# Molly's first litter



## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Molly set all sorts of records, yesterday afternoon. She told Pam she wanted to go in the whelping room, that she had been shown several times in the past several days. Starting 15 minutes later, she had the first 4 puppies in 32 minutes. In an hour, and twenty minutes total, and she had four girls, and two boys.

That was the middle of the afternoon. Usually, it's 3 or 4 in the morning when they start, and takes hours. Pam texted me while I was still at work. I asked her how Molly did, knowing it was her first litter, and sometimes they get a bit worked up with the whole process. Pam said that Molly did better than Twinkle, who was always the easiest whelper ever, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. We didn't think it possible that one would ever be any better at it than Twinkle was.

Usually, the Mom won't leave the litter for the first 24 hours, but soon after I came home, she was at her door, asking to go outside to potty.

It always amazes me how they know exactly what to do, every time, but this has been extra easy so far. Molly is very proud of her puppies, as they always are, but it doesn't bother her a bit to leave them for a short while. She wraps them up when she leaves the whelping box.

Several records set, but also maybe the flashiest ever Red litter. The light colored ones are the color that turns the really dark clear Red. They all have some white on them.

Even with Molly's good work, Pam, and I have still had a busy time, and she had to leave me here by myself today, so she could go help a friend with Cancer who is selling her house. I don't think she's contacted anyone on the list yet, even, but I didn't want to wait to show off these puppies.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Wow, good job, Molly! What a beautiful little pile of puppies, it will be fun to see them as they grow!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

A little birdie had already told me, of course, but they are gorgeous! Good girl, Molly!


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## Rey (Sep 28, 2018)

Aww Molly - beautiful puppies. I can't wait to see how they grow and change over the next few months 😁


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

I wish they had a love button! Beautiful pile of puppies! I kept counting seven! There’s one pretty long puppy there i kept counting as two. Lol!


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Love seeing the puppy pile. Beautiful litter!:smile2:


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Nothing much to report. About all they're doing so far, is nursing, and gaining weight.


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## Wulfin (May 3, 2019)

Awww, they are so precious!! I’m going to love watching these puppies grow


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

Tom, do you and Pam PennHip your dogs?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Only if we have a good reason to breed one before they turn two. There is really no good reason to put off OFA hip testing in Havanese until two years old, but not enough people in Havanese know, or care enough about the whole hip testing picture to change the minimum testing age to 1, instead of 2. I think 2 was the default when people starting doing OFA hips, and no one thought to question it.

So few understand the OFA hip rating methods, and I'm sure many dogs have been thrown out of the breeding pool simply because of a bad Xray. I'd say it would be a safe bet to say that at least half, probably way more than that, of the Havanese listed with Mild Dysplasia on the OFA site is because of poor quality xrays. Havanese have very flexible hips, and if there is any pulling on a hip, by either the person holding the dog, or the dog itself, while taking the xray, the rating is going to be lower than it would be with a good xray. If one just hands the dog off to go get the xray, the average technician if not going to get a good Havanese xray very often. 

If one was paying attention, there have been dogs with Good preliminary that might have come back MD later, but the hips don't normally deteriorate, so the rating would just be from a poor quality xray. We know of a couple of Havanese, that belonged to other people who didn't understand how to look at the xrays, that had dogs to get Mild Dysplastic on preliminary, but got Excellent on the final one, after they turned 2. Those dogs didn't have hips that improved like that. It was from the xray quality. They both had Pam look at the Prelim xrays, and knew better what to do for Finals after Pam explained it to them. Both of those MD prelims had the dogs rotated, and one leg pulled on.

Pam always looks at the first xray taken, and if the positioning wasn't good, she'll have another one taken. We don't put our dogs under just to get the best rating, but if we know one will get a Good rating, that's good enough for us. It's not hard to grade the xray if you know what to look for.

There are good reasons for breeding a dog before it turned 2, or before you could get an appointment for the xray to be done after it turns two. For instance, if you have a female who has a long period between heat cycles, and it would put her close to 3 before you could breed her after getting the xray taken after she was 2, or you have a Male you want to breed before he turns two who got a good Prelim OFA hip.

