Coming Soon

I have puppies on the way!!!   KKR Reliquerie (Relic) and KKR Kengali Charleston (Charlie) are expecting puppies around August 19th.  Relic is positively HUGE, extremely uncomfortable, and is starting to get that long suffering look about her that tells me that she has reached the height of misery and is getting close.  She spends most of her timing lying in her whelping box looking like a beached whale!!!

Obviously, I am expecting quite a few pups - at least 10!!!  I expect lots of red wheatens, some with black masks, some perhaps with less.   No light wheatens, no livernose!!!

As soon as the pups arrive, I will begin the puppy picture torture!!!  I like to take pictures every week to 10 days and write weekly progress reports so that we can all watch the pups grow up together!!!

Stay tuned!!!!



Birth Day - Too Deep for Tears

Relic and Charlie's puppies arrived pretty much right on time - Sunday, August 20th.  The GOOD news is we have 13 live puppies - 7 boys and 6 girls.  All have ridges (two are not perfect), no excessive white and one knot tail.   A lot of dark red little wigglers with various amounts of black masks and chubby little tummies!!

The BAD news is......... Relic, their momma, died shortly after they were born.   She had the first 7 on her own but with some difficulty, so my vet recommended we do an emergency c-section.   She had 7 more pups, of which 6 were born alive, and 3 hours later she died in my arms.  Necropsy was not totally enlightening, but we suspect either a blood clot or a pulmonary embolism??

Sooooo........ my 76-year-old mother and I went to work tube feeding and bottle-feeding the 13 little orphans every 2-3 hours!!!  Yikes!!!  We were able to get goat colostrum and blood plasma to boost their immune systems, plus lots of goat milk rich in fat.   I put out an SOS to my Sioux Empire Kennel Club asking for help and anyone with a lactating bitch who could be a potential foster mom.  What a nursery and baby care system we have whipped into shape!!!

After consulting with my vet and fellow breeders, we opted to NOT remove the dew claws at 3 days, which is the normal procedure.  The consensus was that it would stress them out too much and a live puppy with dew claws would be better than a dead one without!

We realize that every day has been a challenge and a victory, so we hope that now only good things are ahead for them.



Week 1 -  Kombacks

Well, they are a week old.   Lost the 2 little guys who were in ICU so we are down to 11, 6 boys and 5 girls.   Hope to keep the rest going ok!!    All are doing well, gaining weight and chubby - tube feeding going MUCH better than bottle-feeding.   Just can't keep up with them bottle-feeding.   Mom and I are exhausted.   I have found foster families for them with REAL mommas!!!!    Some are with Adrienne Freyer from Rapid City and her Komondor momma and 2-week-old baby, Blizzard and Fame.    Some are with Melanee Clark from Vermillion and her two Sheltie momma's, Lexxi and Tyree.    If all goes well, the foster mommas will keep them going for a few weeks, puppy mush a little earlier than normal perhaps, then back home to me after weaning - hopefully by 4 weeks.

I guess we will go with the obvious and call this litter "the Orphan Litter".   I googled famous orphans and came up with a list of cute ones.



Week 2 - Sheltesians

I think you can tell by the look on Miss Lexxi, the Sheltie foster moms face, she is a bit overwhelmed by the voracious Rhodesians!!!   We had tried to foster 7 of the pups with two Sheltie momma's, Lexxi and Tyree, but the 7 Rhodesian heathens were too much for the two little sheltie moms, so last week I took 3 more of the pups to the Komondor momma, Blizzard.  Blizzey is doing fine with 7 of the Rhodesian heathens and her own Komondor baby, Fame.  Lexxi is now doing much better with just 4!!!  These little guys double in size almost every week so they will probably be almost as big as Lexxi by the time they get to come home to me at 4 weeks.  By 8 weeks when they go to their new homes, they will be bigger and much heavier than Lexxi - almost 20 pounds!!!

All are doing great - chubby little Ridgebacks!!



Week 3 - Orphan Snorkeling


Fame, the 4-week-old Komondor was having her first try at puppy gruel when several of the almost 3-week-old Ridgies dived headfirst into her bowl!!!  Soooo....more puppy gruel was served in a puppy saucer and whaaa laaa....... Orphan Snorkeling!!!

Thankfully, Blizzey cleans them up!!  What a mess!!!  But nice, full tummies!!

All the puppies are doing GREAT!!!   They have had their toenail trims (momma’s appreciate the removal of all those little daggers!!!), been wormed for the first time (YUCK!) and are beginning to play with each other.  Occasionally, a pathetic attempt at a bark or growl is heard, but they sort of act like they don't know who or where that strange noise came from!!!  They still mostly eat and sleep but they are walking (actually more of a GI Joe crawl!!), and are starting to actually LOOK like puppies.



