Aidi wan n'Eezel: the loyal azawakh

All of Afouda’s puppies are robust and healthy.

Tahount (#1 male)

Aveeleela (#2 female)

Amati (#3 male)

Imelaoulaou (#4 female)

Bonus photo

From day 3 in the nursery: Aveeleela has climbed on top mommy for a snooze and Amati has fallen asleep while attempting to make a getaway.

Afouda wan n’Eezel has had a litter of four healthy puppies by Ettebel Azelouan. Two are male and two are female.

• #1 (male) Tahount wan n’Eezel
• #2 (female) Aveeleela wan n’Eezel
• #3 (male) Amati wan n’Eezel
• #4 (female) Imelaoulaou wan n’Eezel

They were born late in the night on Monday, June 6 and early Tuesday June 7 at the start of Ramadan in Harare, Zimbabwe. See the Azawakh Database for the full pedigree. This breeding is balanced between about 50% new African foundation stock and 25% each of the older imports that formed the Yugoslav and French lines.

My thanks to those who stewarded the breed before me. In particular, Daoud Abdullah Abduallah (David Moore), Dr. Gabi Meissen, Dr. Werner Roeder and all of ABIS for their hard work raising these dogs so that we can enjoy them as healthy, loyal companions. My thanks also to Damon and Malise Stockil for building Afouda a brilliant whelping box.

Please contact me at brian.reiter@gmail.com to inquire about placement of a puppy.

It is pouring down rain this afternoon. They are big enough to really want to explore and find the house a confining place to spend a whole afternoon without exploring. They are having to amuse themselves with inside pursuits. That means playing with approved toys. It also means hauling down couch cushions which are certainly not approved for puppies to make into a bed.

It has rained every day for the last week, morning and night in Harare. Today we enjoyed a break in the clouds and some sunshine for a handful of hours after lunch. Tawzalt’s puppies are now 5 1/2 weeks old. They are much more confident outside and more coordinated. They are working on their double-suspension gallop as well as digging in the dirt under bushes and tasting everything.

The irish-marked brindle one is called Tazoudi wan n’Eezel.

The sable fawn one is called Afouda wan n’Eezel.

Tawzalt’s puppies are 21 days old today and it is time for their first attempt at solid food. These two are really developing personalities. They are starting to have energy to explore and play a bit rather than just sleep and eat. Afouda tends to be the more vocal and adventurous of the pair. She is also hungrier. Tazoudi really enjoys snuggling with Tawzalt, her sister or even the stuffed toys Tawzalt has brought into the whelping box. Tazoudi is a a more cautious observer. Somehow, though Tazoudi explores less, she manages to discover more. She is the one who I find peeking out of the door in the whelping box.

Afouda, 21 Days

Tazoudi, 21 Days

Afouda and Tazoudi, First Solid Food

This first meal is traditional African millet porridge with ground beef and cottage cheese. 

In the Sahel, there is a tradition of a naming day ceremony where the village comes together to celebrate a new life and the cild is given a name and welcomed into the community. Tawzalt’s puppies were one week old yesterday and we gave them names. In one week the puppies have nearly doubled in size. They spend a lot of time sleeping and eating but are also busy with their noses snuffling and exploring their whelping box. They are doing their utmost to try and seek out adventure in their little world.

Many thanks to Daoud for his help with Tamasheq Berber words for puppy naming.

This is Afouda

Afouda means strong or solid literally, camel. Afouda was the first born with a thirst for life.

This is Tazoudi

Tazoudi means to be sweet. She has very pretty white markings against deep chestnut brindle.

The High-Flow Nursing Technique

Puppy #1 discovered a massage technique to get more milk to come out faster.

The Miniature Puppy Pile

Tawzalt Added Stuffed Toys to the Whelping box

I think Tawzalt is a little unsatisfied with just two puppies. She has added three stuffed toys to the whelping box and goes to retrieve them whenever we put them away. She previously had shown no interest in these plush toys in at least a year.

Regression

Tawzalt was feeling needy after a week and wanted to be the puppy again, instead of the mommy. Theodora is comforting her.