For those that don't know, the reason to not breed a Havanese until after 2 is because you can't get a final on OFA hips done until before that age. That's the only real reason. All other testing can be done before. Pennhips can be done before age 2. To get Penn Hips done, we have to travel an hour and a half farther than our Vet who does our xrays for OFA, and appointments can only be scheduled pretty far in advance.

It would be pretty simple for Havanese to get the minimum age for OFA testing changed, but so few understand much at all about hip testing.

edited to add: Personally, I only know of two Havanese that have actually had hip dysplasia, and it's likely, from evidence, that both came from injuries. I'm sure there must have been some, but those are the only two I've known about.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

As an add on to what Tom said, it just so happens that I work with a vet who sees a LOT of Havanese. (her parents even own one because she likes the breed so much!) I asked her if she has EVER had a Havanese in her practice with FUNCTIONAL hip problems before geriatric sort of general "old age all-over" arthritis. She said no. Patellas, for sure, carpus, for sure, shoulders and elbows sometimes. No hips.

OTOH, she treats LOTS of Havanese for thyroid problems and allergies and we don't include thyroid in our required tests for breeding. (although all three of my dogs have been tested and are clear) And unfortunately, allergies are something that are harder for breeders to keep track of let alone do anything about since they tend to show up when the dogs are older.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

What a cute pile of puppies! I'm always amazed at the color changes. It's hard to imagine that those almost white puppies will be a dark red! So interesting.


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## adalah (Feb 6, 2019)

beautiful puppies


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> What a cute pile of puppies! I'm always amazed at the color changes. It's hard to imagine that those almost white puppies will be a dark red! So interesting.


That light color is almost a silver. They have white trim too, and you can really see the difference between the white, and the silverish color. It will be interesting to see when it starts to change. It hasn't started yet.


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## [email protected] (Jun 10, 2019)

Good girl Molly!!! Great job!!!


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## Wulfin (May 3, 2019)

Tom King said:


> That light color is almost a silver. They have white trim too, and you can really see the difference between the white, and the silverish color. It will be interesting to see when it starts to change. It hasn't started yet.


That's interesting. Denver had silvery patches when he was first born and those patches are now a beautiful red colour (I thought they would fade to white!) - it'll be interesting to see an entire puppy change


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

The silvery ones just started looking a light "fawn" color today, or at least the first day we've had full sunlight for several days.


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your details (and photos!) with us!


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## Cachita125 (Jun 16, 2019)

*puppies*

Hi

Are you guys contacting the future moms and dads?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I don't know if Pam has had a chance yet. My 103 year old Mom had a small stroke a few weeks back, has been in rehab, and is getting discharged on the 17th, so we've been running wide open with that too. The stroke only influenced the flex of one foot, but she needs assistance to stand, and transfer, so right now, needs help 24/7.

Pam left early this morning to see about getting some furniture for her to go in the next place my Mom will need to stay. We're going to have to put her in Assisted Living until I can convert one of her bathrooms at home into a handicap accessible one.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Oh, I know how tough this is. My dad is on hospice, (though doing remarkably well!) and I know how much energy goes into making them as comfortable as possible!


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## Cachita125 (Jun 16, 2019)

*puppies*

Hi

Sorry to hear about your mom can see you guys have you hands full.Im sure eventually she will be ok with some therapy.Yes prioritize your mother first and follow with rest eventually.
Keep in touch


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Sorry to hear about your mom (and your dad, Karen). Dealing with aging parents is a hard thing to go through.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

At 103, you don't get to complain about anything. She's doing fine. It's just a foot that's unpredictable from the stroke, so it's not safe for her to stand up on her own. It's fortunate that she's clear headed, and always has a cheerful outlook. We thought we could make her house usable for her, but had an impossible time finding enough people so a caregiver could always be there. 

Pam visited every assisted living place in a 50 mile radius, and found one where all the residents seem happy, and smiling. I think my Mom will actually enjoy it there, especially since the food is really good, and she will have plenty of people to talk to.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Wow - 103! I just can't imagine. Think of all the stuff see has seen and all the advancements being made over 103 years!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Wow - 103! I just can't imagine. Think of all the stuff see has seen and all the advancements being made over 103 years!


I know!!! My dad is a "spring chicken" at "only" 90!!!


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I just saw the latest pictures of Molly's puppies on the Starborn website. They are gorgeous!


