Down To Earth: A Puppy Christmas!

Some dear friends of ours are in the midst of A Christmas Puppy Miracle. Or you could say a Christmas Puppy Crisis. Either way, the story is so fun, I've asked if I could share it. It starts like this...

Our friends, Jon and Jeannie, had been "dog-less" for a few months, and felt it was time to add animals back into their lives. Two beautiful Golden Retriever/Bernese Mountain dog sisters became available for adoption, and they decided these sweet sister dogs--pups really as they are only 18 months old--would make a great addition to their family. They have three girls and very full lives, but are the sort of people who need animals to round out the family chaos. Probably why we are such good friends.

The dogs they adopted, Bailey and Josie, are very sweet animals. They are the sort of dogs you know right away are more than just dogs. For those of you who love animals and are well acquainted with them, you know what I mean when I say that. Some dogs are just that--dogs. But every now and then you meet one who looks you in the eye and seems to speak to you. A dog with a soul. These two are those kind of dogs.

The pet adoption process went well, a few weeks went by and their family life returned to a nice "normal." Our friends went away for a Thanksgiving vacation and when they returned, after a very long flight, they of course greeted their dogs. Only Josie seemed a little off. And when they started to play with her, they felt something moving in her belly.

A quick bit of google research, followed by a visit to their vet, and they learned that their new "puppy" was about a week away from becoming a puppy mama! Unbeknownst to anyone, she was pregnant when they adopted her. And who is the father? Anyone's guess. When the original owners of the dogs were told of this puppy predicament, they answered that the dogs were outside on their 5 acre farm a lot. The father could be just about anyone.

I believe some panic, and some "how on earth are we going to deal with puppies right before Christmas", consumed them for a little while. Unplanned puppies are an exciting, but rather intrusive event! But they got to work, accepting that life is filled with unplanned surprises, and a week later in the wee hours of the morning, Josie began to deliver her pups. Ten tiny pups were born over the course of the night. It was a messy, messy process. Josie chose to deliver her pups in their old pack and play rather than in the nice whelping box Jon built. Which sounds just about right.

These pups were born last Thursday morning and our girls have been over several times. Truly, one never tires of watching tiny puppies wiggle and squirm and nurse and nap. Josie, the mama dog is the most natural mother I've ever seen. And it is sweet to watch her tend to her pups. Bailey is a little lost as she misses her sister. But she too is keeping a respectful distance and seems to know what her place is right now. It helps that she is getting lots of attention because no one can walk away from her--those eyes of hers tell everyone just how she is feeling and you can't help but to sit down and offer her some attention.

Our friends are handling this puppy miracle with such grace, and word has spread around this little island very quickly. I think they will have no problem finding homes for them all. The best line of all has come from their youngest daughter, who is also named Grace. When asked about what type of dog the father might be, Grace, who is four, answered, "well, it might be a hamster?"

Thank you Jon, Jeannie, Lindsay, Caroline and Grace for sharing your puppy miracle with us.