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Description
Maverick's eyes have also opened

I'm thinking I might keep this one.. He's got a hell of a personality and he's a ham for the camera to boot xD

Maverick in a not-so-silly photo

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About the lighting:

I don't have any lighting equipment and I can't afford any.. which sucks a bit because it's desperately needed :/ Anyway, I jimmy-rigged a desk lamp to be my portrait light.

I took a bowl, cut a hole in the bottom, lined it with foil, stuck the lightbulb through to the desk lamp and pretty much made my own portrait light that way...

Hey, it worked

I had to adjust the white balance on my camera like 20 times. I couldn't figure out which way to go because it just didn't look right. I can't see blue or yellow, but my sister and I struggled with it.. trying to find a setting that didn't cast a blue or yellow/orange hue to my pictures, so thanks Sam :] I know you were getting close to punching me in the end xDD

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Since this photo is getting so much attention, I'd like to re-tell the story of these puppies.

3 weeks ago, we rescued a chihuahua bitch that was heavily pregnant and alarmingly emaciated. She was skin and bones and very very swollen with pups.

I was worried she wouldn't be able to deliver the pups in her state, and was prepared to have an emergency C-Section if need be. I began giving her high calorie supplements and high fat foods, as well as all the water she could drink. Typically, I'm against free-feeding, but she was in such bad condition, I let her eat as much as she wanted and continued to refill the bowl as it emptied.

Two days after we got her, she went into labor. Her first stage of labor lasted nearly 12 hours, which isn't unusual, nor is it anything to worry about.

5am on 15th February, the bitch delivered the twins, Romeo and Juliet, Maverick (the photo'd pup) and Steeler.
I spent the first week of their lives checking them every 20 minutes (even at night), checking the bitch's milk production (to ensure she wasn't developing mastitis) and making sure the pups stayed warm.

Romeo, Juliet, and Steeler are all very large now, but Maverick is still quite small as he's the runt.

Surprisingly, everyone is healthy, gaining weight, and very active.. the bitch included.

I find it upsetting that an owner can let their own animals starve. The owner claimed he didn't know she was pregnant and couldn't figure out why she was getting so fat when he hadn't changed how he was feeding her, so instead of taking her to the vet, he restricted the already small portions of food she was getting.

Please. Educate yourselves before purchasing or adopting a pet. You wouldn't buy a car without doing some research, would you? Cars last, on average, 7 years with one person. Dogs live on average, 12-14 years. Owning a dog is a commitment. Take the time to learn about your breeds, make sure you have the finances to provide for a pet, and please.. PLEASE spay and neuter your animals.

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To those who keep commenting on the fact that I refer to the puppies' dam as a "bitch", please understand that I'm using the term properly.

An intact, female dog is called a bitch in the breeding and showing world and I'm accustomed to calling them as such. It is in no way meant to be derogatory.

Description
Maverick's eyes have also opened

I'm thinking I might keep this one.. He's got a hell of a personality and he's a ham for the camera to boot xD

Maverick in a not-so-silly photo

------------------------------------------------------

About the lighting:

I don't have any lighting equipment and I can't afford any.. which sucks a bit because it's desperately needed :/ Anyway, I jimmy-rigged a desk lamp to be my portrait light.

I took a bowl, cut a hole in the bottom, lined it with foil, stuck the lightbulb through to the desk lamp and pretty much made my own portrait light that way...

Hey, it worked

I had to adjust the white balance on my camera like 20 times. I couldn't figure out which way to go because it just didn't look right. I can't see blue or yellow, but my sister and I struggled with it.. trying to find a setting that didn't cast a blue or yellow/orange hue to my pictures, so thanks Sam :] I know you were getting close to punching me in the end xDD

------------------------------------------------------
Since this photo is getting so much attention, I'd like to re-tell the story of these puppies.

3 weeks ago, we rescued a chihuahua bitch that was heavily pregnant and alarmingly emaciated. She was skin and bones and very very swollen with pups.

I was worried she wouldn't be able to deliver the pups in her state, and was prepared to have an emergency C-Section if need be. I began giving her high calorie supplements and high fat foods, as well as all the water she could drink. Typically, I'm against free-feeding, but she was in such bad condition, I let her eat as much as she wanted and continued to refill the bowl as it emptied.

Two days after we got her, she went into labor. Her first stage of labor lasted nearly 12 hours, which isn't unusual, nor is it anything to worry about.

5am on 15th February, the bitch delivered the twins, Romeo and Juliet, Maverick (the photo'd pup) and Steeler.
I spent the first week of their lives checking them every 20 minutes (even at night), checking the bitch's milk production (to ensure she wasn't developing mastitis) and making sure the pups stayed warm.

Romeo, Juliet, and Steeler are all very large now, but Maverick is still quite small as he's the runt.

Surprisingly, everyone is healthy, gaining weight, and very active.. the bitch included.

I find it upsetting that an owner can let their own animals starve. The owner claimed he didn't know she was pregnant and couldn't figure out why she was getting so fat when he hadn't changed how he was feeding her, so instead of taking her to the vet, he restricted the already small portions of food she was getting.

Please. Educate yourselves before purchasing or adopting a pet. You wouldn't buy a car without doing some research, would you? Cars last, on average, 7 years with one person. Dogs live on average, 12-14 years. Owning a dog is a commitment. Take the time to learn about your breeds, make sure you have the finances to provide for a pet, and please.. PLEASE spay and neuter your animals.

--------------------------------------------------------------
To those who keep commenting on the fact that I refer to the puppies' dam as a "bitch", please understand that I'm using the term properly.

An intact, female dog is called a bitch in the breeding and showing world and I'm accustomed to calling them as such. It is in no way meant to be derogatory.