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

I find it so amazing that these little girl dogs could possibly have all those puppies! I've never seen newborn puppies in real life.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Just saw the pictures of Molly's pups. Oh my they are beautiful!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tere said:


> I find it so amazing that these little girl dogs could possibly have all those puppies! I've never seen newborn puppies in real life.


And I was lucky enough to to help whelp Molly and the rest of her litter when her mom, Poppy had them!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

They are such cute puppies! My heart is just begging for a puppy but I have a list of goals to meet first. I’m not sure I should be seeking out puppy pictures in such a state but I’m going to keep doing it anyway!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> They are such cute puppies! My heart is just begging for a puppy but I have a list of goals to meet first. I'm not sure I should be seeking out puppy pictures in such a state but I'm going to keep doing it anyway!


I KNOW I can't get another puppy (don't WANT another puppy!!! LOL!) any time in the near future, but I just LOVE looking at puppy pictures, and enjoy any opportunity to snuggle puppies or get a chance at "puppy breath"! <3


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

krandall said:


> I KNOW I can't get another puppy (don't WANT another puppy!!! LOL!) any time in the near future, but I just LOVE looking at puppy pictures, and enjoy any opportunity to snuggle puppies or get a chance at "puppy breath"! <3


Oh, puppy smell! Good thing my Hav is snuggling me nicely today or I might lose my mind!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

It won't do you any good to want one of these puppies anyway. We have a list longer than the number of puppies we have. Pam is just now contacting people on the list. We thought we would have more puppies this Fall, but it looks like it will be a while longer.

Rosy just had another singleton. A gorgeous Red almost pied girl. That didn't help the number of puppies available to people on the list much. Rosy will be retired, when she's done raising this puppy, and she already has a great retirement home lined up.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Tom King said:


> It won't do you any good to want one of these puppies anyway. We have a list longer than the number of puppies we have. Pam is just now contacting people on the list. We thought we would have more puppies this Fall, but it looks like it will be a while longer.
> 
> Rosy just had another singleton. A gorgeous Red almost pied girl. That didn't help the number of puppies available to people on the list much. Rosy will be retired, when she's done raising this puppy, and she already has a great retirement home lined up.


haha, I think I speak for many forum members when I say, as others have said, getting a puppy from you would definitely be like winning the puppy lottery! Even though the chance of me taking home one of your puppies one day is pretty slim, I'm thankful for every puppy you breed. I really feel strongly that every Havanese puppy bred by experienced and knowledgeable breeders like you strengthens the breed and makes the Havanese world better for my own, one puppy at time. And your cute puppy pictures do remind me if I want another Havanese one day (and I do) I had better stick with my plan


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Early this morning, I was awakened by two fussing puppies. The puppies discovered that they could climb out of their whelping box, which is normally their home for the first three weeks. They're not quite three weeks, and this is not unusual timing, but I had to close the drop flap door on the box to keep them in.

They will get a litter box in the next few days, but the box may not be large enough for this many puppies.

Molly was not happy about having to jump to get out of the box. The aerobic step has been there, all along, but she could just walk in, and out before.

She wanted me to lift her out, but after about ten minutes of sitting there looking pitiful, she decided she could just do it on her own. This is all new to her, but she's a pretty fast learner.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Considering what an acrobat her mom is, I think she'll catch on pretty fast! LOL!


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Such pleading eyes! I'd probably just sit there and help her out all day long! Does she leave the puppies yet and go outside? No idea what happens but it must be so exciting!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

They don't normally leave them the first day, but after that, the Moms go, and come when they need to.

The eyes may be "pleading", but look at that mouth. It's saying, "Really?"


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Love hearing your Havi stories. Precious puppies.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Their Quarters were enlarged today. They all talked about it for a long time, before they just gave up, and took a nap. Molly likes it because now she has plenty of room to nurse this crowd any kind of way.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Just saw the 4 week old pictures. What beautiful pups! They have the sweetest little faces.:smile2:


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Tom King said:


> Their Quarters were enlarged today. They all talked about it for a long time, before they just gave up, and took a nap. Molly likes it because now she has plenty of room to nurse this crowd any kind of way.


