Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Now we can begin to see the world around us!  “Can You Dig It?” At their one-week mark, Paige and her mini-pack welcomed a new roommate into their neighbourhood. Faith and her six-boy entourage made their debut last Friday morning. To say the least, Paige was very excited and curious and didn’t sleep a wink through the entire whelping. She would waver between her own puppies and each new one that Faith produced. Paige would not settle until Faith and her crew were firmly entrenched in their own whelping box (with the door closed)! Paige and her roomie are good friends and once Faith got back on her feet following the birth of her puppies, the two of them would go out on breaks together to work on creating an alternate residence for their puppies. Their tools of choice were their front paws which they used to attempt to forge a tunnel under some rocks in the yard. Lucky us – we got lots of practice with footbaths for the ladies. Paige’s little ones are doing very well.  The

We love to snuggle. “The Construction Project” As is the case with most pup deliveries, they happen very early in the morning or very late at night. It was the morning in this case and there really wasn’t much on tv at this time. Undaunted by this fact, Faith produced an all-male team of six boys consisting of Mr. Lilac, Mr. Dandelion, Mr. Peony, Mr. Orchid, Mr. Hydrangea and Mr. Ivy.  Faith found the whole process a bit tiring so it took her a little while to assume her motherly duties to begin stimulating her puppies by licking them.  The whole birthing process was monitored by Faith’s new roommate Paige whose litter was born the previous week. Paige reacted to every little squeak of a puppy as she was unable to ascertain whether they were her own puppies or from the new family who just moved in next door to her. Paige was finally able to relax once Faith bunked down in her own whelping box (with the door closed)! Once securely tucked away without the distraction of her fr

Embarrassed Hannah due to her expanding waistline. Where did my figure go? Our precious Hannah is growing and she knows it. This girl seems preoccupied with her waistline! There isn’t much room for food these days as the puppies have grown so much that we are feeding Hannah smaller meals throughout the day. We are just trying to make these last 9 days as comfortable and stress-free as possible for her. She will continue to have light activity, afternoon walks and we’re certain that she will eventually discover the catacombs other pregnant girls have dug under our spruce tree.  Hannah’s abdomen has expanded to 32 inches or 81 cm. Heading into her final week of pregnancy, she is just as sweet and loving as ever, however there is definitely a waddle in her walk. National Geographic image of a Golden Retriever fetus. At this stage, the puppies have a full coat of hair and can be felt moving around in her tummy.  The coat is one of the last organs to develop along

Stunning Paige enjoying motherhood. “The Transplant” The delivery of Paige’s pups was pretty much textbook. It was an easy labour completed in just under four hours. As the time wore on and Paige kept producing girl after girl, we were relieved that with the final “deposit”, they did end up with a baby brother. The six precious girls and one robust boy include: Miss Tomato (red), Miss Garlic (grey), Miss Chickpea (brown), Miss Bell Pepper (orange), Miss Olive (black), Miss Kale (green) and Mr. Blue Cheese (blue). Despite being a rookie, Paige is as devoted as any mom we’ve had and does a great job looking after her mini pack. There were however a few incidents where Paige was over-zealous to make her way outside for a break and at least in one instance, exited the whelping box with Miss Tomato still attached to her nipple who she transplanted onto the bedroom carpet. Paige is such a devoted mom.  It never ceases to amaze us how the little ones know exactly what to

Faith enjoying a relaxing break after digging a den for her pups.  Faith and Hudson litter As we enter the final stretch of her pregnancy, Faith continues to be such a happy girl. She is often seen rolling around on her back in the yard or in the house. At this stage, Faith is shedding the hair on her belly in preparation for the birth of her puppies.  This week we will introduce her to a pristinely clean whelping box in the hopes she will accept this for her pups as virtually all moms seek out or begin to dig a hole in the yard which is their idea of a good place to deliver puppies. Faith’s abdomen measures approximately 34 inches or 86.3 cm and she still has a fabulous appetite. She is eating a nutritious and “unprocessed” raw meal of veggies, meat, raw eggs, beef liver, pre and probiotics and vitamins.  By day 45 each fetus experiences rapid growth. Calcification of bones occurs, which means that fetuses are now visible on x-rays, allowing veterinarians to verify the num

Paige and Hugo Puppies Paige enjoying some vitamin D as she heads into her final pregnancy week.  As we head into the final week of her pregnancy, Paige isn’t really slowing down much. She has always had a high prey drive and when she spots a squirrel or turkey through the window, she is determined to get to it. But on her downtime, she likes to lounge in the comfort of a cozy bed or sofa.  Paige’s waistline measures 32 inches (81.3 cm). This week we have increased her meals to three daily and that seems to suit her just fine. She is eating a nutritious raw diet with pre and probiotics, folic acid, fish oil, bovine colostrum and extra vitamins.  Paige has just begun to seek out a “den” in the backyard in which to birth her puppies. This is normal behaviour for a mom-to-be however, we have a spotlessly clean, warm environment for Paige and her pups called a whelping box. This is where she will sleep and care for her pups once they are born. During the first week, Paige wil