Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

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...

  Six Weeks of Cuteness: Puppy Birthday Bash! What a week it's been! The pups are exploring a much larger area now, and Tulip remains as attentive as ever, watching over and caring for her puppies. We've been letting them out into our kitchen or foyer to give them extra space to run around, where we can also engage with each one. The communal saucer they eat from is getting crowded, so we've separated them into two groups, with four pups per saucer. Some moms may want to stop nursing at this stage, but Tulip keeps returning to her "built-in milk truck" multiple times a day. As a special treat, Tulip gets a dehydrated duck or chicken foot daily. She immediately takes it to the whelping box and leaves it for the puppies, but I have to remove it and assure her that it's her treat. Then she'll wander around with it in her mouth until she finds a quiet spot to enjoy munching on it.    At this age, it's important to start exposing the puppies to stimulation,...

Tulip’s Puppies Turn 5 Weeks Old Today – Growing Fast and Full of Cuteness! Wow, time is certainly flying by! It always amazes me how quickly these little puppies are developing. At just 5 weeks old, the puppies are already averaging 8.5 lbs—up from around 6 lbs last week! They’re eating three meals a day, with each pup consuming about 3.75 oz per meal. The biggest change this week is how social they’re becoming. The pup are starting to interact more with each other and with humans. When they hear a human voice or spot a hand, they excitedly move toward it, eager to engage. It’s such a joy to watch their personalities begin to shine! This week also marks the start of housetraining. Puppies don’t like to soil where they sleep, so we’ve introduced a tray with an incontinence pad. About 80% of the time, they use it to go to the bathroom—such a smart group already! Tulip is still very hands-on with her puppies, always staying close to them and offering care, but she’s also taking a little ...

It's hard to believe that Tulip's puppies are already four weeks old! In just the past week, these little bundles of joy have  had so many new experiences . The puppies have recently made the big transition from being in our bedroom to exploring the wider world of the living room. This new, more open environment has allowed them to start truly interacting with their litter mates and the people who come to visit. At this stage, the puppies are learning crucial social skills as they play, wrestle, and communicate with each other using a variety of vocalizations like yips and barks. They learn how to interact with others and start to learn bite inhibition. The puppies' sensory abilities are also maturing rapidly. Their sight, hearing, and sense of smell are continuing to sharpen, allowing them to better perceive and engage with their surroundings. To support this growth, the puppies have been introduced to a variety of toys and an activity center, which they enthusiastically i...

Three Weeks of Puppy Love: Tulip's Little Ones Are Growing Fast! Our "Spanish" Halloween litter is now 3 weeks old! As they enter their 4th week, we're seeing even more changes. The puppies are much steadier on their four paws and are actively walking around, as you can observe on our 24/7 camera. Mom Tulip continues to provide nourishment every few hours. Tomorrow, we'll introduce the puppies to their first solid food - a mix of pure turkey, ground bone, organ and muscle meat, along with goat's milk. This will be a communal feeding, and while the puppies may not know exactly what to do at first, they quickly devour the meal once they've had a taste. We'll start with one feeding per day and gradually increase to three times daily over the next few days. They'll continue on this three-times-a-day schedule until around 6 months of age, when we'll transition to twice-daily feedings. Mr. Broomstick cuddling with momma❤️ In other updates, the puppie...

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 - 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...

Tulip, surrounded by her newborn litter, rests peacefully after the arrival of the final puppy . This Halloween, we welcomed 8 precious puppies. Six robust boys and three darling girls - including one angel girl - were born to proud mom Tulip. While we're feeling a bit like zombies today from the late-night arrivals, we're absolutely delighted with our new little ones. Tulip's first stage of labour began in the wee hours of October 31st, and our first puppy made its appearance right around trick-or-treat time. Tulip has been the picture of a devoted mother, refusing to leave her puppies' side. The pups are all doing wonderfully, and we're excited to introduce you to them in the order of their birth. Mr. Raven, Black collar Mr. Wizard, Purple collar Mr. Pumpkin, Orange collar Mr. Broomstick, Brown collar Mr. Hocus Pocus, Blue collar Miss Trick or Treat, Light blue collar Mr. Devil, Red collar Miss Ghost, White collar PS: It was heartbreaking when the newborn puppy fa...

Tulip's pregnancy X-ray The X-ray above shows that Tulip has a full belly. She is very in tune with her mealtimes and eats every 4 hours. Tulip's abdomen measures 37 inches and she currently weighs over 80 lbs. Can you guess how many puppies we are expecting? The puppies can be safely born anytime now, as the gestation period is 63 days from the time of ovulation, give or take a day. Tulip is due to give birth this Friday or Saturday. In the evenings, Tulip's puppies are quite active. As part of our nightly routine, we have a calming bedtime snuggle and gently rub Tulip's tummy, which she finds incredibly soothing and never wants it to end. Eventually, she'll jump off the bed and drift off to sleep on the cool tile floor of the ensuite bathroom. Tulip Day 57 (pre-parturition) The puppies are now putting all their energy into growing. Newborn puppies are born blind and deaf, but they can smell extremely well and easily find moms milk bar. Newborns sleep about 90% of ...

Tulip last weekend showing off her baby bump! Tulip's abdomen measures 35 inches as she enters the final week of her pregnancy.  Tulip currently receives three meals per day but are increasing this to four meals as her due date approaches. Smaller, more frequent meals are easier for Tulip to digest. She is also being given folic acid, a form of the B vitamin folate that pregnant human mothers take as a supplement. Folic acid can help reduce the risk of midline birth defects. In the days leading up to the puppies' arrival, we will closely monitor Tulip's temperature. A normal dog temperature is around 101°F (38.3°C). As Tulip's progesterone levels drop in preparation for delivery, her temperature may dip as low as 97°F (36.1°C). This temperature drop signals that the time for delivery is approaching. We can expect Tulip's temperature to fluctuate for about 72 hours, but it will rise back to normal right before she gives birth. By tracking Tulip's temperature drop...

  Tulip (pre-parturition) - 46 days Tulip's appetite remains as voracious as ever. She eagerly devours her twice-daily meals and will soon transition to three meals per day starting this weekend. Tulip has taken to counter surfing, scouring for any treats she can locate. She's well aware that we often leave snacks on the bathroom counter after emptying our pockets - a behaviour that is uncharacteristic for her. Tulip's abdomen now measures approximately 33 inches. For the past couple of weeks, she has had a slight belly bulge. Despite this, Tulip remains as active as ever, playing with the rest of the pack. She particularly enjoys basking in the sunshine outdoors. Soon, she will instinctively search our yard for a suitable birthing spot and start digging a den, which is normal canine behavior. However, we have a different plan - a clean, warm whelping box that we will introduce to her next week in our bedroom. This is where she will give birth, sleep, and nurse her puppies...