Carolina and her puppies are playing outside!

Contributed by Carolina and her puppies' foster Mom Once Carolina was ready to wean her puppies, she's seen and heard them in the house, but she's not had any desire to be with them, I guess figuring she's done her job, now they're someone else's responsibility. She acts just like a big puppy herself. Here they are out in the yard romping together. They are all enjoying their new lives in freedom.

Video of Carolina's pups playing in the kitchen!

Contributed by Carolina and her puppies' foster Mom

 These kids have changed so much in the last week - they're looking more like little dogs than the babies they were just an instant ago This is a video of the crew playing in the kitchen.
 

Video of Carolina's pups at 5 weeks!

Contributed by Carolina and her pups' foster Mom

 

 Here they are playing today. They no longer want to walk, they scamper! LOL We're feeding them a gruel mix twice a day now, and they've all got fat little tummies, but Beaufort is still the "tugboat" of the group. Today's weights were - Hatteras 38.3oz, Beaufort 46.6, Bodie 45.1, Banks 42.7, Mayberry 43, and Appalachia 41.7.

Today they learned a new word. OOWWWW!  I had 3 of them attacking my bare ankles while I was in the pen changing out the pads on the floor, and they were trying to use me as a teething toy! We've moved them to the big side of the ex pen, and mom has the smaller area for a retreat. They are capable of getting over the 1x10" board we've got as a divider if they really want to - Mayberry was the first to scale the wall to be in with momma. Hatteras is our shy girl - she likes to retreat to the corner of the bed when things get too crazy. She's a corner type of girl - she also goes to a corner to poop :-) Banks is also a bed lover, except he likes to go chew on the blanket edges or play with a toy by himself, all stretched out like a little stud muffin. He also likes to give a little bark if he thinks he's missing out on something, and then he comes running to be a part of the action. Appalachia and Beaufort are middle of the road kids - they might be joining in the wrestling matches, or they may be trying to find a spot to nap. Mayberry and Bodie are the adventurers and the first to greet you and check things out. It's funny they've buddied up like this because if I had to pair them up on looks, this is how I'd pair them up on looking alike! 


 Momma continues to be a 5 year old puppy herself. We have toys we can only put in the pen when she's outside, or she gets too crazy with them and forgets about being in with her puppies, jumping in and out of her area right onto them and bowling them over. She's got a couple toys she tries shredding (pulling their parts off, really), and then there's the little plastic squeaky ones she carries around squeaking constantly, and the puppies actually run away as if they think there's something wrong and they're scared. We've got a little red rubber goldfish that the puppies love to chew on (they rarely make it squeak yet), but it's the one that causes the most problems - Carolina tosses it FEET up into the air and charges after it, knocking puppies over as she goes. We thought for a minute maybe she was just teaching her kids to play, but we couldn't stand the roughness so make sure it's out of the pen before she's back in again.


 Auntie Gayla made them camo fleece bone toys, and the puppies love them - they're light enough but big enough that they enjoy wrestling with them one-on-one :-) It's fun watching them try to shake the stuffing out of a toy at this age!  Oh, and Barney's really had a kick watching them pee - something someone is doing literally every five minutes when they're awake - because even at this age, they're developing the terrier scratch/kick instinct after pottying! 

Easter pictures of Carolina's puppies at 3 weeks old!

Contributed by Carolina and her puppies' foster mom

 Here's Carolina's puppies at 3 weeks. We decided to go with the Easter theme. Of course,by the time I'd gathered up the baskets and stuff, we found the camera battery was low, so I had to send Barney to Wal-Mart late in the evening to get batteries since there wasn't a spare in the house when we got ready to take pics :-( The last two pics I found my basket wasn't long enough for six puppies. It's hard for us to get pics of Carolina feeding - she comes flying out of the puppy area as we open the den door, excitedly wanting to greet us at the ex pen gate and get attention. She's always been that way. I only know they're nursing well because they're all still gaining weight at a nice rate.

Appalachia

Mayberry

Bodie

Banks

Bear

Hatteras

It's a basket full of puppies!

Hatteras weighed 28.9 oz, Beaufort 31.6, Bodie 30.4, Banks 29.2, Mayberry 26.1, and Appalachia 30.5 at tonight's weigh-in . Beaufort should be hitting that TWO POUND mark tomorrow, and possibly Bodie and Appalachia will, too. Mayberry is the smallest, but she's the most inquisitive. For her pics, she wanted to wander around in the basket and check out the plastic grass instead of holding still.
 She's also the most mobile .Appalachia is the fretter - she was whining and worried where everyone else had gone by the time we were done with her in a few short minutes. Banks is the model and not at all camera shy. They are all starting to develop their own personalities. They are peeing more at will instead of mom having to stimulate them - the pads are starting to be saturated and really need changing a few times a day instead of lasting multiple days. Mom's still taking care of the pooping department.

