Ruby and Her Pups

For our avid Facebook Fans you will have seen that we announced on 23 June 2015 that Ruby, a Sprocker Spaniel who has always been a part of the “Salters” team gave birth to six puppies on 22 June.  Ruby belongs to Kala who works in the Salters Office.  Ruby has always been fed on Salters and whilst in pup was changed to Salters Puppy Food building her up for this momentous occasion. Ruby is often featured with Stephen Salter on our website and as a young lady in our owners’ gallery.

Over the last few days the puppies’ eyes have started to open  but they are not fully open yet and they are looking a bit bewildered with this new experience.  They are also starting to find their feet so we will know about it then!!

Lucky, 5th born is the biggest chubba, weighing in on Sunday at 2 lb 8 oz and the others are all of a good weight on Salters Puppy Food, via Ruby’s ‘Milk Bar’. They are so funny with the noises they make, they sound like Sooty and Sweep and guinea pigs all rolled into one!  One of them, but we are not sure which one, makes a very odd noise,  like a shallow growl. Boots, one of the girls has been re-named ‘Bossy Boots’ because she definitely is in charge of her siblings.  And Frenchie, the other girl is second in command.  Girls Rule!!

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Here’s Kala’s story:

I have been working at Salters for three years now and during my time here I have met many lovely breeds of dogs and spoken to many enthusiastic customers about their best friends.  At home we have always been cat people but I have always liked dogs and had often commented to my hubby that I would love to have my own little puppy one day, when the time was right.   We decided on a Sprocker bitch,  Ruby, 2 ½ years ago.  My intention was to breed her just the once and on her 3^rd season we did just that.  The Sire was Woody, a 5 ½  year old Sprocker.  They ‘hit it off’ just perfectly and 61 days later our little Ruby gave birth to 6 puppies on Monday 22 June.  The first pup being born at 3.25 pm.  I don’t know who was  more excited, Ruby or myself.  It was an amazing experience which myself and my hubby will treasure for a long time.  Ruby then went on to successfully give birth to a further 5 pups;  4 boys and 2 girls in total.   I have nick named them all as they were being born.  Buster was given his name because I was supposed to be competing at the ‘Dambuster’ triathlon, hence Buster, but had to cancel due to the imminent birth.  Buster was born at an amazing weight of 12 oz (a very good weight considering Ruby was a mere 4 oz and not the smallest of her litter).  22 mins later along came the 2^nd boy, Spotty Dotty (he has a white bib on his chest with a white spot to his left). He weighed an impressive 11 oz.  After a 90 minute worrying wait out popped the first girl, called Boots, as she has white feet (am I to keep this one or will there be another girl?…..) She weighed 11 oz.  Then quite quickly came another little boy who I named Blaze, as he has a gorgeous white tummy, with a blaze of white down to his little bits.  He weighed 12 oz.  Ruby settled down to feeding her new family but we were quite sure that there were still some more puppies to be born.  She became unsettled during the evening and at around 9pm she went out into the garden where she passed the birth sack but no puppy. With alarm bells ringing  we brought her indoors and within 10 mins out popped another boy, I named him Lucky (because he was born out of the sack but he seemed ok, phew…).  He weighed  a very impressive 12 ½  oz.  20 mins passed and out popped the final pup,  another little girl, who I named Frenchie, due to her front paws looking like she has a French manicure, she also was a good weight of 11 oz.  By 9.30 pm our dear Ruby had given birth to her 6 pups and they all seemed to be settling in well.

Decisions, decisions…. Which girl do we choose now, or keep them both??!?  (My husband has since said that if we had time, money and the space we would be keeping them all!)

 

LEFT to RIGHT: Sleepy pup; Buster and Spotty Dotty; Buster the firstborn; Four pups; Six pups feeding; Six pups and Ruby chilling at Salters pre pups.