August 29, 2025 Aubry had her 3rd puppy vaccine and a wellness check done today. Her overall health is great. Aubry has what is considered a small hernia. It may close on its own, and if it does, she will be left with an ‘outie’ belly button. Aubry’s hernia can be pushed in (is reducible), so it is very unlikely to trap intestines, but if left may contain some intestinal fat. Her hernia would only be at risk of getting larger if an abdominal injury occurs. In Aubry’s case, when her vet does her spay, it is likely the procedure will be done through her naval and her hernia will be stitched as the incision is being closed. There is no concern waiting for her spay procedure to have her hernia fixed. Aubry's hernia will just need monitoring in the meantime. August 1st - Astrid went to her new home in Saskatchewan. July 22nd - Gus went to his new home in BC. July 17th - Rudy went to his new home in Saskatchewan. July 12th - Schwartz went to his new home in Ontario. July 7th One of the females figured out how to climb out of the whelping box last night, so tonight they all get to sleep in the large inside pen. They have played in this pen from time to time but haven't been in it overnight before...we'll see how they do. I have my fingers crossed that they will sleep through the night. July 3, 2025 First Health Exam Results All puppies appeared normal. All had scissor bites as they should, and ears, eyes, skin, etc. are all normal. All three males have both testicles descended. Female one has a slightly inverted vulva and female two has an umbilical hernia (outie) that can be sutured when she is spayed. All puppies have slightly loose patellae, but none show signs of luxation. Because their patellae are still slightly loose, abnormal is recorded on their records so their new veterinarians will continue to monitor their patellae development as the grow. Loose patellae are not uncommon for Appenzeller puppies however, patellae luxation is a common health concern for this breed, so it is important for new owners to limit exercise and physical activities to “puppy exercises” as noted in “Exercise Tips for Puppies” in the Health & Wellness section on my website. Dr. Greenbank did not physically check the hips because she said unless there is obvious motor function in the movement or the puppy is known to have been injured, the likeness of diagnosing a hip issue at this age is unlikely. Dr. Greenbank was able to watch the puppies scooting around on the floor in the exam room and did not have any concerns with the movement of any of them. All puppies are born with perfect hips. Although there is a genetic influence on hip dysplasia, the heritability of the trait is rather low. Many studies have shown that genetic variation accounts for only a modest fraction of the variation in hip scores, usually 15-40%. This means a higher fraction of the variation in the quality of the hips is the result of non-genetic, or "environmental" influences. Examples of environmental influences include food, excessive exercise, and injury. Joint laxity is the primary cause of hip dysplasia and this occurs over time. if the hips do not develop laxity the dog does not develop hip dysplasia. Joint laxity occurs when the head of the femur does not fit snugly into the acetabulum. This could be the result of traumatic injury, overloading of the joint by weight, lack of muscle strength, or adductor forces (e.g., bringing the legs together). Joint laxity is the primary factor that predisposes a dog to the development of hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and patella luxation are breed-specific orthopedic concerns for Appenzellers. Although these concerns can be inherited, they are more likely to develop because of environmental factors. To mitigate any risk of inheritance, both Rik and Dani were health tested prior to being bred. Rik’s hip rating is “Fair” and Dani’s hip rating is ‘Good’ both are within the “normal’ range. Both Rik and Dani also have “Normal” ratings for elbows and patellae which makes it unlikely for any puppies in this litter to have an inherited orthopedic issue. Their weights at 8-weeks are as follows: Female One – 6.4 kgs Male One – 7.5 kgs Female 2 – 6.1 kgs Male 2 – 6.4 kgs Male 3 – 7.5 kgs July 1, 2025 The puppies were in and out because of unexpected rainfalls. They did have their first 'rain' shower and were pretty wet by the time I got them all inside. Turned into an inside morning so microchips were implanted and a round of worming medication was had by all. It did turn into a nice Canada Day afternoon to play and have fun outside into the evening. June 26, 2025 Big day today. The puppies went for a car drive to Spruce Grove to have their temperament testing done. Many thanks to Carol and Jeff for getting this done for me while I got to tend to puppy messes in the car...LOL June 24, 2025 The puppies were outside from late morning to 4:30...the longest outside playtime stretch so far. They had lunch and dinner outside. The best thing is that there was a lot less mess to clean up inside...😁 After they eliminated, I brought them inside and they all crashed...fresh air is good, really, really good. ❤ June 19, 2025 - Six Weeks Old Almost weaned now. Dani only goes in the pen with the puppies to clean up what's left of their food. Except for occasional playtimes outside of their pens when Dani is training her puppies not to nurse, this is the only time the puppies still nurse. They are drinking water and are starting to eat kibble that has not been pre-swollen with water. 