Why the dogs were born in Betzdorf and the girls in Altenkirchen
I expected my S litter to be born around January 18th. To get a better idea of when to expect the puppies, I take the bitch's temperature several times a day. If there is a significant drop in temperature, you can expect the first puppy within 24 hours. We had a drop in temperature on January 15th. That meant the puppies should be born before the weekend. That's convenient, of course.
Rosie became more restless, digging and panting more, but there were no contractions. So we drove to the vet on Friday. Apart from being restless and panting, Rosie was in great shape. An ultrasound revealed that there were 7 or maybe 8 puppies, but one was probably stuck in the birth canal. The heart rate was checked immediately. There was a heartbeat, but the puppy in the birth canal was struggling. We were sent to the clinic in Betzdorf for a caesarean section. When we arrived, the puppy was there and alive. We immediately went into the clinic with Rosie and the puppy. Rosie was given a consultation room to herself and had the next puppy within 5 minutes. It started with a blond male. After 4 blond males, we asked Rosie to give us a different colour, and she gave us a black and gold dog.
Within two hours, the five were there. We decided to drive home so that Rosie could continue giving birth in her familiar surroundings. Then, within an hour, she had three more blonde puppies, three girls.
That is why the males were born in Betzdorf and the females in Altenkirchen.