Swiss Alps Litter 2022
Swiss Alps Litter Parents: Togo & Atlas x Nana
Date of birth: Sunday 13 November 2022
Swiss Chinooks 'Rosa'
Mountain Name: Monte Rosa
Sex: Female
Birth Weight: 363g (12.80 oz)
Mount Rose (4,634 m (15,203 ft)) is a mountain massif in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps between Italy's (Piedmont and Aosta Valley) and Switzerland's (Valais). This is the second highest mountain in the Alps and western Europe, after Mont Blanc. Monte Rosa was studied by pioneering geologists and explorers, including Leonardo da Vinci in the late 15th century and Horace-Bénédict de Saussure in the late 18th century. Following a long series of attempts beginning in the early 19th century, Monte Rosa's summit, then still called Höchste Spitze (lit. 'highest peak'), was first reached in 1855 from Zermatt by a party of eight climbers led by three guides. The great east wall was first climbed in 1872, from Macugnaga.
Swiss Chinooks 'Lema'
Mountain Name: Monte Lema
Sex: Female
Birth Weight: 312g (11.01 oz)
Monte Lema is a 1,624 m high mountain in the Lugano Pre-Alps, located on the border between Switzerland (Canton Ticino) and Italy (Province of Varese). On the Swiss side, it can be reached by cable car from Miglieglia. On the summit there is a restaurant with a small hotel service, an amateur astronomical observatory and a weather station with a radar antenna. The summit is part of an extensive network of trails that winds for eighty kilometres through the foothills of the Alps.
Swiss Chinooks 'Bernina'
Mountain Name: Piz Bernina
Sex: Female
Birth Weight: 322g (11.36 oz)
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps, the highest point of the Bernina Range, and the highest peak in the Rhaetian Alps. It rises 4,048.6 m (13,283 ft) and is located south of Pontresina and near the major Alpine resort of St. Moritz, in the Engadin valley. It is also the most easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent peak in the Alps. Although the summit lies within Switzerland, the massif is on the border with Italy. The "shoulder" (4,020 m (13,190 ft)) known as La Spedla is the highest point in the Italian Lombardy region. Piz Bernina is entirely surrounded by glaciers, of which the largest is the Morteratsch Glacier. The mountain was named after the Bernina Pass in 1850 by Johann Coaz, who also made the first ascent. The prefix Piz comes from the Romansch language in Graubünden; any mountain with that name can be readily identified as being located in southeastern Switzerland.
Swiss Chinooks 'Naye'
Mountain Name: Rochers de Naye
Sex: Female
Birth Weight: 296g (10.44 oz)
The Rochers de Naye (French, lit. "rocks of Naye"; 2,042 metres (6,699 ft)) is a mountain of the Swiss Alps, overlooking Lake Geneva near Montreux and Villeneuve, in the canton of Vaud. They lie on the range separating the basin of Lake Geneva from the valley of the Sarine, on the watershed between the Rhone and the Rhine. The mountain is partially located in the canton of Fribourg, the border between the two cantons culminating on a lower summit named Grande Chaux de Naye (1,982 metres (6,503 ft)). The Rochers de Naye are also known for the Rochers de Naye Via Ferrata considered to be extremely difficult, the Grottes de Naye (caves which are accessible via the trail between Col de Jaman and Rochers de Naye), and a few enclosures hosting marmots from around the world.
Swiss Chinooks 'Pollux'
Mountain Name: Pollux Mountain
Sex: Male
Birth Weight: 368g (12.98 oz)
Pollux (Italian: Polluce) is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Valais, Switzerland and the Aosta Valley in Italy. It is the lower of a pair of twin peaks (German: Zwillinge), the other being Castor, named after the Gemini twins of Roman mythology. Pollux' peak is at an elevation of 4,092 m (13,425 ft). It is separated from Castor by a pass at 3,847 m (12,621 ft), named Passo di Verra in Italian, Col de Verra in French and Zwillingsjoch in German.
The first ascent was by Jules Jacot from Geneva with guides Josef-Marie Perren and Peter Taugwalder (father) on August 1 (the Swiss national day) 1864. Their route was via the Schwarztor, a pass first crossed by John Ball and Gabriel Zumtaugwald in 1845. The impressive north ridge was first climbed by Captain John Percy Farrar (a future President of the Alpine Club) and Wylie Lloyd with guide Josef Pollinger of St. Niklaus in the canton Valais on 18 August 1893.
Ascents are usually made from the Refuge Ottorino Mezzalama (3,036 m), the Monte Rosa hut (2,795 m); if traversing the peaks via Pollux's north ridge, the Refuge Quintino Sella au Félik (3,585 m), and the Rossi-Volante bivouac hut (3,850 m). The first winter and ski ascent of Pollux was by Dr Alfred von Martin and Karl Planck on 7 March 1913.
Swiss Chinooks 'Eiger'
Mountain Name: Der Eiger
Sex: Male
Birth Weight: 311g (10.97 oz)
The Eiger is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. The first ascent of the Eiger was made by Swiss guides Christian Almer and Peter Bohren and Irishman Charles Barrington, who climbed the west flank on August 11, 1858.
Swiss Chinooks 'Rigi'
Mountain Name: Mount Rigi
Sex: Female
Birth Weight: 393g (13.86 oz)
The Rigi (also known as Queen of the Mountains) is a mountain massif of the Alps, located in Central Switzerland. The whole massif is almost entirely surrounded by the water of three different bodies of water: Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug and Lake Lauerz. The range is in the Schwyzer Alps, and is split between the cantons of Schwyz and Lucerne, although the main summit, named Rigi Kulm, at 1,798 meters (5,899 feet) above sea level, lies within the canton of Schwyz. Rigi has been featured in many works of art, including both paintings and literary publications. Perhaps the most famous paintings of the Rigi were a series by J. M. W. Turner, including The Blue Rigi, Sunrise, several of which are in the collection of the Tate Britain art gallery in London.
This is the second Swiss Chinooks litter and third litter of Chinooks born in Switzerland. We expected between 5 and 6 puppies to be born. This pregnancy and whelping was very different to our first litter with around 1.5 to 2 hours between each pup being born so our Nana went through a marathon this time around. Puppies were born in the following order: Rosa (Pink), Lema (Yellow), Bernina (Green), Naye (Orange), Pollux (Blue), Eiger (Red) and Rigi (Purple).
Puppy Evaluation
All the pups were evaluated for their physical conformation on Day 4 with Susan Burrell (Burrell Handling, LLC), Patti Richards (Forever Greene Chinooks), Lynn Philipp and two helpers present. The evaluation took around 4.5 hours via Skype and it was concluded that the puppies were ranked in the following order for the intent of breeding in the future (provided, of course, that all their health test results came back healthy i.e. hips, elbows and eyes after their 2nd birthday): Rigi, Pollux, Rosa, Naye, Bernina, Eiger and Lema.
Puppy Enrichment, Socialization and Lactation
All pups received Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and Early Scent Introduction (ESI) from Day 3 to Day 16. All the pups received enrichment and socialization training/exposure until they left for their new homes. Any pups requiring a rabies vaccine (plus 21 days) to be able to enter their new home countries, will be taken to puppy classes from 8 to 15 weeks old.
All the pups will continue to receive their mother's milk until they leave for their new homes. We intend to start weaning pups on to kibble (Vet Concept brand - "sensitive mini" for puppies) in a puree mixed with their mother's food (cooked turkey, vegetables, cottage cheese, 3 types of oils and a mineral supplement mix) at week 3 in order to take things slowly so that the pups have enough time to adjust before they go to their new homes.