Look at the puppy film on Zannas puppy page 15-03-2006!

Hmmm the trick seems to be that you have to get up early if you want the photo thing to work ha, ha, ha. Not good for me, I’m an evening/night person pffff.

Its time for another group photo so you can decide for yourself if you think they have changed much.


The eyes have sprung open just that little bit more.


Today I cut the puppies nails for the first time. This saves Zanna’s tummy from those oh so sharp things. Because they are so very small and “soft” I use a normal human nail clipper.

I have been trying for ages to upload some photos. This is often a problem with Blogger but with perseverance it usually works in the end. But I’m sorry to say today it just aint working…..
So Ill just tell you a story about yesterday night…..

I know I have mentioned that Zanna is such a lovely mother but I just have to say it again…
Anyway...
Yesterday night I was laying in bed when a thunderstorm started with really loud thunder. Zanna and Tieka both used to have no problems with this and also fireworks where no problem but since 2 years that has changed. The fireworks got so loud that even I have to agree it was nearly frightening, the windows of my house were literally moving to the point that I thought they would break. So now they both come and find comfort with me when it all gets loud. I don’t say anything to them; don’t encourage them to be frightened. I’m just there for them to sit/lay against and they are calm again.
So when I was in bed yesterday and I heard the thunder start and I thought poor Zanna. And sure enough a few minutes later (after odvious debate on her part as it took her longer than normal to come) she jumped on my bed and nearly suffocated me by laying on half of my head till the thunder was over. Then she happily jumped of the bed and spent the rest of the night back with her puppies.
Ok just one more time…. Zanna is so sweet with her puppies (but thunderstorms over ride motherly love :-)))) )

At first glance the puppies don’t look any different from a few days ago. But up close you can see that the eye lids are starting to relax and the eyes will be open in a few days, the same goes for the ears.
What a lovely smile don’t you agree



Mama and her little girl Aussie.

Last night I slept in my own bed for the first time since the puppies were born… wow so much nicer than my couch. I had a good nights sleep before having to go to work for the first time since the puppies were born.
Like I expected Zanna stayed all night with her babies only coming out at 6 in the morning to come up stairs and have me wake up with her fluffy muzzle in my face “wake up mum I gotta go!!!” So down we went, Zanna did her bussines quick and propper and we both went back to our own sleeping places for another hour…
Dont worry, the dogs were not alone today as my mother “dog sits” for me.

Zanna truly enjoying her puppies.

















A moment of wanting to be on her own and go wild. Digging so fast to become a bluur on the screen.


My sweet sleeping “mountain Kiwi”


Natural selection… above the boys, below the girls


One of the boys (which ever he is as we dont know who is going to live where yet) already has his own homepage. The owner is a very dear friend of mine who already owns the cutest little “dragon” you have ever seen. I dont think Ive ever seen a little dog with such a cute tiny little nose as Luna has. Her photos dont do her justist.
The site is in Dutch. Enjoy. http://home.wanadoo.nl/rgreive/Dono
Btw Luna is Zanna’s best friend so it is kind of special that one of her puppies is going to live there :-)

Oh my, these puppies are still so small and don’t really do anything but eat and sleep yet I can sit and look at them all day.

There is often little squeaks that are so heart warming.
They actually do crawl quite a bit and its fun to watch them waddle around finding what they are looking for even though they cant see a thing.
The way their mother cleans them, licking their bottoms to get them to wee and poeh. This is done in a brisk and “forceful” way that we humans wouldn’t dream of doing with our own human babies.
The way they drink, their little paws pumping their mothers belly to get the milk flowing.
Seeing how their tongs wrap around mums nipples and believe me they are suction tight!
Looking at one of the pups stuck under mother’s side looking rather squashed but actually being cosy and warm.
Watching day by day how the colours are changing, starting with their a birth pink paw pads that with some are already dark indicating these will most likely be “roam” coated pups while the puppies with still pink pads will stay white-brown.
Seeing how each day my other dogs peep over the edge to see the little aliens. This is always done carefully and with much respect to Zanna.
Watching how Zanna day by day lets the others watch and then by some secret queue she will put her body between the other dog and the pups and no one argues with her protective reasoning.
And just when you think all puppies have fallen asleep the first starts to wiggle again and wakes up the rest for the next meal. Squeaking and snuffling contentedly cos life is so yummy and warm.

Pfffffff I haven’t told you half of it and already I’m thinking no wonder I’m so busy with these puppies that aren’t doing anything!

different paws taken on the same day.

Zanna still stays inside the 4 walls of her whelping box and has all respect from Tieka, Vaglie and Kiwi. She just gives them “the eye” and they turn away ha, ha, ha. But usually she lets the have a little bit of a sniffle and look around before she turns them out again.
Kiwi has the most interest in what is happening and sometimes “lays guard” for a short time. Its seems to me to be a very friendly gesture.



And some times Kiwi is just plain naughty testing how far she can push Zanna before Zanna will softly growl her warning LOL. Other times Zanna will turn a blind eye and let the others in so they can snuff and touch the puppies. Especially Kiwi gets the most privileges, the spoilt “little” dog.

