Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Mr. Coconut Clearly it was a misunderstanding. When the puppies are outside in their play area, we provide them with bowls of water for drinking. With their entrepreneurial spirits running high, the puppies discovered that using the water coupled with the holes they dug in the lawn, they were able to create their own mud bath spa treatments. Needless to say, this resulted in several of them resembling Chocolate Labs, thereby requiring bath time a little early. It’s not hard to tell that Mango is breathing sighs of relief in only having to offer the pups the occasional quick snack. The gang is devouring their solid food and their portions have grown considerably. The reward, of course is that all of the puppies are a happy, healthy bunch mostly weighing in between eleven and twelve pounds. While food and sleep are still atop the list, the puppies’ sphere of interest has extended far beyond the microcosm of their litter. They are exploring the yard in every-wideni...

Mr. Purple It begins innocently enough. a puppy will crouch down in the grass, watching and waiting very patiently. Off in the distance, he spies another puppy that has moved away from the group for a private moment to conduct some “personal business”. At just the right moment he darts ahead, his tiny legs pumping as quickly as they’ll carry him right up to the moment of impact. As inappropriate as it may be, the puppies appear to have invented their own variation of cow tipping. Now that the group is gobbling up herculean amounts of dry food, Maddie has pretty much retired her role as a nursing mother and repositioned it as an occasional playmate. The puppies are weighing in the neighbourhood of thirteen pounds, which is right where they should be for their age and litter size. Since weather conditions were near perfect during the week, the puppies had an abundance of outdoor time. There is no shortage of curiousity in the group and everyone saw fit to explore e...

Mr. Tangerine We knew it was bound to happen - we just didn’t know when. And what we’re still uncertain about is who the instigator was. Very early one morning, we were awakened by loud, almost celebratory screeching coming from the puppy area. Upon investigation, we discovered that the entire litter had launched an escape from their whelping box in the night and was having one big free-for-all in the living room. We obviously have to step up security in the dorm! Unlike Maddie’s litter, mealtime is conducted in a very civilized fashion in this group. One thing that doesn’t differ is the ear-piercing indicator they proffer that mealtime is expected to be punctual. Of course, once dinner is served, composure is restored and the sound is reduced to the mere smacking of lips. That said, everyone is gaining well and the lot now weigh between nine and ten pounds each. Since they’re eating a much drier food, they are starting to drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. ...

Miss Pink The week began with the puppies engaging in product testing spill-proof water bowls. They subjected them to tests under various conditions and determined that the bowls can actually be substituted for other toys and used for their amusement. The group concluded that when the bowls are inverted, they’re really not so spill-proof anymore. When they weren’t consumed with their Discovery Channel antics, the gang spent much of their time outside exploring more and more of the yard, running, climbing rocks and in one or two instances, learning how to dig holes from Maddie. And now that the puppies have developed a better sense of balance, they no longer stagger around like the last guests at an office Christmas party. Miss Lilac with our boy Haydain The puppies have made even more new friends with some of the other dogs in the pack. They’ve become acquainted with their dad Jazz, the gentle giant. They were also quite intrigued with six and a half month old...

Mr. Teal There’s no such thing as sneaking into the puppies’ room anymore. This attentive little bunch soaks up every sight and sound and the nine little heads continually pop up to see what life is going to serve up next. They now have a huge interest in people and the world around them. With the increased control over their facial muscles, the puppies are making expressions and are beginning to reveal their personalities. In addition, they bark, growl, yelp, chirp and howl – whatever it takes to get someone’s attention, including each other’s. Miss Lilac The gang is spending lots of time outdoors exploring and even trying to engage their mom, Maddie in play. Some of their favourite activities include games of chase or scrimmage, with or without a ball. A fun one to watch is the jousting competition, whereby they’ll lunge, bounce off their opponent and roll over. Apart from that, there’s the usual biting, nipping, pouncing and wrestling, followed by a deep sleep ...