 They are becoming more vocal in their play and will give that purr of a puppy growl if they're disgusted that you've given them skritches or picked them up. Last night, I think it was Beaufort that was sleeping soundly when I was in weighing, and I startled him when I picked him up, and he gave me a big scream like he'd really been got! Next time I'll remember to give them some skritches and wake them up a little gentler if I think they're asleep instead of startling another. I usually enter the room and call puppy, puppy, puppies, and they all start scrambling now to be alert and see what's happening.

Here are pictures of Carolina and her puppies at one week old!

Contributed by CP's Carolina and her puppies' foster mom

Carolina

Hatteras

Banks

Mayberry

Bodie

Beaufort

Appalachia

Carolina looks much more relaxed now that she has been groomed and her pups are all gaining weight.

Thank you to Blanket Auntie Sheryl for ALL of our lovely blankets that we posed on!

Carolina and her Puppies video and update, days 4-6

Contributed by Carolina's and her puppies' Foster Mom

Carolina and her puppies all continue to do well today. All the little puppies continue to gain weight, with Beaufort being the smallest at 8.7 oz . They are arching their back more when you pick them up. They are also quick to think. If you touch them they think you must be there to feed them and start looking for the right spot. LOL!

Here is a video of them if you'd like to see them in action (mostly sleeping):

If you can't see the embedded video, please click here

Puppy Mouths, Ears, Eyes and Thermostat

Contributed by CP's founder Danielle Rackstraw

Hi everyone:

Lori and Kathy are doing an amazing job being foster Moms and the babies are simply precious. I'm passing on a little information here for some of the newer people who may not have been with us for other litters or may not know.

Puppies are born with their eyes sealed closed. They typically open on the cairn at about 10 days. Larger breeds obviously have everything happen much faster . . . so I'm speaking of the cairn here. The same with the ears and hearing . . . although we DO UNDERSTAND that the cairn can only hear when they want to and the words they want to hear. The pups are totally blind right now and their eyes will open in generally one day and they will have a blueish hue at first and then over a few days they change to a dark color.

With the hearing, you talk to pups now by putting them under your chin by your throat since they love the vibration and they can hear a tink. The ears open with full hearing at the same time the eyes open. Dogs are born with absolutely NO WAY to control their body heat which is with the shiver response. The shiver response which causes dogs to have the ability to regulate their body temperature again takes place about the time the eyes and the ears open. Larger breed dogs have all of the above happening very quickly but the foster Moms have to pay really close attention to the temperature of the room which is why is hang room thermometers in the baby room, have room heaters and heating pads and when the babies have to go to the vets like to be dew clawed they need to be put in what is called a READY BOX which is basically a box with little air holes, no drafts and hot water bottles. Right now, the babies being able to digest their food and stay alive is totally dependant on their Mommas body heat, our heating pads, room temperature and of course their general over all health. If they get chilled they quickly *shut down* which is the ability to digest food or have energy to suckle.

You can see why it's so important to keep the Moms hydrated and it's constantly trying to get them to eat and drink nutritious liquids and water and really healthy food . . . as much as they want and as many times a day as what they want . . . they have a lot of little mouths that eat constantly. When they start to gain regular weight they will typically gain between 1/2 and 1 ounce a day depending upon their size and weight.

The growth of the upper jaw and the lower jaw is totally separate and you will be a lot of mouth movement for the first months of life where they can really go from what would be a beautiful bite in appearance to being under shot or over shot in just days and it goes back and forth.

CP's Carolina's puppies have names!

Contributed by Carolina's foster mom

A Continuation of the Tar Heels Group

With the adults of this group being named for things in the Tar Heel State of North Carolina, I felt it only fitting that Carolina’s little Tar Heels be given names reflecting that state also. Kind of giving them a family history.

If I visited North Carolina, the first thing on my list of things to see would have to be Hatteras Lighthouse. I think lighthouses are such a symbol of so many positive things – safety, strength, and hope immediately pop into my head. I love them and find them almost magical. So Carolina’s first little girl – the first puppy I’ve ever whelped – is now named Hatteras. It was a magical moment when she came into this world. I see her future full of hope and bright sunny days.

A village full of nautical fun, close to another lighthouse, Cape Lookout, and filled with the folklore of pirates like Blackbeard, is Beaufort. What little boy wouldn’t dream of the adventures of being a pirate? So little boy puppy #2 is now Beaufort.

Another lighthouse along the Outer Banks of North Carolina is Bodie Island Light. I’m sure I could spend weeks in that area and never get tired of walking the shoreline, collecting shells and enjoying beautiful sunrises. Little girl puppy#3 is Bodie.

With all of this talk of lighthouses and pirates and nautical fun , and North Carolina flanked by the Outer Banks along most of its shoreline, one of these puppies should be named Banks! The Banks must be strong and protect the coastal area, so little boy puppy #4 has been given that name.

But there’s more to North Carolina to explore. On its western side are mountain ranges and valleys that comprise the Appalachian Mountains. The beautiful mountain ranges reaching for the sky need the valleys to really be something spectacular. In art, the beauty in a painting or photo is what the eye sees in the extremes - peaks and valleys of colors – or lack thereof, in the lights and darks. So much beauty is seen in the mountains throughout the four seasons. Little girl puppy #6 is named Appalachia for that beauty.

