Bella and Hudson’s Litter

Bella and Hudson’s Litter – Week Seven

“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”

Mr. Icicle waiting for Santa!

The days leading up to Christmas seemed a magical time. There was a certain electricity in the air and the puppies were feeling it too. Their energy level was soaring as was demonstrated by Miss Mistletoe, using one of her siblings as a springboard, catapulted herself out of the whelping box. The five inch step in the foyer, once so foreboding is now a launching pad which the puppies use to leap down to the lower level as part of their circuit training. When we’re sitting on the floor with the puppies, they spring up like dolphins as they try to plant kisses on our faces. Despite everything, each of the puppies has been more nice than naughty, so Christmas should prove to be very enjoyable.

After Santa dropped off toys and goodies for the puppies, near pandemonium ensued. There were so many toys that the puppies kept losing track of which one they were playing with, or with whom. A favorite was their mini rope toy - really just meant for one or two, but often three or four of them attempted to play with it at the same time. The puppies were also using the crates in the room for entertainment purposes. They would chase one another through one end of a crate and out the other; an activity that resulted in numerous collisions from two way traffic. Once their energy ebbed, the little ones curled up with a friend or rolled over on their backs to have a well-deserved snooze.

The puppies have now weaned off Bella almost entirely, albeit they still try. After numerous laps of the gym while chasing their mom, the pursuers gradually drop off one by one….panting. There are occasions, however when Bella gives in just a little! This bunch consists of an abundance of power eaters, which is evidenced by the fact that their food bowls are always cleaned out and virtually polished to a shine after every meal.

Christmas is also a time for making friends and the puppies made several. They studied their older “brother” Haydain the Gentle Giant very intently as he towered over them. Haydain is very enamoured with the puppies and he stood by very patiently as they bounced up to plant a lick on his nose. Their sister Whitney wasted no time in getting down to their level and allowing them to climb all over her. Even Bella joined in on the festivities. Good fun was had by all.

That’s it for now, but be sure to join us next week for the spellbinding conclusion of “Puppy Tales”.

Ruly and Tulip Litter - Week 1

Ruly and Tulip Litter - 1 Week Old What a week it's been! The Tulip puppies continue to thrive, gaining weight steadily and remaining fairly quiet. Tulip dotes on her family, rarely straying far from the whelping box. As you can see on the 24/7 camera, she is starting to spend a bit more time outside the box, but she consistently checks on her babies. Tulip currently eats around 4 pounds of food per day, along with calcium and pre-probiotics supplements. As her pups grow, her daily food intake will be gradually increased, reaching 5 - 6 pounds per day by the time the pups are about 7 weeks old. This increased caloric intake is necessary to meet the energy demands of milk production and to maintain Tulip's own body condition. Tulip still believes an outdoor den would be best for her pups, so we are monitoring her closely when she ventures out. The whelping box is lined with padded bedding and clean, white bleached towels on the bottom. The white towels allow us to quickly spot a...

Ruly & Tulip Litter - Week 2

Many viewers of the 24/7 puppy camera have raised questions, such as what are the pipes running alongside the whelping box. These are called "pig rails" and they are designed to protect the puppies from their mother accidentally lying on them, ensuring the puppies' safety. Since the puppies are unable to regulate their own body temperature, we use a heat lamp over the whelping box to keep them warm when Tulip is outside the box. However, we turn the heat lamp off when she is nursing the puppies. By 3 to 4 weeks of age, the puppies can regulate their temperature, which should then be in the normal range of 100.5°F to 102.5°F (38°C to 39.3°C). The most significant event this week is that the puppies' eyes have opened. Mr. Devil's eyes (the one with the red collar) were the first to open. Each puppy followed and within 48 hours they had all opened. The puppies are now weighing almost 3 lbs, and Tulip provides them nourishment at least every 2 hours, often throughou...

Ruly and Tulip Litter - 7 Weeks Old

Tulip’s Puppies Celebrate Their 7-Week Milestone! Another week has flown by, and it's hard to believe these puppies are already 7 weeks old. For the most part, they've been a very quiet litter. Don't get me wrong, they have their moments of boundless energy, running around in circles like little tornadoes. But compared to some of my more "vocal" litters at this age, these pups have been relatively calm. They love attention and cuddles, which is a delight for us humans. The big adventure this week was the trip to the vet for their health checkups. I'm happy to report they received a clean bill of health and were a big hit at the clinic. However, I'm always on guard at the veterinary hospital, as that's where sick dogs go. So we quickly wheeled the crates into the exam room on a trolley, making sure to keep all other dogs and people clear of my pups. This time of year, the threats of kennel cough and parvo are ever-present. The puppies weren't sure a...

Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

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