Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Bella with 7 days to go! I am not really sure where the time has gone, but Bella is now quite pre-occupied in selecting the best spot to have her pups. Her search takes her to a quiet corner of the house under a tree, probably a very luxurious location in the wild, but we have a much cozier and cleaner place in mind – her whelping box. We imported this premium whelping unit from England so I am not really sure why she feels “dirt” is better. This week, we will re-acquaint Bella with the whelping box and make all the final preparations for the puppies’ arrival. We will be introducing it to her daily and trying to convince her as to how wonderful it is. Bella is now receiving four smaller meals a day, as there is less room for food given the size of the puppies. She is becoming a little picky with her meals, but we continue to offer her a “gourmet” selection of nutritious foods.  Bella's x-ray. How many puppies do you think she will have? Bell...

Bella at 46 days to go! It was difficult to tell Bella was even pregnant as she didn’t really show much until day 37, when all of a sudden her waist line bulged to a whopping 33.5 inches (85 cm). Bella continues to have an amazing appetite and is now eating three small meals a day. We are feeding her a very nutritious diet of premium kibble, ground beef or roast chicken, boiled rice, digestive enzymes and probiotics. Bella seems very active at the moment but as we head into the homestretch, we expect she will slow down. She is ever so affectionate and she is demanding frequent belly rubs, which we are very happy to oblige. Pre-natal period: It is an interesting fact that a dog's tactile perception develops before birth, therefore unborn puppies can detect touch when the mother is petted from the outside of the abdomen. This establishes the basis for puppies to tolerate being touched, when compared to puppies born to mothers that were not petted. Pregnant dogs that are expo...