Week 4 - Orphan Reunion

ALL the little Ridgeback Orphans are HOME!!!!   What fun it is to have them all back together again!!   They are doing GREAT (except for one little female who may have a respiratory problem) and are pretty close to being normal in size, definitely fine as far as development and socialization go, and I am just SOOOOO HAPPY!!!!  Blizzey and Lexxi did a fabulous job along with their human moms,  Adrienne and Melanee.   Blizzey and Fame were really missing their  "KomBack" babies.   Lexxi, I think, perhaps not soooo much with her Sheltesians!!!!   Try as they might, the foster mommas could NOT lick those ridges off!!!

It has been an action packed two days!!!  First they had another long car ride and got to meet each other all over again - no problems.  Then they all got wormed again (yuck!)  Next was a toenail trim (Ouch!) and today they got a bath (it was all well.....wet!)  They have a special formula of puppy mush that I make for them every day - milk replacer, distilled water, puppy chow, little snort of corn syrup (helps prevent constipation - they hate it when THAT happens!), 1/2 cup plain yogurt (helps digestion with GOOD bacteria), and two egg yolks for extra protein.  They eat about 6 times a day with all the fresh water they want.  And last but certainly not least, we are litter box training!!!  (WHAAATTTT!!)  This is my first attempt at litter box training, but I've been told it is VERY effective soooo.... They have an under-the-bed container with blankets in it, and heat lights over it for their bed and the lid is well........ the litter box!!  I was told that the wood pellet things that you get for your wood burning stove work the best.  They are doing AMAZINGLY well!!!  They climb in and out as needed, the wood pellets cling and soak up their 'deposits' and their play area and bed stays much nicer and MUCH easier to clean!!   When they go to their new homes, all their new family will need to do is pick WHERE the bathroom is, place some of the wood pellets in that area, CARRY the puppy to that spot, put the puppy down, and stand there.   The puppy will recognize the smell and know that THIS is the bathroom.  That's the theory - will see if it works!!

Thanks to the Internet, I have come up with an appropriate list of "FAMOUS ORPHANS".    I need to get to know them a little bit better myself before I will be able to get the right name with the right pup.   Who will be.....:

Boys - Harry Potter, Popeye, Tom Sawyer, Huckberry Finn, Tarzan and Peter Pan
Girls - Pollyanna, Pipi Longstocking, Heidi, Sweet Pea, and of course Little Orphan Annie

The rest of this week they will mostly eat and sleep, gain weight, start REALLY looking more like puppies than Wallabyes!!!  They will also continue to practice their pathetic attempts at barking, growling, hopping and jumping!!!

I'm soooo happy to have my babies back!!!  A HUGE THANK YOU to Melanee and Lexxi, Adrienne, Blizzard and Fame.  I can NEVER thank them enough for their kindness, compassion and obvious caring!!!  The ORPHANS thank them too!!



Week 5 - Flower Patch Kids

I am absolutely amazed at how much the little Heathens have changed in only ONE week!!!  Their little bums have filled out, their round bellies have gone tubular, their little cheeks have gotten chubby, and they turned into PUPPIES!!! YEAH!!!  Just the one little girl, Little Orphan Annie, is a bit behind.   I think she had a bad cold or pneumonia, but she is getting better now that I have her on antibiotics.   She has gained a lot of weight too, and OH is she FEISTY!!!!    She doesn't take any guff off her big brothers!!!

Just as I suspected, the Orphans have hopping, jumping and running down pat, albeit somewhat clumsy!!  Their jumping is really hilarious as they usually miscalculate either the distance or the height and get hung up on something!!!.  They've got growling down pretty well, and even some pretty darn good barking going on now and then.   Whining and crying they are very good at!!!  Especially once they hear my voice and know that I am COMING!!    I represent food, affection and PLAY - all good things!

We had a beautiful South Dakota day on Sunday, so the Orphans went outside for the very first time.   What fun they had in the grass once they got used to it poking them in the tummy!  And OH what fun it was to nose and tunnel their way through Grandma's flower patch!     Enjoy the pictures of the "Flower Patch (not Cabbage Patch!) Kids!!

I don't know which pup is which in the pictures, but I can tell you that
they all have names now thanks to the Internet and googling "famous orphans"!

