Goldmali


The Maligolds!

  Page 2 of Maligolds

Page 3 of Maligolds

Page 4 of Maligolds

This is NOT a new "designer crossbreed" made up to make money.

The "Maligolds" were an accidental crossbred litter and they are all NEUTERED.


          

We thought we were being so careful. For 6 years Dandy had lived with bitches without ever mating any.

We always split him and Ripley up during her seasons -but this time not soon enough. Never again !

"Let's make sure to separate Dandy and Ripley before Dandy gets interested in her", I said when Ripley was almost in the middle of her season, shortly after Crufts 2002.

Dandy and Ripley were asleep together on the kitchen floor,

and this far he had shown no interest in her whatsoever.

Before locking Dandy in a different room, I let them outside one last time.

30 seconds later they had mated.

Poor Dandy even got injured as Ripley tried to run away when they were tied together.

We considered giving Ripley a series of injections to prevent her from

getting pregnant, but decided against it as there were too many possible health complications.

 

And so Ripley was pregnant. A scan after 3 weeks showed "3 or 4 puppies" -

or so we were told.

But Ripley got fatter and fatter -and more and more tired.

(Despite this she managed to take her KC Good Citizen SILVER award at 7 weeks pregnant!)

We had expected the puppies to be born after 63 days -but already on day 58 did Ripley start

showing signs of the birth being imminent.

She panted, was restless and kept digging everywhere.

John hadn't even completely finished the whelping box yet, it still

lacked its guard rails (to protect any puppy from being squashed against the sides).

I sat with her all day and all evening.

Ripley didn't mind company, not even when Ringo the Maine Coon came for a visit!

At 1.30 am the contractions started.

Finally, at 3 am the next morning, the first puppy arrived. A Black bitch.

Ripley waited until I had woken John up, she wanted him there too!

45 minutes later number 2 arrived -also a Black bitch.

Just over an hour later, two puppies arrived all at once.

A BRINDLE bitch and a Black dog. The Black dog was born dead.

As we thought this was it, 4 puppies born, we gave Ripley clean bedding.

Then John had to leave for work -after 3 hours sleep!

Ripley washing her 3 puppies.

Custard the Persian cat came for a visit.

Just before 7 am, another puppy arrived! Another Brindle bitch.

(And I so much wanted a DOG to keep.)

I then went to sleep on the couch for a while as I had been up all night.

At 9 am I woke up, and decided to let Ripley out.

Luckily I went outside with her. She squatted down -and out shot a tiny Black dog pup !!

5 puppies now, out of 6 born. Now she must be finished at last !

I fed Ripley as she was exhausted -and SURELY she was finished.

But NO. Every time I thought Ripley had finished giving birth,

yet another puppy arrived. She gave birth to the last one at 2 pm.

By now she had NINE live puppies. Three Brindle bitches, three Black bitches, two Black dogs -and one BRINDLE dog -and I knew at once that HE would be mine !!

We had to give Ripley clean bedding again and attach the guard rails, so put all the

pups in a tray for a few minutes.

Did all of them really come out of me ???

Ripley loved her babies from the start.

She took good care of them and kept them clean.

All the puppies the next day.

One of the Brindle bitches -with a black face mask like her mum.

Suckling puppies.

Ripley with her puppies less than 24 hours old.

This is Arnie, my puppy, one week old!

Here the puppies are 11 days old.

Ringo still likes to visit !

Arnie

Still sleeping in a pile

The biggest black dog at 2 weeks of age.

(Shadow.)

Here he is again -eyes just starting to open.

One of the Brindle bitches at 17 days of age.

 

We have now moved in to the kitchen.

Eyes open and about 3 weeks old.

One of the brindles meeting Endora, the second oldest cat.

The age difference is more than 11 years.

And now we are meeting DADDY!

It's about time Dandy took his turn babysitting.

The first ever meal of solid food.

Big black dog ended up in the middle of the dish,

skating like Bambi on the ice.

Everyone wants to eat at once

Two girls -one brindle and one black, looking out of the box.

A selection of puppies

Trying to catch them all at once, didn't quite manage!

ARNIE DANDELION MALIGOLD

(Arnie after Schwarzenegger, Dandelion after daddy, and Maligold after the breeds.)

Ripley did not feed them very often now, and when she did, she needed to stand up.

 

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE HERE -SEE THE PUPS IN THEIR NEW HOMES!