Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Welcome to the world!   Heidi and Hudson’s pups make their grand entrance! We are delighted to announce the safe arrival of Heidi and Hudson’s puppies. It has been a whirlwind twenty-four hours. A trip to the vet revealed that Heidi was having very weak contractions and the puppies were ready to make their debut but her cervix was not open. At approximately 9:00 pm on Tuesday, February 26 th , Heidi gave birth to twelve adorable and vocal puppies via C-section - six boys and six girls! Dr. Rasa Levenstein   We would like to thank everyone at Graham Animal Hospital for their amazing compassion and dedication. Special thanks to Dr. Carol Graham and Dr. Rasa Levenstein for once again going above and beyond . The entire event occurred during a tremendous snow storm, however the puppies were snuggled together, keeping warm in our incubator during the lengthy trek back home. The puppies are doing well and mom ...

  Heidi measuring 92 cms/ 36 inches with 8 days to go! As Heidi heads into the final days of her pregnancy, she is gradually slowing down. She still loves to venture outside with the pack for a quick romp in the snow, but is keeping more to herself, choosing instead to perch on the deck and watch everyone else play together.   Astonishingly, the pack is being very respectful of Heidi’s condition, taking care not to crowd her and even allowing her the courtesy of preferred lounging spots throughout the house. Heidi’s abdominal area now measures 92 cm/ 36 inches and she continues to have an amazing appetite. We are pleased that she is enjoying every meal we place in front of her as it is important for the puppies’ development. Golden Retriever Puppy Fetus - National Geographic --> At this point, the puppies’ coats of fur are fully developed and they will continue to gain in size in preparation for their birth. During Heidi’s evening belly...

Heidi taking it a little easier these days! Heidi seems to be taking every day in stride. She continues to have an enormous appetite, polishing off every meal and still looking for more. A very athletic and slim girl under normal circumstances, Heidi seems a bit embarrassed with her weight gain and less than perfect figure as her waistline has expanded to 8 5 cm/ 33.5 inches. These days she would rather be lounging on a sofa than playing with her best friend Sierra and her evenings are mostly spent cuddling with us and receiving lots of belly rubs. 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 t...

Heidi enjoying a Sunday afternoon by the fire. So far our Heidi seems to be sailing through her pregnancy. Usually around day 28, pregnant girls tend to go off their food somewhat. This is because growing puppies are pushing on the stomach creating the feeling of being full, but this lasts only a few days. Heidi however, hasn’t skipped a beat. Her appetite is ever increasing and she is showing no signs of slowing down! Heidi is more affectionate than ever, which seems impossible because she is such a lover. We both look forward to our daily cuddle time. We believe nutrition is important in canine development and even more so now. Over the next few weeks the puppies will begin to grow very rapidly.  National Geographic of an embryo at 25 days. Can you see the resemblance to the National Geographic image above?   At this stage, the puppies’ eyes and spinal cords have begun to develop and...

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” Bella and Mr. Gingerbread "Timber"   What is it with dogs and sticks? As we let the gang outside for their now-daily romps, we are left with the impression that sticks must have some kind of magnets built into them. Whether they’re buried in the snow or attached to low-hanging trees, the puppies know exactly where to find them. The group was not at all fazed by the cold or the new-fallen snow; rather they embraced the snow as a fun element that they incorporated into their playing. Bella leads each expedition into the far reaches of the yard with the puppies following in single file. Once they’ve returned to the main area, Bella finds herself a spot to keep a watchful eye on her little pack as they frolic in the snow, running and tumbling at top speeds, stopping only occasionally to investigate moss growing on a rock, chew on a twig or work on pruning a tree. The gang had their first car ride this week. A word of advice: when yo...

“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 m...

“The Precipice”     Bella’s puppies are such an alert and active little bunch. No matter how hard we try to sneak past them as quietly as Ninjas, at least one or two of them raise the alarm to alert their siblings and they all start squealing in unison for some attention. While their play is becoming a bit more coordinated and adult-like, they’re still just kids at heart. And with every litter, there are always a few new things to experience - like observing Mr. Eggnog lying on his back trying to bite his own tail causing himself to spin around on the floor like a break-dancer. Mr. Icicle revealed himself as a hoarder by quietly accumulating all the toys in the room while the other puppies were off playing. We can certainly sympathize with Bella’s hesitation to nurse her offspring who bite our fingers, noses, pants, shirts, shoes, shoe-laces or anything else that is within easy reach to aid in their teething. It’s remarkable how puppies always seem able...

“The Hall Pass”   Since the puppies aren’t quite ready to venture outdoors, they’ve been granted a hall pass that allows them access to our foyer at playtime. They’ve graduated from a 32 square foot whelping box to a 350 square foot space where they can enjoy their favourite leisure activities. As with any gym class, when it’s time to run laps, the teacher gets out in front to set the pace and Bella was no exception. Mind you, the puppies didn’t realize they were running laps – they were just chasing Bella to try to score a quick drink from the milk truck and Bella was running laps to escape their pointy little teeth! The puppies’ ambulation took many forms; some walked, some bounced, some slid, some galloped,   some ran, some skipped and some even bunny hopped. When Bella finally excused herself from class, the puppies settled into a variety of activities. With their vision and hearing now fully matured, they are very inquisitive, exploring every little as...

“Rise and Shine!” Checking out their new play area! When they are in the mood to play, it doesn’t seem to matter to a puppy if their intended playmate is asleep or not. We observed Miss Holly, intent on playing with Mr. Gingerbread who was sound asleep, biting on his ears until he was aroused enough to engage her in playtime activities. From there, the festivities ensued and each of the puppies picked out a partner or two for the hoedown. They stagger around, bump heads and noses and bite one another anywhere their mouths will fit. Now that the whelping box has an extension on it, the puppies have room to spread out in what must seem like a vast arena. They use the original portion as their lounge where they sleep, play and cuddle with each other. The new area, which is lined with shredded paper is mostly used for “relief” and is a step toward potty training. Bella couldn’t be happier at the moment as she’s gotten a reprieve from being the sole food provider to her puppies...

“The Lion Tamer” Mr. Gingerbread and Miss Snowflake This week Bella and her puppies made the big move from the bedroom to their own private sanctuary in the library. At the same time, the extension was added to the whelping box providing Bella with a little lounge to curl up in or give some of her little ones private feedings. The room also has other amenities like a sofa that Bella uses for naptime and that we can use for visits and a place to pamper the puppies with the seemingly endless series of pedicures. Since the days are short and nights are long, in the winters we outfit the whelping box with full spectrum lighting to ensure that the puppies have a source of vitamin D before they are able to go outside. The library is off the main foyer - the hub of the house - sort of a Grand Central Station. From her vantage point on the sofa overlooking the whelping box, Bella likes to lie there watching over her little flock, keeping an eye on the goings...