And what of little girl puppy #5? Well, she’s been given a whimsical name because of her fast arrival. Her birth into her family will always be remembered, as she was born a SHORT and comical eight minutes after her brother Banks. Barney had just helped me chart and take the photo of him, and he decided to start a load of the dirty laundry that had accrued with the first 4 puppies’ births. So off he went to the basement with the basket while I was toweling off this newest little boy. Carolina was restless, as if she was going to whelp again, but I thought it would just be the delivery of the afterbirth of the last puppy. To my surprise I watch her give a quick grunt, and out pops another puppy!

My mind was racing as I wasn’t finished cleaning up the boy, but I quickly hopped out of the ex pen and put him in the warmer drawer with his siblings wrapped in his washcloth while I grabbed another washcloth and went to helping Carolina with her latest birth. I gave a call to Barney a couple of times, but he couldn’t hear me over the washing machine noise with the basement door closed. So when he emerged, I shouted “record 2:58 before I forget it, and hand me a mineral oil pad for this one”. He looked at me like the sleep deprivation had finally pushed me over the edge. He calmly told me he’d recorded the puppy, and it was 2:50, not 2:58, and I’d already cleaned it’s little bum, weighed it, and taken it’s picture. I said no Barney, this is another one, and he still didn’t believe she’d given birth to another puppy, so I made him COUNT the ones in the warmer!

That’s when he finally jumped back into action. It was kind of an Andy Griffith and Barney Fife moment, and we all know they lived in Mayberry, North Carolina. As in a lot of television, things are made up, and so is Mayberry. But because of the simple comedy of her quick birth, little girl puppy #5 is named Mayberry. I can imagine her antics in the future and the smiles she will bring, as will all these sweet little babies. I’m already in love with all of them and their sweet mother who worked so hard to bring them into this world this morning - it's an honor to have been entrusted with this miracle.

Thank you to Col. Potter for giving them the chance to be born in Freedom and know love.

CP's Carolina with her puppies - We have a picture!

Photo contributed by Carolina's foster mom



You can see how happy she is to be a mom and have her puppies in comfort and freedom! Thanks again to CP and to her wonderful foster parents Kathy and Barney.

CP's Carolina has had her six puppies in freedom!

Contributed by Carolina's foster mom

Carolina with her toy

Carolina pre-delivery

We have wonderful news! Carolina, one of CP's newest intakes and part of CP's Tar Heels has had her 6 puppies today! There are no names yet but here are the 'stats':

Baby 1 dark brindle female 7.o ounces

Baby 2 dark brindle male 6.9 ounces

Baby 3 dark brindle female 7.5 ounces

Baby 4 black brindle male 7.2 ounces

Baby 5 dark brindle female 6.9 ounces

Baby 6 dark brindle female 7.6 ounces

Foster Mom says 'I'm watching to make sure there weren't any more hiding from the x-ray machine as her x-ray showed six, but the vet said with this many and the crowded conditions, it could be possible for one or two more to have been hidden. I'm hoping for her sake that wasn't the case. This is a lot of mouths to feed! And a lot of bums to keep clean! Carolina's worked hard all night - these were some pretty good> sized puppies. She's feeding them right now and cleaning them up again.'

We hope to have pictures to show you in the next day or two. Congratulations Carolina!

SAY HELLO TO CP's TAR HEELS

Written by CP's VP of Intakes


One of the really wonderful things about Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue is that we have such great volunteers all across the USA and Canada! We are really like a huge, international family with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas in every corner and just about anywhere one would visit, there is a CP family member not too far away. The CP Family has large "reunions" called CRAPs but some of our family members hold individual, personal reunions themselves called POOPs. Last fall, one family member had a small POOP at her home in North Carolina. Besides the camaraderie and love of Cairns they share in their hearts, they also gave monetarily from their hearts donating to name two Cairns. What a wonderful concept, friendship, companionship, watching our Cairns frolic and play, while still raising funds to help future Cairns.

Yesterday three little Cairns became the recipients of their generosity. The "Tar Heels" found love and freedom with Col. Potter, but wait ...there are going to be additions to the Tar Heels. It just so happens that not one, but both of the little girls are pregnant and due to whelp within the next two weeks, one of them probably within the next few days. Without wonderful events like the one held by Kitty K. last fall that produced this donation, we wouldn't be able to help these Cairns or allow their puppies to be born into freedom.

Introducing CP's Tar Heels:

Salisbury: Female, black brindle, born 5/12/07 - due to whelp in 7-10 days and looks like 8 puppies in her litter

Carolina: Female, wheaten, born 5/21/08 - due to whelp any minute and looks like 6 puppies in her litter

Foster: Male, red wheaten, born 3/1/05

Carolina is in her foster home with Kathy and Barney and Salisbury will be heading to her foster home Wednesday with Lori and Mike. It shouldn't be long until we have little Tar Heels to add to our CP family!!

Please help me give a BIG CP WELCOME to CP's Tar Heels!