Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

“Friends for Life” The dynamic in the whelping box is evolving. This is the beginning of the most influential socialization period for the puppies. They’re learning to communicate with each other and with us by wagging their tails. With the increased control over their facial muscles, they are making expressions and are beginning to reveal their personalities and communicate their opinions. They spend longer periods of time awake and they use it to engage in some manner of play with their siblings whether head-butting or wrestling. They’re also craving a lot of attention and affection. When we were removing the pig rails from the whelping box, the puppies came to investigate with a perfect blend of caution and curiousity. This gave way to a great deal of hand nibbling and cuddling. In short, they’re making friends - both with us and each other, not to mention their little stuffed toys. Since the little ones are getting more accustomed to eating solid food, their food is being ...

Happy 4th week Birthday to us! “Five Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” Chanel and her brood have been relocated into the living room which is a pretty regal deal for mom. She’s got both a sofa and a love seat to stretch out on, not to mention some carpeting and some sections of cool wood flooring for lounging. There’s also a walkout to the backyard for those peaceful Zen moments or for chasing chipmunks. Unlike many other moms in this situation, Chanel didn’t bat an eye. She knew this was a good deal, but perhaps her puppies did not. It usually happens at least once in every litter that a puppy manages to escape over the wall. In fact, Mr. Smoke had his fifteen minutes of fame at two weeks of age. Not long after they were relocated, five of the little ones slipped out into the living room to get a better look at the carpeting. So, without the benefit of a GPS to guide them, they soon realized they have no clue as to where they were (and of course that there’s no food in sight). The...

Happy 3rd week Birthday to us! “A Foot in Cold Water” Here’s one we’ve never witnessed before. We’re not certain as to whether it’s something she learned in a spa or if it has some other purpose, but we’ve noticed that Chanel puts her right paw inside the water bowl while she’s having a drink. Irrespective of the reason, at least the bowl is fixed in place during her hydration session and she has one clean foot. To add to the challenge of nursing eleven puppies, Chanel contracted mastitis this week - an inflammation of a mammary gland which is an infection caused by a little bite or scratch. This is not uncommon in larger litters and not serious when diagnosed and treated in the early stages. We opted for two courses of treatment: the medical solution of a regimen of antibiotics coupled with the homeopathic one of strapping a cabbage leaf to the affected area. That gets followed up with basting the wound with saline solution and the incredible healing properties of honey. Sin...

Our eyes are beginning to open! “500 Miles Away from Home” The day began like any other. The morning dew burned off with the hot caress of the sun’s rays. It was very still, apart from the occasional fluttering of a mama robin’s wings as she hurried off in search of food for her young. Yet something felt out of place. A trip to the bedroom where the whelping box resides revealed the answer. There were only ten puppies on hand. A scan of the room revealed nothing. And then…..a tiny muffled voice; but from where? The search was escalated to the highest priority. Finally, Mr. Smoke, the little rascal was retrieved from way under our king-sized bed. The distance travelled was no small feat for such a little creature who hasn’t even learned to walk yet. We can only conjecture how he managed to escape over the barrier – either he crawled over the back of a sibling or he was still enjoying breakfast attached to his mom when she left the box to have a little break. What suction! It’...

Devoted momma Chanel and her 11 puppies. “The Job Description” It’s always a bit confusing for a mom giving birth by C-section. For the weeks leading up to the birth, a mother-to-be knows she’s going to have a litter. When they’re delivered by C-section, it’s rather perplexing for her because the babies seem to appear out of nowhere…..and they already have demands!  Chanel warmed up to the idea quite readily and immediately began to bond with them, but it took a day before she came to the realization that the job came with responsibilities. After 24 hours, she stepped up to the plate and began to lick and nudge each of her offspring to clean and stimulate them as they are initially incapable of eliminating on their own. For the first couple of days, we had to coax her out of the whelping box for her bathroom breaks which are conducted in record time. She even insists on a “dining in” meal plan so that she can continually tend to her flock.  With eleven in the ...

