38 Comments
Oct 24Liked by Anna Wharton

🤗

When our Staffie had pups in our back room, she got 6 out and the 7th got stuck. Luckily she managed to let me know and I got her and 6 fresh pups into the car (in the blue plastic clam, the type usually used as a toddler paddling pool or sandpit), took her to the local vet where she had an emergency C-section to deliver the last, stuck (dead) pup and one other that hadn’t formed properly and had apparently kind of fossilised.

Poor girl. Cost a fortune! And then she had to manage feeding the pups after that! She was such a trooper.

I can’t remember so much shit but maybe we had them outside more. And luckily my kids were teenagers and old enough to help! Technically the Mum was my son’s dog so he definitely had to help! I was a single mum of 4 at that stage and just scraping by financially- by the time all the medical bills, vaccinations, etc had been paid, and 4 of the 6 pups sold to good homes (one I kept, and one went to the family of the Dad Staffie), I think I just about came out financially even. But the pup I kept, Pete, was my “best dog ever”. He lived 13 years, died in 2017, and I still miss him.

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Oh Pete! Wow Sarah, what a story! I have heard that those big headed dogs can have problems whelping. I can't imagine going through that alone, how terrifying. I would love to have kept one of Tilki's pups but I just can't afford it. Luckily I will see them grow up though. Thank you for sharing your experience.

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Oct 24Liked by Anna Wharton

I probably couldn’t afford it at the time either. Never been one for letting that hold me back 🤣.

I actually refused an offer for $1,000 for Pete. He was such an amazing dog. People would stop him to talk to him every time we were out walking, he had such charisma.

He also had a penchant for homeless people 😅. So many times I was stood on the other end of the lead while he gave love and dog hugs to someone on the street who had probably never had physical contact from any living thing for years!

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Oh Pete ! 🥹

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Oct 24Liked by Anna Wharton

I did tell you not to do it, but I get why you did, and yes it's an experience, and yes yes some of us create a lot more trouble for ourselves than others... I am of the first camp and so I do recognise the drive to live life to the full, but I also run away screaming from it because it has got me into so much trouble so many times... But you're almost through the other side. I just hope you find forever homes for those two last ones, or else your house will be full (and your daughter a bit neglected) for many more months to come!

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Oh Lily! It’ll be fine!! Xx

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❤️❤️

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Aw, Anna this was wonderful, thank you! Such fabulous photos and beautiful reminders about life, taking risks, trusting our instincts, sharing joy and the importance of caring for ourselves. Thank you! 🥰

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Thank you for reading, Eva!

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What an experience! I wish we hadn’t spayed my dog & I’d let her have pups but now I’m not so sure 😂 I properly ‘guffawed’ imagining poor Tilka’s face looking up at you asking that question “So, Anna, how’s your ‘life experience’ working out for you?”

And yes partners can be quite limiting….

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Yes, it happened quite a few times 😆😆🤣

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‘Tilki’ sorry

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What a lovely post (with adorable pics!) I fully relate to going through the tough stuff alone. It’s not easy, but it does build character, supplying you with more strength and resilience further down the road.

I have always dreamed of breeding dogs and raising puppies… good to know what that entails! I once saw a horse give birth, and it was such a profound experience to witness. I can only imagine how attached you must be to these seven little souls. Wishing them all long and healthy lives, and their mother too! 🤍

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Wow, i can't imagine what it would be like seeing a horse give birth! What an experience. It was incredible enough seeing a dog give birth. I do think that it is a wonderful experience raising pups, but yes, just good to be prepared. I have so many practical tips now!

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Oct 27·edited Oct 27Liked by Anna Wharton

Yes, it's been lovely following the pups' antics on Instagram. How lovely and cute they are, albeit hard work. My two elderly house kitties also produce a lot of poo, which I am incessantly clearing up from their litter trays. Although I would rather have that than them not produce poo. Nina went through a spell of constipation earlier this year and it scared me silly. Thankfully, she is doing poos again now, so rather poo than no poo! :) But that's cat and doggy life: a lot of poo, wee and sick (and cleaning stains from carpets). I love my babies so much it doesn't bother me at all. They give so much love and cuddles it's all more than worth it. They are magical.

Thanks for your honesty in the reality of single puppy mummy life, Anna. It's been fascinating to read about.

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Thank you Anita 🙏🏼❤️

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Ah, little poppets - my only (never again) experience with puppies was when our nine month old border Collie nicked off in her first season, mated with her but if rough, the farmer's working sheepdog & produced six pups. I was pregnant & as my bump got bigger, so Meg's enthusiasm for mothering waned & I ended up doing nighttime feeds a month before my own babe was born. As for the poo, try navigating poo & pups when you're nine months pregnant 😱

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Oh my god, Sue!!!! There is a lot to be said for the saying they’re is always someone worse off!

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Anna, I've lapped up all these last whelpsome weeks of insta story updates since your seven little ones arrived. Watching them all wriggle, writhe, change and unfold in bitesize (haha, and there has been some nibbling) little squealing rusty velvet brown riots of energy, it has been so entertaining. And has made me broody for a second dog here though that's not possible for now. I completely get why you leaned into the unfamiliar and did it; SUCH a giant endurance experience and fierce love to cherish forever. Thanks for sparing us the photo evidence of all the 'shitastrophes' along the way. They reminded me of the dirty protest summer in my home when I had to contend with and toilet train both a big puppy and a small human; I'll similarly spare you all the graphic scatty details.

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Jeez Sarah, that sounds intense!!!

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It was as bad as your imagination can imagine it 😬

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Oh god 🤦🏻‍♀️

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Anna, their little heads and closed eyes, it’s too much!!! This post is just so heart-warming and they are all just adorable! X

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Thanks Sam. They are adorable! 🥰

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Sucks I cant pet every single puppy thru the computer screen 😭

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Sorry Jezz!

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Despite all the poo, my overwhelming thought is, I really need to get myself together and get a dog!

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You do, Bonnie!

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Oct 24Liked by Anna Wharton

We had many guinea pigs that had babies when we were kids and it was fascinating watching them give birth the one time I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Total wonder. You’ve made me think now if that may have been in the back of my mind during childbirth I didn’t know how I stayed so calm.

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How interesting, Kylie-Ann. How can it not have influenced you?!

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Oct 25Liked by Anna Wharton

Yes exactly you don’t see the significance at the time.

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Oh they are adorable, I bet they were worth every second of cleaning up and stressing out! Saying goodbye to them must've been so hard ❤️

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I’ve got a week left of them, Sophie!

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give them loads of cuddles ❤️

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You can be sure of it!

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When we were kids, our dogs and cats had several litters and it was such a great experience! I wanted my kids to have that experience too! My ex never would have agreed hahaha! My mom actually told me not to! I let my dogs have a second litter, mostly because my mom told me not to, but also because my kids wanted another litter. That time, one of the kids ended up stepping on a puppy and breaking its leg 😞 she turned out fine after and the leg healed great, but the expense! The first two litters were 4 puppies, of which I only sold two out of each. For $250… so, I was surely out money for each litter. The third and final litter was 6 puppies! I traded 2 for things (one to my friend for helping me clean, and one for graphic design work). And was just barely able to sell the rest. It’s not easy to find places to list them for sale! We all fell in love with all of the puppies! At least two from each litter have gone to friends and family, which is awesome because we get to see them. It was soooo much work and soooo much poop!!! You aren’t kidding about that! But, it was worth it for the puppy snuggles!

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Oh that's lovely to hear, Kristin.... not so much about the puppy breaking its leg. This is something I am terrified of with just days ago, especially how they tear round hurting each other. Thank you for sharing!

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