Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Oh what fun we are having!   “ The Godmother ” She was born in a small village in Central Europe near the Danube, travelling to this continent at a very young age. Despite being supplanted, her system of values was unhindered. In some cultures, it’s all about respect. Respect and family. And this circumstance was no different. Her stature was one to be loved and respected, even feared.   She was, after all…..the Godmother. Bailey’s role as “Godmother” to Mango’s litter began the moment Mango and her pups arrived home from the veterinary hospital after a C-section. Bailey contributed very generously to the nursing of Mango’s brood, which outnumbered her own by seven to three. After a few days, her assistance as a wet nurse was no longer required, however Bailey was so attached to Mango’s pups that she has taken it upon herself to continue to nurse them even in Mango’s presence. Mango is a doting mom in her own right, so as a benevolent ...

Mr. Orchid “The Good Samaritan” It was a very still evening as the glow of the sun’s rays ebbed in the distance and Mother Nature’s traffic slowed to a crawl. The birds had settled in for the night and off in the distance, the crickets began their cheerful chorus.   Meanwhile in the whelping box, it began without warning. There was no indication as to who the instigator was, but before long the entire puppy-pack was howling like miniature wolves, each united in a song of their own making with multiple tracks laid randomly atop each other. And this, of course was the prelude to dinnertime. Of all the things a mother is to her pups, one of her key roles is that of a real estate agent. Despite the improvements we made to the whelping box by adding the “lounge” extension to it, Mango asserts that there must be more suitable accommodations for her pups elsewhere. Without access to the “interpet”, she heads out each day on foot in search ...

Mr. Merlot “ Walking Tall ” Realizing her mother had just left the room, she saw her chance. She tiptoed over to the slat wall - her only barrier to the outside world. Standing upright and surprisingly tall, she began her ascent. It was proving to be more difficult than anticipated, but she was determined. Just a few more inches. But before her escape was realized, Miss Chardonnay was apprehended. Increased security measures were promptly implemented and another slat was added to the gate. The puppies have all managed to hone their motor skills as they stagger around in their little den. They are interacting with each other as well as their stuffed animal roommates; playing, snuggling and nibbling. The little ones coo with delight as we pick them up and cuddle them. And picking them up is becoming a workout in itself as the puppies are growing in leaps and bounds. That also means they need their nails clipped every few days, but fortuna...

Miss Poppy. “Let There Be Light” It was early and the sun was inching its way across the morning sky. Its rays enveloped the room bathing her body with warmth as she lay slumbering. She roused and slowly struggled to her feet turning toward the French doors that led to the patio. Suddenly Miss Lily shrieked as if to say, “Good Lord, mom. I can see!” Puppies are born with their eyes closed to help protect them in the in the womb, during birth and beyond. They open around day twelve allowing the puppies initially to only differentiate between light and dark. The haze clears over a week or so and they begin to experience normal sight. They are able to hear quite well as soon as their ears have opened but it will take some time before the little ones can figure out what it is they’re hearing. What Miss Lily and the mini-pack may not have realized was that they have now been moved from the bedroom area to a big bright space in the living room. Mango ...

Mr. Merlot giving his new friend kisses. “To Catch a Thief” Some may be of the opinion that a puppy’s life is easy - that it consists of nothing but eating and sleeping. On the surface, this may appear to be the case. Since Bailey has only three puppies, there’s not much competition at the milk bar. In this situation, we add numerous stuffed animals to the whelping box to force the little ones to climb over the obstacles to reach their target thereby building muscle mass. As well, when they lie sleeping, they are constantly twitching – a state known as “activated sleep”. These involuntary actions help strengthen their leg muscles. The net result is that they are now able to walk on all fours, however “wobble” would be more apropos. No one enjoys the toy-filled whelping box more than Bailey as she can frequently be spotted absconding with one toy or another. She carries them around proudly and snuggles with them during her naps. Now that the group is well established, Bailey takes a...