6-Week Puppy weights: Female 1 (Pink) - 10.02 lbs Female 2 (Lt. Green) - 10.04 lbs Male 1 (Green) - 11.10 lbs Male 2 (Brown) - 10.10 lbs Male 3 (Black) - 11.13 lbs June 18, 2025 The weather was nice this morning so the puppies got to go and play in their outside pen for a while. It did start to rain again so they only got to be outside for an hour. June 16, 2025 Morning play/nursing time with mom is getting better. Puppies are learning not to latch on with their teeth. The puppies were put in their cart to go out for their first walk around the neighbourhood. They were uncertain about what was going on so they did not settle in. They seemed to enjoy their walk but were a little anxious when we stopped so I could check our mail. The puppies met some of our neighbours and watched and listened to men building a house. It was only a short walk. I will keep their first few walks short until they start to feel more comfortable being out and about. June 14, 2025 Playtime with mom. ❤ 😟 Teething puppies are not pleasant to nurse, so mom is teaching them to be more careful if they want a drink. June 12, 2025 5 Weeks Old The area for puppy play is starting to expand. It has been raining here, so they have only been outside once for a short time. Today, after they had their worming medication, they got to play inside the house for a while before being put back into their whelping pen. It should only be a few days before they are weaned from Dani; then they can be moved into their larger inside puppy pen and will be able to play in their outside exercise area during the day. The puppies were all outgrowing their newborn ID collars, so they were switched from their newborn collars to breakaway (clasp) puppy ID collars today. In doing this, some of their collar colours changed. Female 1 is now in a pink & white paw collar. Male 1 has a green and white paw collar. Female 2 has a light green & white paw collar. Male 2's collar colour did not change; he has a brown collar. Male 3 is now in a black & white paw collar. Their 5-week weights are: Puppy 1, female 1, 8.02 lbs Puppy 2, male 1, 9.02 lbs Puppy 3, female 2, 8.04 lbs Puppy 4, male 2, 8.43 lbs Puppy 5, male 3, 9.14 lbs June 10, 2025 Pig ears were introduced to the puppies after their lunch today. They all seemed curious because the smell is quite different from what they are used to...quite fragrant to them, but stinky to me. 😉 June 8, 2025 Company is always welcome with Appenzeller puppies. The more socialization, the better and these puppies just had their first visitors. They did get to come out of there pen to visit and play but I didn't get any pictures/videos outside of their pen. I did manage to get a video when they returned to their pen along with a visitor. June 3, 2025 Day 26 The puppies have now been introduced to starter kibble soaked and mixed with puppy mousse. Each puppy consumes about a half cup of food 4 times a day. They still have nursing time with Dani but their sessions are now down from a half hour to about 10 minutes also 4 times a day. If they start chewing on mom instead of sucking, their nursing time is cut shorter...their baby teeth are pretty sharp. They are now starting to drink water from their water bowl. May 31, 2025 The puppies enjoy playing together more than playing with their toys. Potty training has started. Puppies leave their bed to eliminate and all have bowel movements soon after they finish eating and nursing. Fingers crossed they continue this routine...so much easier to keep them clean that way. Playtime before napping is starting to get a little longer with these puppies. And, all of the puppies now have their top and bottom front teeth. May 29, 2025 The puppies are 3 weeks old. They are playing with each other and are starting to play with toys now. May 27, 2025 Now that solid food has been introduced, the puppies seem a lot more satisfied and the extra meal Dani is receiving is helping too. After their noon meal, the puppies started doing what almost 3-week-old puppies like to do before going back to bed...playing together. 💕💕💕 May 26, 2025 The puppies weigh-in this morning was concerning because all of the puppies weights were down a bit, not a lot, but this is an indication they aren't getting enough nourishment from Dani. So even though they are only 19 days old, I decided to give them puppy starter mousse (gruel) with added goat's milk, for the first time. Puppies really should not start on any solid food until they are three to four weeks old but these guys are pretty close and they needed a bit more than their mom is supplying. They lapped their gruel up like they were more than ready. In the meantime, I am increasing Dani's meals from 5 to 6 meals a day while she is nursing her puppies and will be moistening her food with goat's milk. I hope this helps increase her milk production so each of the puppy's digestive systems has a bit more time to develop before they go onto a regular solid food schedule. I will also be introducing the puppies to goat's milk and water. May 25, 2025 The puppies did not need the heat lamp anymore and were starting to climb up onto the pig rails so these things have been removed from the whelping pen and the first board has