Is that a carpet remnant in with them?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

It's from some online supplier that sells whelping supplies. It's not much like carpet, but if you remember when Patagonia first came out with thick Polar fleece jackets, decades ago, it's more like that. Those jackets were reversed, with the thick, fleecy side on the inside. We've had a bunch of these pads for years, but sorry, I can't remember exactly what they're called. They stay dry on top.

They're getting good at using the boxes, but still drag some mess onto the bed, so it gets changed multiple times a day. They'll get a different bed surface pretty soon.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Little iphone video of these puppies up. They had their quarters enlarged today, and played in the living room with the pack. We all had a good time!


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## Wulfin (May 3, 2019)

I love the red on those pups that started off silver (of course, I'm biased as my Denver started off white with silver patches).
They are so happy to see mom, but mom looks so happy to not have them hanging off of her (literally and figuratively).


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

That box Molly is standing on is movable. It's the same width as the inside of the 24" tall expen. There are eyehooks on each side, so it can be zip tied to the expen panels. It serves multiple purposes.

It allows the puppies' pen size to be gradually enlarged, which is always a process in potty training, even at this early age, and gives Mama a way in, and out, just out of reach of the puppies.

When the Moms are on it like that, before they go in to nurse the pups, all that puppy excitement helps their milk come down, so they're good, and ready when they decide to go in to nurse.

This many puppies was such a demand on Molly, that we started feeding them a little earlier than we would have a smaller litter. Molly still nurses them several times a day, since their teeth haven't really come in yet, but since they're eating food, she doesn't clean them up. She just nurses them, and gets back out.

They are really good with using the litter boxes though, even as their living area gets enlarged every few days.


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## Janet (Feb 19, 2007)

Tom, when Molly was a puppy, did she have the same coloring as the two light colored ones in this litter?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Molly was very light colored, as a puppy too, but if I'm remembering correctly, she was more of a reddish color to start with. Molly is a clear red, but there are variations of that too. It's all guess work, like other Havanese colors. You'll know what color they'll be in a couple of years.

The two light puppies are clear red, and the others are Sable. 

There is no color DNA test for Red.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Here are some photos of Molly's litter at three different ages, though I can't tell you which one she is. (I THINK Molly is in the 3rd photo with Dad Tony, because she was one of the ones with less white) Maybe Tom can figure it out! LOL!

In the case of clear reds, we do know that genetically they are "ee" but "ee" dogs can be anything from pale cream to dark Irish Setter red. Molly's parents are both "ee" so she had no chance of being anything BUT "ee".

Red sable is MUCH more complicated, though, and I THINK it can happen in more than one way.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

krandall said:


> In the case of clear reds, we do know that genetically they are "ee" but "ee" dogs can be anything from pale cream to dark Irish Setter red. Molly's parents are both "ee" so she had no chance of being anything BUT "ee".


I didn't know this, but it explains a lot!

I really can't remember for sure, but I'm almost positive mine was "registered" as red. Maybe that's not the right word, it's what was on the certificate she gave us that I haven't been able to find since I registered his chip because I misplaced the entire folder. As a puppy he was much more red, even though now he's light gold with white markings, and he's a bit darker on his face and ears. But the vet paperwork says "golden" and that has always confused me. I think the vet's office just entered the color as a description, but somewhere I got the idea that it matters if it's different. Somehow the different color references so long ago make it impossible for me to keep it straight, so even now I really can't be certain what color my Havanese is!

I have a soft spot for Havanese like Molly with red and white coloring. I think it's because my kids are redheads! Yet, one of my favorite things about Havanese is all of the color variation. I love reading about it, even if I don't remember it a week later.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I didn't know this, but it explains a lot!
> 
> I really can't remember for sure, but I'm almost positive mine was "registered" as red. Maybe that's not the right word, it's what was on the certificate she gave us that I haven't been able to find since I registered his chip because I misplaced the entire folder. As a puppy he was much more red, even though now he's light gold with white markings, and he's a bit darker on his face and ears. But the vet paperwork says "golden" and that has always confused me. I think the vet's office just entered the color as a description, but somewhere I got the idea that it matters if it's different. Somehow the different color references so long ago make it impossible for me to keep it straight, so even now I really can't be certain what color my Havanese is!
> 
> I have a soft spot for Havanese like Molly with red and white coloring. I think it's because my kids are redheads! Yet, one of my favorite things about Havanese is all of the color variation. I love reading about it, even if I don't remember it a week later.


