Puppy preparations!

The puppies are due in a little over two weeks! We're very excited but enjoying our free time while we still have it.

We set up the whelping box today:

It doesn't have a bottom - just four walls with a tarp underneath for easy cleanup. The walls are low enough that Cricket can jump in, but high enough to keep puppies from escaping (at least for a few weeks). The PVC around the edge forms a "pig rail" that puppies can crawl under to avoid being accidentally stepped on or sat on by mom - probably not an issue with a bitch Cricket's size, but it's good to take precautions. The dog bed will be removed when it's puppy time; it's just in there for now to get Cricket used to sleeping in there again.

Cricket herself is the size of a small blimp, and is only going to get bigger. We don't know how many she's expecting yet, but from her size we're guessing it's going to be another large litter.