Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

“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...

The Real Estate Agent” Miss Holly A mother is many things to her newborn pups. She provides them with the warmth necessary for their survival as their body temperature is three degrees below normal at birth, climbing a degree each week thereafter. She stimulates them to get them to breathe at birth by licking and to encourage their bodily functions until they get the hang of it themselves. She provides them with nourishment in her milk which contains antibodies vital for the first several weeks of their lives. Bella demonstrated another role earlier in the week during her bathroom breaks. Despite the creature comforts we have provided her inside the house, she would poke around at one of the two spots in the yard that she has chosen for her puppies. She would then run back to the door to see if they were going to follow her there, thus playing the part of a real estate agent. This was a big week for the puppies as their eyes began to open. Miss Snowfl...