Friday, February 10, 2012

Our Bulldog Adventure

It’s a little past midnight on January 12th, 2011. It’s cold, very cold, and snowing.  Neenee (pronounced Nay Nay) our 4-year-old English Bulldog is laboring with her third litter of pups
 

Do I still have back legs?
 


OMG.....I can't breath!!

She had been able to naturally whelp her other two litters, which is unusual of English Bulldogs who typically require a C-section. 

However, something is not right! It’s not progressing like it should.  Bobby is checking her progress over and over, while Eric tries to reassure and comfort her.  The first puppy is breech and must be pulled out by its tiny feet.  Neenee seems better after the first puppy is out; however, something still seems wrong!

We decided it was time to load her in the truck and make the 45-minute trip to the emergency vet clinic.  Bobby is in the back of the truck with her and Eric is driving like a mad man in the snow.  She starts having some significant bleeding about half way there, but he doesn’t tell Eric.

Upon our arrival, the vet recognizes the seriousness of the situation and wants to proceed with an emergent c-section. She asks if it comes down to saving momma dog or the puppies, what would we want her to do?  “Save the mother” we both say simultaneously and without hesitation.
 
How could you not love this face??

Bobby happens to also be on call for the NICU and gets a call while talking to the vet.  She realizes what his day job is and insists that we both come back to help resuscitate the puppies, IF they make it. 

We are each handed a lifeless puppy to dry, stimulate, and cord clamp.  It’s not looking good at first but then one begins to breathe and move. Then the other starts as well!! Puppy after puppy are handed to us, all of which we are able to get breathing and moving on their own.  All told five puppies make it!

Neenee must recover from her anesthesia, so we are setting in the waiting room with five bulldog puppies lying on a heating pad in a box.  Five hours later, as the sun begins to show it’s self, we load Neenee and her new puppies in to the truck and head home.  It’s been a long night and we both still have to be at work in a few short hours.

Just an hour old!
Needless to say the next few weeks are fairly sleep deprived….at least for the humans in this story.  Neenee is trying to recover but not wanting to eat.  Fortunately, Bobby has a way of getting her to eat for him by talking in a funny voice and saying things like, “come on baby nee, you got eat for your babies”, etc. 


Unfortunately, Bobby is at work at feeding time.  Eric calls and says he can’t get her to eat.  Bobby relents and agrees to try to talk to her on the speakerphone.  So in the NNP office of the NICU, there stands Bobby talking baby talk into the phone with a half dozen people watching on.  At first, Neenee doesn’t buy it but after a few tries, Eric reports, much to his chagrin, that she is eating.  A sigh of relief overcomes the office; after all we ARE in the baby business.


Neenee picks a favorite puppy in the very beginning…bringing her up against her face and putting her front legs around her. Eric is quite smitten with her too! He dubbed her the beauty queen!


That's Sophie snuggled up between her front legs!



Bobby falls in love with the littlest puppy.
 



It should be against the law to be this cute!!!

About six weeks into it, while having some puppy time in the floor and discussing which one to keep; we both look at each other and say “are we crazy?”.  Realizing that we are probably going to keep both puppies, Neenee’s (Eric's) favorite and Bobby's, too!!!!!  The other three puppies are placed in very nice homes and we do occasionally get updates on their status. 


Sophie being frisky!



The puppies at play time!



Bulldogs apparently love noses!

Neenee and Eric’s favorite is now known as Sophie. Sophie is a big girl like her mother and has the stubborn attitude to match.

Like mother.....like daughter!

She has very selective hearing….only responding at meal time, usually.  She loves to chase the deer in the field and frequently goes to the edge of the property to bark at the neighbor’s horses.  They ignore her of course. 

Bobby's favorite now goes by Sadie, she is of a slighter build like her father.  She has quite a quirky personality. 


She is at times very skittish and jumps at the least little sound.  However, she is far more adventurous than her sister. 


She tends to go off by herself and explore.  She loves the wooded area next to the creek and is definitely the apple of Bobby’s eye.


As for Neenee, she has made a complete recovery of course.  She loves the recliner that she barely fits in. 


When we moved to the farm this past July, she grieved for 2 months because her favorite recliner wouldn’t fit in the family room.  To this day, if she doesn’t come when called, we know to look in the den, because sure enough there she is in her recliner, fast asleep and happy as can be.  We should also mention Neenee is the only dog that sleeps in the bed with us.  OK, perhaps we spoil her just a bit.



Thanks for stopping by..... more about our canine friends coming soon.

~Bobby & Eric~





35 comments:

  1. Ahhhh, they are so adorable. Glad that they all survived. That puppy with the one black eye is the cutest thing ever. I always wanted to have a litter of puppies with one of my doggies......but knew I wouldn't be able to part with any of them.
    Thanks for stopping by Cozy BLanket.....I don't think it registered that you "follow". Sometimes you have to click right above the Follow list.....plese come back and try again. (((((HUGS)))))

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    1. consider it done! If there are further problems let us know!!

