Faith, Day 52 (pre-parturition)

Faith showing off her "baby bump"!

As we head into the final two weeks of Faith’s pregnancy, we see her slowing down a bit, preferring to lounge by the fireplace or on our king-sized bed. Faith has a voracious appetite, so we are now feeding her two meals daily and she measures about 31 inches (78 cm).

Next week we will set the whelping box up in our bedroom where Faith will be for about 3 weeks with the pups. It keeps her in a quiet environment where we can monitor the pups closely overnight. Our master bedroom has a separate walkout to another yard where she also has privacy for her bathroom breaks.

Faith has begun her search for a den in the backyard to have her pups in which is normal behaviour for a mom-to-be. She has started digging under our spruce tree and since our winter is so mild, on the weekend she came in with mud up to her elbows. We now we go outside with her or monitor her closely through the window. We prefer that she uses our spotlessly clean whelping box for her babies. We have a heat lamp on it, keeping the enclosed area a constant 72 -75°F degrees (22 – 24° c).

National Geographic image of a puppy fetus.

By day 45, each fetus experiences rapid growth. Calcification of bones occurs, which means that fetuses are now visible on x-rays, allowing us to verify the number of puppies in the litter and their positioning in the womb. By day 55, the fetuses are moving so much that they’re visible from the outside as a rippling motion across the mom’s abdomen. We can actually feel the puppies moving at this stage.

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 exposed to stressful events tend to release hormones that can be detected by the fetuses which can negatively influence their future development. This underscores the importance of providing pregnant dogs a stress free and tranquil environment.

Stay tuned and enjoy the ride…

Comments

Fiona & Dutch’s Autumn Litter 2025!

Dutch and Fiona's puppies arrived! Introducing Fiona & Dutch’s Autumn Litter 2025 We are thrilled to share that Dutch and Fiona has welcomed her first litter on Wednesday October 22nd! She was expecting 12 puppies, and although we sadly lost three little angels after a long 14-hour labour, we are overjoyed to have nine healthy, robust pups — three girls and six boys . Fiona has been an exceptional first-time mom, instinctively knowing what to do and bonding with her puppies immediately. Meet our Autumn Litter, in birth order: 🍂 Miss Kale – Purple collar 🍂 Miss Spice – Orange collar 🍂 Mr. Acorn – Brown collar 🍂 Mr. Apple Pie – Red collar 🍂 Mr. Gourd – Green collar 🍂 Mr. Twilight – Black collar 🍂 Mr. Frost – Light Blue collar 🍂 Mr. Sunrise – Yellow collar 🍂 Miss Mushroom – White collar We can’t wait to share more updates as these little ones grow! Stay...

A Big Week for Dutch and Fiona's Puppies!

Two weeks old today! Fiona's puppies are now two weeks old, and what an exciting stage this is! Every day brings new changes as the puppies grow stronger, more aware, and even more adorable (if that’s possible). At this age, the biggest milestone is that their eyes are now open! Though their vision is still a bit blurry, they’re beginning to see the world for the first time — mostly shapes, light, and movement. Over the next week, their eyesight will continue to sharpen, and they’ll start recognizing their littermates, their mom, and of course, us humans. The puppies are also becoming more mobile. Their wobbly little legs are gaining strength as they start to scoot, crawl, and even attempt to stand. It’s amazing to watch how quickly they go from tiny, sleepy newborns to curious explorers. Fiona is doing a wonderful job keeping everyone clean, warm, and fed. Although she doesn't have the milk supply we hoped for, we are supplementing by bottle feeding at least once daily. The p...

Dutch and Fiona’s Puppies – One Week Old Today!

Happy One Week Birthday! Fiona’s journey into motherhood has been nothing short of remarkable. After a long and exhausting 14-hour labour , she safely delivered 12 beautiful puppies . As the final hours stretched on, both Fiona and I were completely spent. Sadly, the last few pups became our little angels due to the extended delivery time. Despite every effort — providing oxygen and stimulation — we were unable to revive them. As heartbreaking as that was, we are deeply grateful to have nine strong, healthy puppies now thriving under Fiona’s care. This first week has brought its share of challenges. Fiona developed metritis , a uterine infection likely caused by the strain of her prolonged labour. She has been on antibiotics and is recovering well, but the infection initially impacted her milk production. To ensure the pups received the nutrition they needed, we began bottle feeding every 2–3 hours around the clock . Thankfully, the puppies ada...

Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Search This Blog