been added to the pen entrance to help prevent them from climbing out. I think it is going to be a little while for the puppies to adjust to the changes. May 23, 2025 All puppies had their first wormer treatment administered today. They were given Strongid T (Pyrantel) 50 mg/mL and will be treated with this wormer every second week while they are young puppies. May 22, 2025 How old are Appenzellers when they start sleeping on their back? Apparently only 2-weeks of age. May 21, 2025 Two weeks old today. The puppies had their first nail trim today. Other than that, it has been a pretty routine day; cleaned by mom, nursed, explore the pen for a couple of minutes and then go back to sleep until the next time. The puppies weight at 2-weeks is: F1 White - 1195 kg M1 Blue - 1315 kg F2 Green - 1255 kg M2 Brown - 1225 kg M3 Grey - 1315 kg May 19, 2025 - Victoria Day The puppy's eyes are now open. Along with their eyes opening, they also start to hear. It will be a day or two before they see most things clearly. It is so much fun watching them as they start to discover these senses. May 18, 2025 - Day 10 Puppies continue to nurse, get cleaned, and sleep. They are moving around a bit more and have started to use their training pads a bit between mom's cleaning efforts. Their eyes are now starting to open. May 15, 2025 - One Week Old The puppies are baby crawl shuffling to move across the whelping box floor. They are getting more vocal and besides whining to get moms attention, they have started to develop little puppy barks and sometimes even bark in their sleep…so, so cute. Their black nose pigment is starting to show and their nails are growing so they will be getting their first nail trim soon. Some puppies have doubled their birthweights and the ones that haven’t are not far behind. P1F1 White - 890kg P2M1 Blue – 965kg P3F2 Green – 925kg P4M2 Brown – 920kg P5M3 Grey – 1.010gr May 12, 2025 Five days old and puppy routine is pretty much the same as the first 4 days. With the exception of gaining weight, there are no significant changes yet May 10, 2025 This morning the puppies had their ID collars put on. Puppy 1 female has a white collar Puppy 2 male has a blue collar Puppy 3 female has a green collar Puppy 4 male has a brown collar Puppy 5 male has a grey collar May 9, 2025 Puppies had their rear dew claws removed in the evening. May 8, 2025 Dani free-whelped her first litter today. The first puppy was born a 12:00am and the last puppy was born at 8:23am. It was a long 8 hours for mom to birth 5 puppies. Three males and two females. Puppy 1 - Female born at 12:00am weighed 480kg Puppy 2 - Male born at 1:35am weighed 455kg Puppy 3 - Female born at 3:30am weighed 455kg Puppy 4 - Male born at 4:00am weighed 510kg Puppy 5 - Male born at 8:23 am weighed 540kg May 6, 2025 No babies yet. My due date guestimate is off a bit. Dani is still hanging on while the inside puppy pen is being finished. May 2, 2025 Dani's pregnancy x-ray was done today.  The Vet Tech said there are five for sure and possibly a sixth puppy in the birth canal. We should know for sure in the next few days.  April 22, 2025 Dani's whelping box is finished and set up.  All the whelping supplies are ready...just waiting for the heat lamp to arrive. Thirteen more days before the puppies are due.  Now to start assembling the inside and outside kennels. April 17, 2025 Hard to believe Dani is almost 7 weeks into her pregnancy. She is still playing around like a puppy. Her pregnancy ultrasound on April 8th showed at least 6 puppies. She is showing a bit, mostly high up in her abdomen, and should be ballooning out a lot more in her tummy over the next few days. Because it is uncertain how many puppies she is carrying, I have scheduled Dani for a pregnancy X-ray on May 2nd. Having a more accurate count will help to determine the level of care that will be needed for her and her puppies during the whelping process.  It is now time to start adding a calcium supplement to her diet. April 8, 2025 Dani had her pregnancy ultrasound today. It has been confirmed she is carrying at least 6 puppies. Puppies are expected on May 5th. March 18, 2025 Dani's heat ended on March 11th.  She will be having a pregnancy ultrasound done on April 8th to confirm her pregnancy. I will be posting an update with the results later in the day on April 8th.   March 8, 2025 I decided not to do progesterone testing with this breeding because Rik is available and is a proven stud dog...he knows when the time is right. Dani started flagging and standing for Rik on March 5th.  Every time Rik got close to doing his thing, Dani moved away so no connection was made.  To give Dani a better chance of getting pregnant, she had her first AI on March 6th.  Dani continued to flag and stand for Rik on March 7th and 8th.  Rik has been relentless in his effort indicating that Dani is more than ready so Dani had a second AI on March 8th and will have another AI on March 9th so she has a better chance of having a successful pregnancy. In the meantime, I have my fingers crossed Dani and Rik will also tie naturally.   Feb 22, 2025 ​​So it begins... ​Dani began her heat cycle this morning. Looks like she may be bred with Rik ​a bit earlier in March than originally anticipated. Updates will be posted in the Deroche Appenzellers Facebook group and on the Sun Meadow Appenzellers website for those not on Social Media.