Mr. Ivy cuddling with Miss Iris and Miss Daisy! “The Wet Nurse” Motherhood comes naturally to Mango. Despite her C-section, she accepted her pups right away. When she arrived home, a little groggy from the surgery, her “sister” Bailey stepped up to the plate to help out and cross-nursed Mango’s puppies while Mango was recuperating. This arrangement continues to work out well, considering that Bailey has only three little ones in her own litter. We weigh the puppies at least twice daily for the first couple of weeks in order to carefully monitor their progress. It’s interesting to see that while Mango is busy nursing, Bailey even keeps a watchful eye on Mango’s puppies, occasionally providing an escort as they’re whisked off to the weigh scale. Thanks to Mango’s dedication as a mom, spending almost 24 hours a day in the whelping box, the puppies have pretty much doubled their birth weights. Mr. Orchid was the first boy to break the 2 lb. barrier and Miss Poppy the first for the gi...

In Dreamland! “Juxtapositions” For the weeks leading up to the birth, a mother-to-be knows she’s going to have a litter. When puppies are delivered via C-section, it’s a bit confounding for her because somehow the babies have miraculously appeared. Once at home, Bailey was quite apprehensive about these squealing little creatures so she attempted to bunk down in the adjacent whelping box that we had reserved for expectant Mango and her litter. On her bathroom break, she even hid inside a little doghouse that we have in the run. With a little coaxing, Bailey came to realize that these were in fact her babies! Almost in an instant, she turned into supermom. Moving forward, Bailey insisted on having “breakfast in bed” and needed to be persuaded to come out of the whelping box to have a bathroom break. Once outside, she would literally run to a spot to do her business and run back to tend to her puppies. Much to our relief, Bailey appears to have abandoned any notion she once may have ...

Mango out for a stroll with her ball! We’re definitely in the home stretch with our Miss Mango. Mango’s tummy is now measuring about 34 inches or 86 cm. She doesn’t seem to have much room for food and really slowing down when she eats. However, she still is very delighted to get treats and there is definitely a waddle in her walk. A true retriever, Mango would retrieve the ball all day long if she could. Shown above she is with her ever-present favourite ball, but at this point she is pretty much only carrying it around in her mouth and guarding it! Even walking in the snow has become difficult with all the extra weight she is lugging around. Golden Retriever puppy fetus. Thanks to National Geographic, the above photo can give you some idea of how the puppies are looking around this time. They have now fully developed their puppy features – however they continue to grow and enter the final stages of their development.  We can easily feel the puppies moving when Mango ...

Bailey with just one week to go till the big event! The final countdown before Bailey has her pups has begun! Bailey is now surveying the yard for the perfect place to have her babies. We still have about a foot of snow but with her persistent excavation, she has managed to dig so far down she has found dirt beneath it! When we called her to come in, she had mud up to her elbows! Needless to say, a footbath was required.  This week, we set the whelping box up for her and we will put down fresh towels and allow her to sleep and lounge in it. We’re hoping she’ll soon abandon her quest to find her own spot and embrace the warm, clean nest we’ve prepared for her. Bailey continues to have a voracious appetite. We are feeding her three smaller meals daily and it seems if we were to offer her more, she would eat it. Bailey had been doing well throughout her pregnancy and is finally showing signs of slowing down. Her tummy now measures 33.5 inches (90 cm.)   A Golden Retriever p...

Our two mothers-to-be: Mango and Bailey! Our girl Mango is beginning to show! Her abdomen area has grown to 31 inches or 78 cm. Over the past three weeks she has preferred to keep a low profile and takes refuge from the rest of the gang in our bedroom lying by the fire. She is often found on our large doggy bed or seeking refuge from her personal valet, Jazz. Despite not being the father to her litter, Jazz follows Mango everywhere and constantly shows his affection by licking her head. We hesitate to refer to it as grooming because the result is not always appealing. Mango does get some occasional relief and an opportunity to dry off. Mango is still eating well but usually slower than the other dogs. She is eating very nutritious meals of veggies and fruit, chicken, oatmeal and supplements. Over the next week she will be eating smaller meals more frequently as her tummy will have less room for food. Above is an amazing photo b National Geographic of an embryo at 39 days P...