All Golden Retrievers are "ee" and we see most of the same shading as in "clear red" Havanese... from "English white" Goldens, to the old fashioned ones that are almost as dark as Irish Setters. But Samoyeds are also ee! LOL! There is a lot of variation in tone among them. I don't think we know what all genetics causes that.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I think in the first picture, Molly is the one at 11 o'clock. I don't think she's in the last picture. Notice the amount of white on her feet, and legs in the picture of that video with our puppies.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tom King said:


> I think in the first picture, Molly is the one at 11 o'clock. I don't think she's in the last picture. Notice the amount of white on her feet, and legs in the picture of that video with our puppies.


I had a REALLY hard time telling that litter apart except for the boy with the big white head! LOL! Once they got past the infant stage, the darker ones lightened and the lighter ones darkened... and they all looked pretty much the same!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Here is Molly's page, with one puppy picture, but I don't remember how old she was for it.

Molly


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

She is SUCH a pretty girl!!!


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## Janet (Feb 19, 2007)

I know that it can be hard to judge color when looking at pictures online, but Molly seems to be a darker red now, compared to when she was a puppy. 
Also, I love her picture with the two ponytails!

Janet


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Janet said:


> I know that it can be hard to judge color when looking at pictures online, but Molly seems to be a darker red now, compared to when she was a puppy.
> Also, I love her picture with the two ponytails!
> 
> Janet


She's definitely darker now. Several puppies in that litter darkened. Actually a number of puppies from that pair have become quite dark red. (not all of them though)


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

She's definately normally darker. In the picture for the video, you can see it's in a light stage, but the Moms lose coat during nursing, so that's the reason it looks so light. Much heat is generated in milk production, so they blow coat.

5 week pics up. This is an unusually good bunch of puppies to take pictures of.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Beautiful Puppies!


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## Janet (Feb 19, 2007)

And when will we see a picture of Rosy's singleton?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I used to think a singleton was at a disadvantage, but they are very used to being by themselves, and the few others we've had turned out to be wonderful companions.

Red has never sired a puppy that wasn't drop dead gorgeous.


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## Janet (Feb 19, 2007)

Thanks! That Rosy pup is colored a little bit like the Molly pup nicknamed Twizzler. 

Do the moms tend to produce fewer puppies per litter over time?

Janet


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I don't think so. Rosy had a singleton last time too. She'll be retired after this one. Some just drop different numbers of eggs. I guess if they were bred to an older age, the numbers might go down, but we don't breed one as long as possible anyway.


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Adorable photo of Rosy and pup! Shama had only a "big" brother (she was a runt) and a mother who didn't nurse her. She has always been very independent. We chose her over her brother because she was energetic and curious and good at following me whereas he was a bit sluggish and didn't do as well as she did at our seven-week testing. Now at age four, she likes to always know where we are and be near us, but she doesn't cling to us unless we're giving attention to other dogs . . .


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Molly's puppies are getting larger, and larger play areas back in the Puppy Room. Not the first accident! They go back into their sleeping pen when they start getting tired from playing. They are also getting time in the Living Room with the pack. Puppy tails are always up. I think they're doing great!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Molly's puppies now have the full run of the living area in our house, several times a day, during their play time. Last night, and today, the weather was nice enough that we could leave the door to the screened porch open, so they can run in, and out as they please.

We have one litter box in the living area, and one out on the porch. Those have been enough, and they go to a litter box every time.

Some visitors came Friday, and they couldn't believe this many puppies, and adult dogs could be running around in a house, and no messes. They didn't come looking for a dog, but called back later, and said they wanted to be on a future waiting list.


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

Tom King said:


> Some visitors came Friday, and they couldn't believe this many puppies, and adult dogs could be running around in a house, and no messes. They didn't come looking for a dog, but called back later, and said they wanted to be on a future waiting list.


I am not surprised. The puppies are beautiful! Yes, Redman makes gorgeous puppies. His genes really show!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jeanniek said:


> I am not surprised. The puppies are beautiful! Yes, Redman makes gorgeous puppies. His genes really show!