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  2. Oooh guys, what a heartwarming story!... I love happily~ever~after stories, especially when it is about animals... so glad everything turned out the way it did... and that they all have wonderful homes and lots of love... I held my breath as I read this, but knowing with all the love you were giving Neenee that she and her pups would be ok... so cute, talking on the speaker phone to her!... You guys are the best!... thanks for sharing Neenee's story, xoxo Julie Marie

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  3. Gee you guys are great! What great parents you are! You have taken such good care of the puppies and they are A~D~O~R~A~B~L~E. I am a dog lover and find it very hard not to walk up to a dog and make friends with it. Sigh...my beloved Josie died three years ago and I have not gotten another dog. She was a Labrador/Retriever with more Retriever than Lab traits.

    Congratulations! I'm so glad you found good homes for the other little ones.

    Kris

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  4. Lovely post!
    What gorgeous puppies but, don't they grow quick?!

    Thanks for showing us your babes!

    Sandie xx

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    1. Well all puppies and humans grow quickly! Fortunately, Bull Dog puppies are not quite so quick with the growth!!

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  5. Bobby and Eric,
    I'm a cat person myself, probably because I grew up with kitties as pets. Our dogs were hounds and never allowed in the house, so I never developed much of a relationship with them.

    I must admit, the littlest pup is so cute, and Mama sure looks like a pampered princess. I can relate to her grieving over the loss of her favorite chair.

    My Russian Blue was finicky in the oddest ways. She loved canned tuna but refused to eat it if it was packed in oil. She'd sniff her bowl, look up at me as if to say, "What's this $hit?"

    She could be hiding ten feet away and I could call and call to no avail, but if I picked up the can opener she'd be at my feet rubbing my legs before I could close the cabinet drawer. I miss her. I had to put her down several years ago.

    Stay warm....I'm looking forward to reading about Sassy and other animal tails, er, I mean tales.
    Diane

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  6. I do love a happy ending but please tell me you're not going to let that bitch get pregnant again. This was too close a call!
    Beautiful puppies. Jake, my Border Collie prodigal dog, got a Blue Heeler bitch pregnant; she lives on the farm behind us.
    Puppies are SO cute but I do not need another dog; I already have six.
    Repeat: I do not need another dog.
    Do I?

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    1. We always limit the girls to 3 litters!!! We can also report that secondary to her ruptured uterus.....she ended up being essentially spayed.....no more babies from Nee! which is good with us.

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  7. OMG- this is the most incredible and precious puppy story ever! The pictures are wonderful- I'm totally in love with those dogs! I don't know who is luckier- you guys or those doggies!! If I wasn't already a follower- I would be now for sure! You guys have a wonderful talent for telling a story! Give those sweeties a little hug from their Auntie Vicki!

    Your blog is off to a fabulous start-- you are going to be famous!

    Xo
    Vicki

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  8. Oh my dear God!!

    You guys are "family". We are very bulldog crazy here. Our own bully - Meathead, is now a senior citizen and we just adore that wonderful guy. There will be terrible grieving when he finally leaves us.

    Your pictures and story were wonderful. I will be sharing them with my kids.

    Thank you for this wonderful post.

    Are you still breeding her?

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  9. Ok, one question (I promise, I won't hog your "comments" section) ...

    How did you give ANY of these beautiful faces away? How did you assess worthiness of prospective owners? Did you do background checks? LOL

    OK, that was three questions! *sigh*

    I know I could not give even one of those beautiful puppies up. I would still be looking for worthy owners a year later!

    And that is why I couldn't breed animals. Guess I wouldn't make a good farmer either. All the cows and chickens would have names.

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    1. We actually met the potential "parents' before hand. Made them leave without their puppy and think about it for 24 hours. One lady works with Bobby, but the other 2 are frequently putting pictures on Facebook!

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  10. Ah, spoiled indeed, but that's what dogs are for, without a doubt. We have an 85 lb. Golden, and an 8 lb. Chihuahua that rules the roost and sleeps with us, too. Great story, beautiful pictures, and ADORABLE pooches! Thanks for starting off my day with a smile...happy weekend - Tanya

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  11. You had me on the edge of my seat with your trip to emergency with Neenee. Oh gosh I can't tell you how glad I was to discover a happy ending! What precious little pups they all are. I'm so thrilled that your sweet Neenee is back to normal too, thanks to the awesome care you two gave to her. ~Lili

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  12. I'm smitten.......

    And may I say that the photo of NeeNee in labor made me swoon! I so remember feeling like that prior to birth.

    Thank you for sharing the puppies story with us. They DO have the most adorable faces and seem to be the perfect 'fit' for your farm. Please give them each a pet from me. I sure do miss having a dog around the house!

    Happy weekend guys! And doggies.....and sheep, etc.

