Bullmarket French Bulldog Breeders

Tula Takes Over

Heart - sleeping French Bulldog puppy

Last night, at about 12:30, I heard a strange ‘skritching’ sound coming from the spare bedroom across the hall. Like most dog people, the most quiet of noises, if it’s out of place, can wake from an almost dead sleep, and this noise was most definitely out of place.

::scritchy scritchy scritch::

pause…

::scritchy scritchy scritchy scritch::

pause…

::scritchy scritchy scritchy scritch scritch scritch::

Fine, time to go and check it out. I discovered Tula, sleeping in the whelping box, and Heart on the floor, scritching the edge of the pool in an attempt to get back inside. Big enough to get out of the pool, small enough to be stuck outside once she did. I set a temporary barricade up around the pool, popped Heart inside with her mommy, and headed back to bed. In the morning, I discovered Heart once again toddling around on the floor of the room, within ‘trouble’ range of electrical cords, carpeting and other not puppy safe hazards.

It’s official — she’ll go live in the ex pen with the other kids, including over night.

As a compromise, I’m alternating Tula and Penelope in the whelping room with the kids. I don’t want to just take Heart away from her mommy – they love each other! Penelope, on the other hand, dashed into the dog room and out into the yard without a backward glance. Freedom!

Tula nosed around the ex pen, sniffed noses with Heart across the doorway, and decided to pop inside for a visit. In a few moments, a light bulb went off inside her head. “These are puppies — other puppies!”. What do we do with puppies? Why, we clean them and nurse them and play with them and organize them into tidy piles, of course, which she promptly proceeded to do.

Within fifteen minutes, Tula had each of the Nellkins sniffed, washed, and tucked safely into her side for feeding. Heart slept through the entire procedure – hey, she gets mommy time all the time. The Nellkins, on the other hand, are completely enamored with Tula. A mommy who licks us! A mommy who plays with us! A mommy who wants us to eat! Who knew such a thing existed? It was like a scene out of that TV Show, “Wife Swap”. Penelope would be the slacker mom, tossing Heart a box of Kraft Dinner and telling her to go to the store and pick up some smokes after she’s done cooking it.

Speaking of Nell, when it was swap back time she mooched back into the room, high stepped around the pups with an expression that said “Get ’em off me”, and finished off the rest of their food before high tailing it out of the pen.

Maybe I’ll just leave Tula in there with them all from now on, and let Penelope get back to her career.

Photos on Flickr — http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchbulldogs/sets/72157607787521200/

The video from yesterday (it seems to be displaying oddly in the previous entry):

10 replies
  1. Vivianne
    Vivianne says:

    LOL Cute! It’s nice how she’s a spare mom like that. Some girls are just natural mommies, while others are better off chasing invisible bugs or something.

    Vivianne’s last blog post..Blindness

  2. Susan
    Susan says:

    Some people are not cut out for motherhood, some are. It’s true for every species. Take my mother — please. I could tell you stories that would short out your computer. Ah, well. The Nellkins, Tula, and Penelope are all happy, and Heart doesn’t mind, so it’s all good! And that first pic has fantastic puppy butt!

  3. maggie
    maggie says:

    LOL! So, wait.. Tula’s related to Lola? It should be Penelope that’s related to Lola.. the motherhood gene sure skipped Lola and went right over to Tula. Ah well, the puppies are happy and Tula and Nell are happy.. and everyone’s supercute!

  4. RHz
    RHz says:

    The pups continue to melt me with lots of “awwwws” every time I see a pic.
    Do you think Penelope would have a different outlook if she only had one pup instead of the whole bunch?
    I guess some people are cut out for motherhood and some just aren’t. As long as all are happy and healthy… that’s all that matters!

    RHz’s last blog post..Ladies & Gentlemen… Meet the world’s next sociopath!

  5. Susan
    Susan says:

    Darn, I guess I was thinking of the first pic in your email — certainly not Heart’s face! Her face doesn’t look like a butt at all! It looks like an angel!

  6. Jennifer
    Jennifer says:

    Too too cute….good for Tula she obviously adores puppies. Heart looks so sweet with her ears up.

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