Yes and no. His coloring definitely shows, but if you have followed Pam and Tom's dogs over time, these are Starborn dogs, through and through! They bring in some outside blood here and there, as all good breeders do, but they are very true to their own breeding program !


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

It's not unusual for people who come to meet the dogs to decide to get one. What was unusual about these visitors was that they just came for a social visit. They were in Pam's Yoga class. They left wanting a Havanese.


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## Wulfin (May 3, 2019)

Havanese are fantastic, they seem to wrap everyone around their little paws...


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

krandall said:


> Yes and no. His coloring definitely shows, but if you have followed Pam and Tom's dogs over time, these are Starborn dogs, through and through! They bring in some outside blood here and there, as all good breeders do, but they are very true to their own breeding program !


I agree. I considered saying something about the mamas, who contributed half of the genes, and who added to the beauty, grace and form of these puppies, but ultimately I left it at just praising Redman, as did Tom.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

The puppies had a big day today. They started out running like wild things in the living area, for about a half hour before the other dogs got up. It was the first cold morning, we didn't have the heat on yet, so the adult dogs wanted to sleep in.

They had their second long play session when we had one of the families getting one of them to come for a visit. They slept hard for about four hours after the family left, and afterwards, played out on the porch, and then in the house until just a little while ago.

They did a new thing that I don't remember any other puppies doing just now. Three of them were sitting at the gate to the bedroom where their night time sleeping pen is, and were whining to go in. I put those three in bed, and the other three were at the gate, so I put them in too. I turned the light out in there, and went out. We haven't heard a peep from them since I turned the light out.

They had a good day.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Similar day today, but no visitors. Except for when they went in a pen to eat, and sleep, they were out in the house, running and playing, all day, and tonight.

About quarter after 9 tonight (would have been 10 last night), two of the girls came to my chair wanting me to pick them up, but couldn't get comfortable in one position for very long. One of the boys starting barking at the gate to the bedroom, and two others went over to join him, but didn't bark.

We put them all to bed, willingly, and they all zonked out almost immediately. They start leaving this coming Friday. They have been a real pleasure. We'll start some of the first to leave in crates tomorrow night.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

They'll spend more time in pens this week, than they did over the weekend. I have to work, but was here to watch them over the weekend. We don't want to spoil them to staying out all the time. If puppies can't be watched, they need to be in a confined area. Pam will, of course, be here, but they need to be comfortable staying in a pen too.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Hoping to see a before and after family picture of the group. 
When I hear of your puppy's beginnings, I wonder what my guy's early days were like exactly. There is so much for the breeders to do with these little ones, it's interesting to hear about it.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Yesterday, they went to get their first shots. Our Vet is a half hour away. Pam carried them two to a crate. She said they all did great, were a real hit with everyone at the Vet's office.

No one got sick in a crate during the trip, and they were all ready to go when they got back home. No issues with any side effects from the shot.

Today, they're their normal selves.

Twizzler (Joey-permanent name) will be the first to leave, on Friday. Last night, he started in a crate. He was so tired from playing, when I laid him in the crate facing the rear, he didn't even raise his head, or turn around. He made no sound, all night long.


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## Janet (Feb 19, 2007)

Sounds like proof of the adage "A tired puppy is a good puppy."


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

PROUD Papa and MaMa!!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

The first five left for their new homes, one each day from last Friday, through this past Tuesday.

We are keeping Taffy for another week because of scheduling of the new owner.

Rosy's singleton, Rosebud, has just cut teeth, not too long ago, and she has been spending some time out in our living area. We didn't let her do a lot of mixing with the whole litter of puppies, for fear that they might have been too rough with one much smaller than they were.

Now that Taffy is here by herself, we let her, and Rosebud have some supervised play time together. At first, Taffy was a little too strong for Rosebud, but being a feisty one, Rosebud straightened her right out, and it didn't take Taffy long to learn to be gentle.

Now, they are great friends, and have the best time playing. They actually run, and play pretty rough with each other, or at least, it sounds rough. I tried to catch a picture of them in a furball, but I was trying to take a picture last night, with low light, and this is the only one that they slowed up enough in to stay in focus. I think it's doing both of them a lot of good.

Rosebud won't be old enough to leave until after Thanksgiving.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Very sweet!


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