The Little Shockers

Summer is a good time for puppies. All of my litters are reared on Petlife's Vetbed and last week I was busy measuring and cutting a roll of it to size for puppies on the way. Girly was looking very big.

Where we live is only accessible by plane once a week (weather permitting) so piling up daily newspapers ready for whelping is out of the question. Vetbed with all its wonderful qualities is the only answer. I wouldn't use anything else.

Cutting Vetbed to whelping box size.

Shocker sired this litter so now we have four Little Shockers (three dogs and one bitch). If they turn out to be like him, or their mum, we're in for a special time.

Making sure Girly wants for nothing.

I work hard for a clean kennel. Cleanliness makes for happy and healthy dogs. After whelping it was out with Conficlean2. It sanitises and smells lovely.

This little fellow cannot see. He cannot hear. And he does not have a name yet. But here, in the first minutes of life, is another generation of expedition dogs.

The first minutes of life.

The bond is immediate. It is an instinctive thing. To his last heart beat in old age he will never let me down. They mean so much to me that I would rather starve than see my dogs go without.

But there is no need for me to worry; help is at hand. This Little Shocker (below) is making a move as if to say, "Where's my Welpi? I want it now."

Weighing a Little Shocker on day one.

For more about Gary, his dogs and where the Little Shockers live go to www.garyrolfe.com