Boys: 
Huckleberry Finn is dark faced and what a little adventurer he is - first to figure out how to climb out of the whelping box, first to adventure way out in the yard, first to discover a ladybug.....he will be a go getter.   Tom Sawyer is a little lighter faced than Huck and is right behind him following on each new adventure.  Popeye is the biggest pup of the bunch- that might be him all by himself in the pictures.  Tarzan has the blackest face of all, independent, and is right in there with Huck and Tom!!  Peter Pan has the least amount of mask, and Harry Potter of course is magically perfect!!!

Girls: 
Well we KNOW who Little Orphan Annie is!!!  Sweet Pea has the darkest mask.  Pollyanna, Pipi Longstockings, and Heidi are all colored almost identically and are still pretty hard to tell apart.



Week 6 - Knock, Knock


The ORPHANS are Knocking!!!!

Once again the Orphan Litter has had a fun filled week!!!!  They now enjoy being outside almost all day long playing in the BIG puppy play yard which has real trees, big rocks, a puppy swimming pool, lots of toys etc..... so they spend all day running and jumping and climbing and are blessedly whooped at the end of the day!!!   They have figured out now how to go up and down steps which is part of the reason WHY they have been relocated to the puppy play yard!!

Litter box training continues to go VERY well.  Even out in the grass yard, I see them many times go use the litter box.  I REALLY hope this will help housetraining be just another notch easier.

As promised, the new pictures attached identify each pup individually.   As an overview, all the pups have ridges, none have hernias, all have minimal to no white markings, all have very nice teeth, none have kinked tails, all are red wheatens with black masks but varying shades of each.   Enjoy the pictures and see below for a brief description of each:

PET FEMALES:
Little Orphan Annie - red wheaten, minimal black mask, almost no white, perfect ridge, no faults.  Annie is obviously much smaller than the others due to her catching a cold and being ill which is why I will place her as a pet.   She is a little tiger though and is tuff but sweet.  She loves to snuggle, always comes when called, and is definitely a people person and a 'helper'!  Limited AKC papers, Spay contract

Heidi - dark red wheaten, medium black mask, white on toes, minimal white on chest, perfect ridge.   Heidi is a go-getter, she is adventurous, playful and curious about what's new!!  She is a very, very pretty puppy.  Limited AKC papers, Spay contract


PET MALES:
Huckleberry Finn - dark red wheaten, dark black mask, white on toes, medium spot on chest, one crown ridge.  Huck is a true ADVENTURER!!  He is always on a mission to check out the latest bug, leaf, or noise.  He is a born leader and has many willing followers!!   Limited AKC papers, Neuter contract

Tom Sawyer - red wheaten, medium black mask, minimal white on toes, medium spot on chest, perfect ridge.    Tom is right behind Huck on all adventures!!!  He is fun, eager to please and will sit momentarily to be loved on - occasionally!  Limited AKC papers, Neuter contract

Tarzan - dark red wheaten, dark black mask, white on toes, big spot on chest, off set crowns on ridge.   Tarzan fits his name!  He is independent, always up for a new challenge, the first to figure out steps, how to get out of the pool, how to disembowel their poor Slinky Dragon!!  Limited AKC papers, Neuter contract


PERFECT PET/SHOW PROSPECT MALES:

Popeye - red wheaten, med black mask, white on toes, medium spot on chest, perfect ridge.  Popeye is the biggest pup in the litter, and his personality is that of a big easy going, fun loving galoot.  Nothing gets him to worked up, he loves to snuggle, loves to join in the adventures of Tom and Huck!   Limited AKC papers, Neuter contract

Peter Pan - dark red wheaten, medium black mask, almost no white, perfect ridge.  Pete is sort of a middle of the road kind of guy.  He likes to run and play but is a darn good snuggler too and likes to hang out with me.   Limited AKC papers, Neuter contract

Harry Potter - red wheaten, medium black mask, minimal white anywhere, perfect ridge.  Harry is goofy and funny, and always up to something!!!  He hangs around pretty close to me though and is not one to disappear on you.  Limited AKC papers, Neuter contract


PERFECT PET/SHOW PROSPECT FEMALES:

Pollyanna - lightest red wheaten, minimal mask, no white, perfect ridge.  Polly is independent, curious, and likes to hang with Tom and Huck!!    She is sweet though, not really shy, a snuggler!!  Limited AKC papers, Spay contract

Pipi Longstocking - medium red wheaten, medium black mask, tiny white, perfect ridge.  Pipi is a goof ball, loves to play with toys, likes to sit in my lap and watch the Tarzan show, sweet, a very curious puppy.   Limited AKC papers, Spay contract

Sweet Pea - dark red wheaten, dark mask, white on toes, big spot on chest, perfect ridge.  Sweet Pea is a people puppy, she likes to follow me around 'helping', plays well with others, runs with sticks, a sweetie.   Limited AKC papers, Spay contract



Week 7 - Orphans Gone Wild


What a week the orphans have had!!!    Got their first puppy shots (OUCH!), got wormed for the 3rd time (YUCK!), and got micro chipped (BIG OUCH!)