When they look like this they don’t look very intelligent eh…



At the moment I sleep downstairs with Zanna and so do all the other dogs. I sleep on my small couch and my feet stick out on the chair besides the couch where they are kept warm by Tieka who sleeps there ;-).



All the umbilical cords have fallen off today. Btw this is one of the boys.

Happy birthday puppies, you’re one day old!

They are all doing fine but not drinking as much as Zanna is supplying so I’m having to massage her to keep things going smoothly. Thank goodness she seems to enjoy this rather than think it is annoying.
Other than that Zanna is looking wonderful. She has got her figure back and looking better than ever. She is a positively glowing mother making her look even better :-).

Zanna wraps her babies in her body.


She still only leaves them for a wc break. In a few days she will start to be more confident to leave them to go for short walks with us. And then she will be oh so happy when we get back ha, ha, ha. The reunions are always such a feast to see.

This was an unique moment to see the pups alone.
From left to right: Aussie, Teddy, Brownie, Saddle, Two Spot and One Spot.


Little paws and a still remaining umbilical cord that will drop off with in a day or 2.


Not the best time of day for Zanna. “oh, what yea doing with my kids?” is the look I get as I weigh her puppies.

And this is the result of 4 wonderful days in Germany!

Zanna Zinat of the Kakapo nest and Gianni vom Richcastle are proud to announce they are now the proud parents of 3 boys and 3 girls born on the 15th of march 2006.

From left to right with there nick names till they have their own real names:
Aussie = female, Saddle = female, two spot = male, one spot = male, teddy = female, and brownie = male.

14.15 = Two spot - 337 grams
14.16 = One spot – 253 grams
15.03 = Brownie – 244 grams
15.15 = Teddy – 335 grams
16.25 = Aussie – 324 grams
16.55 = Saddle – 270 grams

Zanna is wonderful with her pups and I couldn’t wish for more after such a lovely day…..

And now the most interesting part, photos of the day.

Zanna panting but smiling waiting for the “puppy day” to begin. Btw the first puppy of every litter always get born on my bed since the mums are always aloud to chose where they want to whelp. Once the first is born I take them to the whelping box and mum dose the rest there with no problems.


Two spot still in his sack.


I love you mum!!!!


Surprise, surprise not only one puppy born on the bed but 2 because one spot came straight after two spot ;-)


Three little boys, I was beginning to wonder if we were going to get any girls…


And then it all changed. Here is the first of the 3 girls


Kiwi is fascinated by the puppies and takes advantage of any moment to go and admire them from close-up. She is very careful with the pups and has a lot of respect for mama, she leaves the moment Zanna says she has to.


Little pile of puppies.


Hanging out at the bar….


What a pretty picture after such a successful day!

Today Zanna had a temperature drop so pups should be soon.

From above she dosnt look very big but from the side you can see she is pregnant ;-). I was very surpised myself when I looked into the whelping box to see this little hippo hahaha. She really dosnt look fat when she is standing.

Sunday 12th of march belly. The photo of Zanna and Tieka show the difference between preggy and not preggy belly.
Btw as you can see they have such a "dogs life".....
Tip: I dont know if you have found out yourself but latly the photos in these posts you can enlarge by clicking on them.

A cute "Zanna photo" taken last week by a friend when she still had fur. I was holding Zanna up so they could see her belly, very interesing to them as their puppy is in there :-)

Zanna has about a week to go before whelping. I shaved her coat off for practical reasons. Some people think it’s a shame but I never mind my girls with short coats. An added bonus is that the short coat is so lovely to feel, like velvet I think.

I asked Zanna to lie back again for a tummy photo and she obliged with a look of “hmm not again…pffff ok…”


I can feel the puppies moving very easily now and today I can even see them moving. Who ever it was isn’t a lazy puppy LOL.

Zanna is eating VERY well. Sometimes she will refuse curtain foods wanting something different which she will eat with relish. She knows what she wants and I keep my fridge full of all sorts for her. Its interesting to see that curtain foods are liked more at different times. Zanna seems to really know what’s good for her as when I read the books the advice for different things at different times really do correspond with Zanna’s choices. Nature is pretty cleaver eh.

2 march 2006 and I felt the first movements of a puppy!!! Took a lot of patience before I finally felt him/her but it was worth the wait… and to tell the truth it was wonderful feeling Zanna’s soft belly anyway :-)

An “iffy” day in the park a few months ago. Is it going to rain or stay sunny?

Zanna is getting so cuddly and chubby. I just love pregnant girls!

This is Zanna today who obligingly laid back so you can see her tummy (in real life its more impressive). She was mated 12 Feb. so you can work out how far she is… pups due 15 march.


This ones were taken in February when she was with her lover. They had lots of running fun together each time before they mated which was 3 times ;-).



The dad to be.


This morning Kiwi went and sat with Vaglie and I thought that was worth taking a photo off. Poor Vaglie suddenly only had sitting room ha, ha. These 2 are such great friends its heart warming. 2 weeks ago they both fitted on the chair togeather easily.