“The Countdown Begins” Enjoying the sun setting after an active day of digging! As Chanel heads into her final 9 days of pregnancy, she is very much focused on finding the perfect den in our backyard to birth her puppies. This is a normal behaviour for pregnant dogs so we are keeping a watchful eye on her. She has dug a hole that she can pretty much fit herself into along with the pups’ daddy! However, we have a much cozier and cleaner nesting area for her. This week we will introduce her to the “whelping box” and make all the final preparations for the puppies’ arrival next week. Chanel is still extremely interested in food and when offered a treat, she will almost take your hand along with it. She is getting about 28 oz of raw food daily as well as supplements including folic acid for the prevention of birth defects and rosemary tea leaves for uterine health. Chanel’s abdominal area seems to expand daily. She measures a whopping 36.5 inches or 92.7 cm and she’s st...

Chanel is thankful Spring has finally arrived. Chanel has always been a very calm and easy-going girl. Now that she is pregnant, she seems very much the same but her “happy meter“ is off the charts. Her tail is wagging constantly and she likes to carry her favourite stuffed toy around in her mouth.   Chanel did have a mild bout of morning sickness around day 25 but she bounced back quickly. She is eating about 20 oz. daily which we will increase to 22 oz. this week.  Chanel hasn’t slowed down yet and still is very active with the pack. She eagerly runs out the door every morning to check the perimeter of our backyard fence. Chanel is our resident chief of security with Faith and a few others as back up! We expect Chanel will slow down over the next couple of weeks as her abdomen grows.   Above is an amazing photo by National Geographic of an embryo at 25 days. Pre-natal period: It is an interesting fact that a dog's tactile perception develops before ...

Ice cream bar is always open! “Velcro” Faith is in line to earn a trophy for “best mom”. At this point in time, most moms have long since abandoned the notion of nursing their pups due to each one’s 28 razor sharp teeth. Not this gal. She selflessly obliges them and is always at their beck and call. Once in their presence, they seem stuck to her like Velcro. They were impervious to the cold and the wet snow which dotted their furry coats. It was as though Faith’s brood was training for the winter Olympics and you couldn’t find a happier group of youngsters. An epic outdoor festival from start to finish, the gang played chase, practised ski jumps, tobogganing or luge, went hiking and exploring or worked on the igloo that their mom was desperate to have. Ever the good sport, Faith spent the better part of her time providing the group with libation. The little ones were tireless as they raced around and even gave us a workout as we attempted to collect them to put everyone back...

Miss Powder Puff wants to go outside in the snow! “Cabin Fever” Cabin fever. We’ve all felt it at one point in time or another. It even happens to six-week-old pups and now they’re old enough and smart enough to do something about it. One day while Mr. Orange Blossom was having a snooze in front of the entrance to the whelping box, Mr. Bulrush used his brother as a step stool to launch himself over the opening into the vast expanse of the living room so he could enjoy some private time with his mom. On another occasion, Faith inadvertently compressed all the slats which normally block the entrance so that the entire group escaped for an unscheduled walkabout. Despite the mountains of snow that have accumulated on our property this past week, we were able to clear off an area on the patio to allow the pups to experience their first taste of both the great outdoors and winter. Some litters initially find the experience a bit overwhelming, but this bunch was unfazed. They wasted...

It's all about playing this week! “Things that go bump in the Night” The sun had long since bid farewell. The moon was full but unable to penetrate the cloud cover leaving it quite dark in the house. Wind noisily pushed its way through the trees and tiny pellets of icy snow careened off the windows. Off in the distance a coyote was announcing his presence. In the far corner of the house, we could hear a commotion. Did we remember to lock the living room door where the puppies were sleeping? Had the door blown open? There it was again….a thump and then another one or two in quick succession. We quickly made our way down the hall to investigate but as we approached, the situation became quite clear. The puppies were wrestling and when one of them landed on top of the turtle with the pressure activated music box in its shell, a chorus of “London Bridge is Falling Down” began to play. We were all safe and sound after all. The dynamic in the whelping box is evolving. This is ...