Mr. Tangerine This week, the puppies participated in career day. That’s where they try their hand at a variety of occupations and pastimes. These included rock climbing, landscaping which involved chewing on blades of grass, mining which involved digging holes, forestry which involved chewing on pieces of bark and twigs, track & field which involved running and jumping, ball playing and finally group wrestling. At this time, there were clearly no takers for management positions. While the puppies’ play is becoming a bit more coordinated and adult-like, they’re still just kids at heart. Many have discovered an equine style of movement whereby they buck like broncos as they catapult themselves forward off their hind legs toward their target, namely another puppy or ourselves. Others will inexplicably run around in circles culminating in a toppling over. Miss Kiwi and Miss Cranberry This is the beginning of the most influential socialization period for the pu...

Miss Cranberry Mango’s puppies are spending even more time awake and are becoming more active. On top of the usual wrestling and biting each other’s heads, they engage in what appears to be a variation of bumper cars where they all just meander around and bounce off each other. The puppies also welcomed a new stuffed animal into their pack which they take turns nibbling on or cuddling with. They are becoming more curious about us and enjoy being held, often drifting off to sleep as they’re being gently caressed. The puppies are getter bigger all the time and weigh in between five and six pounds. They’re getting their “mush” delivered to their dining area three times a day now. A complete contrast to Maddie’s litter, this bunch is very orderly and courteous and tends to wear a lot less food than their counterparts. With the more frequent feedings, Mango is getting a bit of relief from the teething puppies, but still brings the milk truck around several times a day and ...

Miss Rose Put yourself in Maddie’s shoes (paws) for just a moment. Imagine nine hungry little minions ravaging you for food every time you’re in their midst. Now imagine they have teeth coming in – twenty-eight of them, to be exact. Despite this, Maddie is still doing her duty as a mom, but we’re sure she’s relieved now that the puppies are getting three meals of mush a day. Now she just has to make sure they stay “topped up” in between. Mealtime is one of the highlights of the day. This opinion is shared by the puppies for obvious reasons, but for us as well. This motley crew needs no second invitation to descend on the jumbo bowl in the shape of a ring that contains their mush. Pandemonium ensues. The group puts so much energy into devouring their food that most collapse in a heap beside the bowl immediately after eating. Miss Lilac entertained us by actually falling asleep in the bowl. And we could swear we heard snoring. Now that we’ve added another section o...

Mr. Blue There’s never a dull moment in a household with two litters on the go. The puppies are growing daily - hourly even. Along with their plump little bodies, their vocal abilities are growing steadily. The call can come at any time, day or night, when they start chanting in unison, demanding a delivery of milk. Maddie is generally willing to oblige, but needs a little coaxing for the 3:00 a.m. feedings. Maddie herself is doing very well and has even discovered a couple of new tricks. There have been the usual one or two bread snatchings, but when the pack is receiving treats in the kitchen, Maddie will shuffle around to the back of the line to attempt to trick us into giving her seconds. On more than one occasion when the rest of the pack retires into their beds for the night, we’ll notice that we have an extra dog on our hands. It seems that in the commotion, Maddie has planted herself in one of the beds just to get a treat. A wolf in Golden Retriever’s clothing…...

Mr. Banana It’s never too early to begin good grooming practices and it’s no exception with puppies. The whole crew is getting regular pedicures on their tiny little paws, albeit no nail polish. Mom is looking after the balance of their grooming needs for the time being. Now that their vision is fully intact, the puppies are studying us and each other in wonderment and their little personalities are emerging with their facial expressions and the opinions they squeak at us. They are spending more time awake and when they’re not eating or sleeping, they’re play-fighting, climbing over-top one another and nibbling on each other’s ears. The whelping box for Maddie’s litter has been moved into the same area as Mango’s litter now. Fortunately each of the mothers has a good attitude about being in each other’s presence as well as receiving the occasional visit from another pack member. And being protective moms, they communicate the rules to their guests by way of facial ...