The Happy Hour Litter Has Arrived! BlazE × Aster, November 12–13, 2026
The bar is open. Aster has delivered the Happy Hour litter: three healthy English Springer Spaniel puppies, sired by our own BlazE.
She Kept Us Waiting
We had been taking Aster’s temperature morning and evening for days. A drop in the dam’s rectal temperature, usually below 99°F, is one of the most reliable signs that puppies are close. Aster’s temperature first dipped on November 9, and then she made us wait three more days, in her own good time.
Labor began at 8:30 PM on Thursday, November 12. Hard labor started at 10:05 PM, and her water broke at 10:35 PM. Six minutes later, the first puppy was here.
Meet the Happy Hour Litter
Every Happy Hour puppy is named for a cocktail. Here is how the night went, puppy by puppy:
| # | Born | Collar | Name | Sex | Birth weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 12, 10:41 PM | Pink | Cosmo | Female | 441 g |
| 2 | Nov 12, 11:13 PM | Green | Mojito | Male | 465 g |
| 3 | Nov 13, 12:51 AM | Red | Sangria | Female | 390 g |
The first puppy, Cosmo, arrived at 10:41 PM on November 12, and the last, Sangria, at 12:51 AM on November 13: the whole litter in just over two hours. All three came head first, all three are liver and white like both of their parents, and every placenta was accounted for. That is two girls and one boy.
The X-ray on November 5 counted three puppies, and three is exactly what Aster gave us.
The Morning After
By 6:50 the next morning, every puppy had already gained on its birth weight: Cosmo was 455 g, Mojito 480 g and Sangria 405 g. That is just what we hope to see in the first hours: good nursing and a mother taking good care of her babies. For the first days we weigh every puppy twice a day, and we’ll share their progress here.
Aster and her three, settled in the whelping box.
A mother’s welcome.
Just look at that face.
What Comes Next
The next two weeks are all about eating, sleeping and growing. On day 3 we begin Early Neurological Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction, and the first nail trims come on day 4. Follow along here for weights, milestones and plenty of pictures.
Thank you to everyone who has followed Aster’s journey, from her breeding in September through the long watch of the last few days. Happy Hour is officially open.
– Three Doves Performance Dogs
