Misty threw a split heat in July, 2016 while penned with King. We never saw them tie and she never exhibited any signs of pregnancy.

So it was with great surprise that we discovered her litter the night of Sept 28, 2016, when we went to feed her even though we'd visited her mid afternoon to top up her water with no noticeable change in her behaviour! She apparently carried them very high right up under her rib cage and had no noticeable teat development. Nine pups, two of which had succumbed (a sable and a tri) - probably to exposure. The remaining seven are nicely divided 3 males, 4 females. We won't know whether or not we have tris or dark sables in addition to some b/w until they're around a week old (King was black when he was born). We have one male tri color who may end up saddle back sable, but we'll know better as they grow.

 

King had Prelim OFA x-ray of hips and elbows done on Oct 19, which were rated Prelim OFA Good (since he was younger than 2 years old at the time of x-ray). Misty's were not done due to the unexpected pregnancy aspect (Both heats and birthing cause ligaments to loosen, so it is recommended to wait until after ligaments have firmed up post pregnancy). However, plans are that she will be done prior to her next breeding. 

King's lineage has excellent hips, as do Misty's, so I am hoping that has continued with them.

 

Misty is a lovely, social, well rounded gal. She is tested MDR1 n/n, PRA/PRCD clear and a DM carrier by parentage. King is a bit more reserved with strangers but usually warms up quickly. He is tested MDR1 n/n, DM and PRA/PRCD clear by parentage. Both help me with my stock.

 

Pups received  daily supplements of Mega C pediatric drops, formulated with Collagen to aid in the prevention of canine hip dysplasia (HD) in puppies, and to optimize immune function. Breeders I know using these drops have seen consistent excellent hip scores in their litters. (Caveat- that being said, since there are both genetic and environmental factors in play, there is NEVER a 100% preventative for HD, all we can do is do our best to reduce the risks.)

Pups were vetted, vaccinated, dewormed, temperament and herding instinct tested, as well as exposed to marker training. More pics, vids, and test results on our Blog. References and some updates are found here & here. 

 

All 2016 pups are sold. Thank you!

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