additions to our kennels.

First, here's Ladybug. She'll be five years old on the 30th. She had the misfortune of enduring Hurricane Katrina at her previous owner's, just south of New Orleans.

And this long coat beauty is Pepper. She hails from the same kennel, but was not around for Katrina. She'll be three in October.

This cute little boy is Jackson. He's a black and silver long coat boy. He's only 20 weeks old now.

I Litter at 6 weeks

The pups in the I Litter turn 6 weeks old today. Here's the ones that are still available.

This is IGLOO - 5 lb. at 6 weeks. She's a white girl and wears the purple collar.

Here's INCA - 4 lb. 1 oz. at 6 weeks. Beautiful white girl, wearing the green & white collar.

This is IRIS - at 3 lb. 8 oz., she's the smallest. She's a beautiful silver sable with no collar.


This is ISABELLA - 5 lb. 5 oz. at 6 weeks - gorgeous white girl with no collar.

Here's little ITSY - 4 lb. 12 oz. at 6 weeks - She's black & silver with no collar.

Four-Week Old Pups - Our I Litter

Ida - Black & Silver Girl

Igloo - White Girl

Ike - Black & Silver Boy

Inca - White Girl


Iris - Silver Sable Girl


Isabella - White Girl

Isolde - Black & Silver Girl

Itsy - Black & Silver Girl

For Victoria - Pictures of Gimli

Victoria, These were taken on Saturday - He is almost 5 weeks old in these. Of course now he is almost 6 weeks old. As I said on the phone, he'll be ready to ship on Monday, March 23.

Lady's Having Her Pups

Lady started her delivery about 4:00 this afternoon. as of 7:50 pm she has 6 pups - 4 boys and 2 girls. Here's a picture of the first five: (Taken with Judy's camera phone)

Here's Lady with all 6 pups born so far. (8:10 pm)

A BIG SURPRISE!!!

Reba surprised us today. She wasn't due until Friday - 63 days gestation period. I was gone to town most of the morning - When I came home early afternoon and started cleaning the kennels, she didn't come out to greet me. So I thought, "Maybe she's not feeling well - her time is getting close." I went in to her birthing room and there she was with SIX FAT EARLY PUPS - Four boys and two girls - five days early. Here they are - mother and pups.