Early in the week when the weather was warm, they got to play every day in the big Puppy Play Pen where there are BIG rocks, big trees, a baby swimming pool (brrrrrr), and lots of new fun toys and room to RUN!!!!  Their aunts, uncles and grandparents are right there saying HI!!!  They had a blast just being......... well Puppies!!!!

The last few days have gotten kind of cold so they had to learn how to use the swinging puppy doors which allow them to go in and out on their own to go potty AND they had to learn how to go up and down steps!!!  All picked both up VERY quickly, even little Annie, so they have gotten really confident that they can handle lots of changes!!!  They do still like their snuggly warm bed (yes it's heated!) so they spend quite a little time sleeping yet, but they NEVER, EVER go potty in their doggy den.  Crate training has begun so hopefully you won't have a lot of difficulty finishing up their housetraining.

It takes a whole crew for the final photography session, so enjoy the pictures and the out takes!!!!

Can't believe the Orphans are 8 weeks old already.  Time to let them go.  It pleases me beyond words to find the right puppy, for the right family, at the right time and yet ................ deep sigh.



Week 9 - Time & Orphans FLY!!!

Hi Orphan Rhodesian Fans!!

Where did the last two weeks go???!!!!!     I was at the TWO, count them TWO, conformation shows that SD has each fall where we AKC Championed our two 18 month old littermates, Fenway and Foxey  (see News and Events!!!!)    What a rush to finish two in one weekend!!!

The Orphans are doing GREAT and have started going to their new homes.   Last week they had their final Vet check and passed with flying colors!!!!    They are socializing every day with all their adult Aunts and Uncles so that they learn proper canine behavior and Samba and Walley wear the little monsters, I mean darlings!, out!!!!!   They enjoy following me around winterizing the Homestead.    They have discovered that frozen apples make good toys and treats!, and leaves are really fun to play in especially while I am trying to rake them!!!!




Orphan Litter August 20, 2006

All the Orphans have been adopted and are loving life with their new families!!!      Looking back over the last 3 months, this litter has been the most heartbreaking and rewarding litter I have ever raised.   I learned things I hope I will NEVER need to use again!!!   


Losing Relic was horrible, but the response from my dog friends and family and my fellow Sioux Empire Kennel Club members was overwhelming!!!!    I can NEVER thank 4 people enough for all they did to help the "Incredible Eleven" survive :

Dr. Michelle Jensen, Harrisburg Large Animal Clinic, and her staff who did everything they could to save Relic's life, and then went beyond the call of duty to do whatever was currently or even downright NEW in the veterinary science industry to save the orphans.  God Bless our Doctors. 

Adrienne Freyer, USAF Ellsworth , SD Airforce Base, who was so supportive and shared so much critical information on how to raise orphans, and whose Komondor momma, Blizzard, fostered 7 of the Orphans.   I know Blizzey truly believed those were her babies and missed them when they were gone!!   God Bless our Military.

Melanee Clark, University of SD Animal Research Director, and her family who gamely took on 4 of the Orphans to be fostered by Lexi, the Sheltie.  I know how much time they put into convincing Lexi that these enormous pups were really hers!!!  I don't think she ever REALLY bought it, but she fostered them just because Melanee ASKED her to!!  God Bless our Academics/Scientists/Teachers.

and finally,

My 76 year old mom, Betty Dirks, who is the first to tell you "I really don't even like dogs", but was there with me every step of the way when we were feeding them every 2-3 hours with tubes and bottles, and stimulating body functions, and giving them wipee baths, and keeping them warm and dry, and hugging them and rubbing them to make sure they felt loved!   She literally WILLED Little Orphan Annie into living when she was so sick and CRIED when she went to her new home.    I think she has been converted into a reluctant dog lover whether she likes it or not!!!  God Bless our Moms.

I will NEVER forget my Orphan Litter and those who loved and love them.

See the Orphans whole story in pictures below and be sure to check out the "out takes" for more pictures of each pup that didn't quite make it to the front page!!!  

An interesting coincidence occured with the Orphans new families.   Tarzan, Harry and Pipi went to three families who purchased pups from me before - ALL from the same litter that time too - Attila, Thor and Maile!!!    Polly and Huck also went home with familes who have bought pups from me before!   Truly, the Orphans are 'all in the family'!!  We will keep adding pictures of the 'grandpuppies' as they grow up!!!

You can read all about their weekly progress by clicking here.