This is the story of Sasha’s labor and birthing, told by Sasha.  It is a story which can be told many times in many different ways by many mama doggies all over the world.  Here’s Sasha’s turn at it.

“It all started on a Wednesday night. The panting started so into the whelping box we go.  My human Mama Jo encouraged me in here.”“I don’t feel so good.  What is happening to me?  Mama Jo tells me to stay in here so I reluctantly agree.”I have to rest in between panting.Somehow I feel my life is changing I am OK with change.Just let me keep panting.By keeping my mouth open I cool myself down.I hope all this work pays off.Mama Jo is ready for something.  What it is I am not sure about yet.She has this box of pretty colored things out.  I vaguely remember seeing this box out last year at about this time. And this piece of equipment.  I have no idea what it is.  I see her bring it to her human job sometimes and it was here last year about this time too.It is now around 1 pm on Thursday afternoon.  I’ve been at this for hours and hours.   I’m tired of the box so mom lets me get out to lay at her feet.  How long will this go on?The Sundogs are very anxious to know about my progress.  Uncle Yolo is the main guard at my labor and delivery suite door. As soon as my Mama Jo turned her back at the open labor suite door look who took a stand.  My canine mama seemed a little worried and wanted to jump in the box with me.That is why I took the opportunity to jump out.  I made it over the side wall despite my big belly….it pays to be in shape.My canine mama continued to take a stand in the box I was supposed to be in.  She looks very happy in there.  I’m a little worried.This is her pathetic face. She was trying to tell my Mama Jo… “I AM THE ONE SUPPOSED TO BE IN HERE DELIVERING BABIES!”Finally Mama Jo told my canine mama OUT !  She listened thank goodness.  Because I needed the box back.After that fiasco Mama Jo opened the sliding door and told me I had to go outside.  I was a bit reluctant especially because it was a very windy day.I took a few sips of water from the pool being careful not to wet my feet.  I then went down to my usual place to take care of business.  Even though I really wanted to go back inside out of the wind.When I came back inside I dreaded going back in the box.  So I tried to stay under Mama Jo’s desk.  This weird feeling inside me was getting weirder.So I decided to get back in my box.  I mean our box.I could not decide whether to stand up.Or lay down.I tried to just stick my head in the corner and pretend this would all stop happening to me.I was trying to maintain my cool but started to get kind of panicky.  I looked back at Mama Jo and she said “Good girl, this will all be over soon.”But I had to stand up again.I felt I had to sniff every last inch of the box.And rearrange the sheets Mama Jo put in the box.I had to paw quite a bit to get things just the way I wanted them.

For some reason all the rearranging of the sheets in the world would not be enough to satisfy me.I needed to rest so down I went.I slept for maybe 60 seconds.I tried to forget about all this.Until I had to face the fact…..this weirdness is not going away.  I feel the need to PUSH something out of me.So I get up and realize something is going on down there.Oh boy……you may not want to see the next few photo’s if you are faint at the site of blood or any inner body part.  My Mama Jo feels she wants to document EVERYTHING.  I pushed something out of me.  What do I do now?Mama Jo is watching over me and I think she is waiting for me to do something with this thing that appears to be moving.  It came with what looks like apart of my inside….YUK Mama Jo.  What do we do with this?I can’t take it Mama Jo you deal with it.  I’ve got more pushing to do.  Luckily Mama Jo got out the scissors and cut that yuk thing off of the thing that I think is alive.  She put the yuk in “a sacred bowel”.Then she rubbed the clearly alive thing with a towel and put it up to my tummy.  What do we have here?  I said to myself.All of the sudden I feel relieved and happy.  Maybe there is a purpose to all this.Before you know it I had three alive things.  I was happy but under the realization this may go on for awhile.  How many alive things am I going to have when this is all over? I’m also starting to realize I need to take more of an active role in this.  Not that I have not been working hard but I know now I have four BABIES, YES BABIES!!   And I need to take care of them even though I am in the process of pushing more out.  Thank goodness Mama Jo has those scissors for cutting, two hands for ripping open the gosh darn sac they come enclosed in and the sacred bowl to put aside the yuk.OK this is baby number 5.  And even though I have four babies crawling all around me, even underneath me,  I am going to take over Mama Jo’s job.  Something inside of me tells me I must.  Here goes, my teeth can do what Mama Jo’s hands do and something tells me I must consume they yuk.  I’ve gotten over the nausea I was experiencing earlier.  For some reason the yuk is looking yummy now. Yuk.I did it!  I delivered baby number five without Mama Jo.  I gotta take a brief snooze.  I just know I’ve got more babies coming.  I can feel it.My babies came a few days early.  I know because Mama Jo told me.  They are having no problem feeding at my tummy.   This feeding part is not so hard.  They just automatically go to my tummy and suck.I think I have eight babies now and it is time for another nap.  For some reason when they suck I get tired.  Mama Jo says it is all part of Gods plan for mamas.While I sleep and feed my babies at the same time my canine Mama awaits at the outside door.  I feel a little sorry for her since I’ve taken her job but I am so tired I can’t get up to console her.  I had another baby soon after this photo was taken.  My Mama Jo was pleasantly surprised since Dr. Esh told her I had 8 babies.  I wanted to sleep like this all night but when it turned dark Mama Jo made me leave my babies to go outside and get cleaned up.  After that I settled right back down in my box with my babies feeling confident like I had done this a hundred times.  I told Mama Jo I’ve got this all under control.  She went to eat and DRINK with Rockin’ Roy and before you know it she was back.  She laid down on her bed nearby, the one I sleep on with her sometimes, and closed her eyes.  I knew she would not leave me. I felt heavenly sleeping in the box with my babies now.   I had a pretty good night considering what I had just been through for the last 21 hours.  In the morning upon awakening I felt even more proud.  We made it through our first night.  Mama Jo wants to leave you with some close-ups of my perfect babies.

I’ve said enough.

Adios Amigo’s!!!