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  13. What a wonderful story, and then it is also from the real life :)
    I love your telling about the almost nightmare night, that ended up in true happines- and they are sooo cute, - and imagine it is only one month ago, and they are already so big.
    Thanks for wonderful photoes also- I enjoyed my visit here again.
    Wishing you a beautiful sunday-
    Dorthe

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  14. Hello! I came over from Going gently, as John has a bulldog called Mable and another blogger flagged up your page. I am so pleased I came, as I enjoyed the photos very much. I love bulldogs and boxers, although I have 2 lurchers (go figure, as they say).
    I look forward to following your blog, best wishes Kath in England

    ps I am sending my Dutch friend over as her bulldog Meisje is just adorable too.

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  15. Great post! My aunt has a bulldog. I love him; couldn't quit laughing the first time I met him. If I'd been nearby ... I'd have begged for a puppy. :-) It's okay to sleep with all of them ... I sleep with a dog and two cats. haha The parrot sleeps in his cage. It's great cold-weather sleeping. They keep me warm!

    I look forward to future postings.

    Have a wonderful day,
    LesleyAnn

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  16. Oh, wow! I can't believe they are all already grown. I didn't realize the date of the birth was last year. As I was reading and looking at those super cute faces, I was imagining us with a new bulldog puppy... :-) I can so believe you kept two - we probably would have kept all five!

    I'm glad everyone is doing well!! Greetings from Savannah! Silke

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  17. Just popped over from Vicki's blog to meet you all, and fell instantly in love with your pups.
    You're right it should be illegal to be that cute!
    However did you choose which 2 to keep?
    I'm your newest follower now.

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  18. Your post had me captivated from beginning to end. What beautiful puppies! I was talking to someone the other day about our dog and I admitted she was a bit spoiled and he said, "She isn't spoiled, she's loved." So that is how I describe her now and that is how I would describe Neenee. I am so glad she is recovered and has five beautiful puppies and I am glad you are keeping two. How could you not!! Wonderful story!

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  19. I loved reading this story. I'm glad to hear it had a happy ending. Good thing you took her in. Poor thing was HUGE!!! wow what a belly! lol
    Those puppies couldn't be any cuter!!!

    x
    Carole

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  20. Adorable story. So glad it had a happy ending. I already had tears in my eyes. Don't blame you for keeping them both!! Cute. Cute. ~ Amy

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  21. Such a wonderful post. Those puppies are the sweetest things. I'm so glad it all turned out well.
    Susan

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  22. FANTASTIC...I am truly delighted YOU startet your OWN BLOG to show the world your wonderful place & life & adventures & joys!!!!!!

    I met YOU on Vicki's blog where she tought you her magic knitting art....I LOVE her wonderful personality & her Art & enjoyed truly introducing your FARM ADVENTURE !!!!!!

    ....Too beautiful your charming & gorgeous Neenee with her five little magnificient babies; I bet after the delicate situation turned out so very fine...raising the little sweet ones was a wonderful and fun experience!!!

    I am looking forward to hear & see many more stories from your enchanting Farm & your four legged fury & feathered friends, Bobby & Eric!

    ciao ciao elvira

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  23. Great post, adorable puppies. I love their little footies. I can imagine how worried you were driving Neenee to the vet in the snow! It's funny though, I thought this was this past January, so when I saw the 'grown' pictures of them, I said: "Holy Sh*t! So grown in a month?????!!!!" and then went back to see it was 2011. Duh. LOL!
    Best,
    Gloria

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  24. Whew, what an adventure but sure glad the pups and mom made it through! I can relate to the pregnant mom pics, I felt the same way! LOL

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  25. Swing by my blog. There is an award waiting for you.

    I just love looking at those wonderful bull dog faces. Can't get enough.

    RetiredKnitter-Elaine

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  26. Puppies are always adorable but those Bulldog puppies are just over the top cute! Congratulations.

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  27. Boy did this story touch my heart! Thanks for sharing!

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  28. oh my goodness! Not sure how I found myself here (bloghopping!) but these photos.. these puppies... truly wonderful! I was at the vets yesterday with my own beautiful dog- i know how they live in our hearts!

    Leanne x

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  29. So glad everything turned out good in the end!

    They are so adorable and getting big!
    xx

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  30. Oh My! I could not choose from those puppies, I would have to take them all!! I am not a dog person, I like a quiet house with a cat or two. My sister is the dog fanatic, she does boxer rescue and so much more. I have had my fill of dogs through her, but if I had a farm like you, it would have lots of dogs and cats! I loved each story, your family of canines is very lucky to have you both!! Just adorable, I love Shamus the most! What a face!! With a 6'2" 300 lb hubby, I would have to have a big dog if I do get one eventually.

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  31. Good thing that there is a law against being cute in Nova Scotia!!! lol Those puppies are/were adorable! And what a 'welcome' they got to their new world.

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