One week to the due date!

Look how much rounder Dixie has become.  Her belly is really dropping low.   I could feel the little puppies moving around when I placed my hand on her tummy today!  Her trim waste line has completely disappeared!  The girl is looking rather uncomfortable.

I got the whelping box out today, and put some towels, and newspaper in the box.  I will have her start sleeping in the box from now on, so she will get use to the fact that this is where she will deliver her litter.

Her due date is March 11, but she has always delivered 2-3 days early so keep an eye on the blog especially from March 8th on.  Additionally she begins delivering pups in the evening and through the night.  If I have some signs that she is nesting, I will let you know.  Nesting is an indication that delivery is within 24hs.

So what is nesting?  Well, the Mom starts acting differently.  Last time, she was scratching and scratching at her bed and circling around like she couldn't get comfortable.   She asks to go outside over and over all day, as if she needs to potty, but she comes right back in and then needs to go out again. She also won't eat the day of her whelping.  Last year, she had pulled her blanket out of her bed and scrunched the whole thing into her dog dish!  Very strange! 

Beginning this weekend, Dixie will not be allowed to roam freely about, but I will keep her confined to an area where I can keep my eye on her.  I'll never forget how with our first litter, I told my teenager to keep a close eye on Dixie because she looked like she would be whelping soon.  My teenager forgot, and when I told her to find Dixie, she came back with news that a puppy was found in a dress on her bedroom floor!  Oh well, a little mess, but no tragedies.  We just won't cause ourselves extra work, this time around!