Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Miss Violet (Winnie) “The Wailing of the Banshee” She ran at top speed, her lithe legs churning, kicking up tufts of sod as her paws tore into the turf. She was only too aware of the sound of the rest of the pack in pursuit. She stopped abruptly and swung around in the opposite direction, panting heavily. We watched from a distance as the scene unfolded. Heidi was running back and forth along the fence line with the rest of the pack in tow, but what was not immediately evident was that inexplicably she was outside the compound! Happily, she returned quite readily when we opened the gate to let her back inside the yard. Whether motherhood had proved to be so difficult that Heidi felt she needed to escape or whether she was just being a clever girl, we weren’t certain.   That is, until we did a perimeter sweep and Heidi showed us a section of fence that had been compromised. We now understand the proclivity of her daughters: Miss Scarlet and Miss Violet, for the...

Loving the Spring weather! “World Cup Soccer in Caledon” The puppies vacillate between two extremes. On the one hand, they were the best behaved, quietest group on record during their car ride to visit Dr. Matt, the veterinarian. Each and every puppy was very brave, not to mention polite and received top marks for their checkup. They also received kudos in the parking lot at Ren’s Pet Depot where admiring passersby cooed with delight at the sight of these little balls of fur. On the other hand, this group doesn’t hold anything back when it’s time to unwind and have fun. In a recent World Cup Puppy Soccer match, it was one giant free-for-all wherein the puppies ran shrieking as they chased the ball from one end of the foyer to the other and back again. Afterward, when the water bowls were drained by the thirsty brood, two of their brethren picked up the bowls and ran victory laps with them. One of the more perplexing things we’ve noticed i...

  The Escape Artist - Miss Scarlet “A Little Privacy Please!” Puppies have no sense of discretion. They just want to have fun -  even if it’s at the expense of one of their siblings. Feeling what some might refer to as one of nature’s calls, one of the pack will slip away to a quiet spot to have a private moment. No sooner has the” target” surrendered to his urges when out of nowhere, one or two other puppies converge to take down their “quarry” in a game of rugby without the ball. Another one of the most dramatic sports moments of the week occurred as we rolled a big ball out into the play area. The puppies were mesmerized as they took in the sight of this wondrous red object spinning past them. One by one, they went to investigate until Mr. Ebony, realizing its great power, began to roll it around the floor. The rest of the gang jubilantly followed the procession as if they’d just invented the wheel. We’re sure the Olympic Committee didn’t see this com...

We are a cute bunch! “The Drive-Through” A big step for the puppies this week is their transition to more solid food, which coincides with Heidi’s dream of an early retirement. It seems that mom has limited her contribution to something akin to a drive-through milk wagon. The puppies are drinking more water now as well to keep themselves hydrated. This transition is a welcome change for us too, since this group is one of the messiest eaters on record requiring countless baths and wipe-downs. Boasting plump bellies, the puppies are weighing seven pounds on average. That in itself is starting to become a bit of a workout when we pick them up. And that happens to be frequently since they love to be held and cuddled, with many falling asleep in our arms. The gang is becoming increasingly more curious about their surroundings and about the large humans in their midst. There’s no more sneaking up on them as they react to every sight and sound. This is the beginning of the...

Miss Coral having a nap! “The Free-for-All” It all starts innocently enough. One puppy will lick or nibble on another puppy’s ear or any exposed body part, and that one in turn does likewise to an unsuspecting sibling and so on and so on. Before long the entire mini-pack is engaged in a friendly brouhaha. The playing field is pretty level between the boys and girls as Miss Amber was witnessed trying to ingest her brother’s leg. Along with the nibbling, the activities include jousting and wrestling punctuated by miniature growls, squeaks and barks. Mind you, it’s all good fun and after a period of frenzied activity, it culminates in a big snore-fest where the puppies use each other as pillows. Now that the whelping box has an extension, the puppies have room to run laps. They use the original portion as their lounge where they sleep, play, dine and cuddle with each other. The addition which is lined with unprinted newspaper and shredded paper is used as a...

What a wonderful world it is! “Change of Address” This week Heidi and her puppies made the big move from the bedroom to their own little hideaway in the library. The extension was also added to the whelping box to provide some extra room for the puppies to pick up a bit of speed when they’re on their little walkabouts. No matter how much room they have, they always seem to gravitate back to that safe haven known as mom. This week saw the introduction of the puppies to gruel or mush:  a healthy concoction of oatmeal, honey, goat’s milk and vitamins to supplement the feedings they get from their mom. One never knows how a new litter will embrace this new confection. Initially, the gang was a little apprehensive about consuming something that their mom did not dispense. With their heads bobbing up and down into the bowl at high speeds, Mr. Walnut (aka Walter) and Miss Amber sent a message to the rest of the group that this new delicacy was indeed fin...

Heidi with her precious babies. She is an amazing mom! Cabbage Patch Mom A breeder’s (or a mother’s) life is not without its challenges. This week Heidi contracted mastitis, an inflam m ation of the mam m a ry gland , usually the result of an infection caused by a little bite or scratch. This is not uncommon in large litters and not serious when diagnosed and treated in its early stages. We opted for two courses of treatment: the medical solution of a regimen of antibiotics and the homeopathic one of strapping a cabbage leaf to the affected area. Heidi’s malady improved very rapidly, but the rest of the pack sure was curious about this mobile salad bar. The big news this week is that the puppies have opened their eyes – the windows to their little souls. While they can initially only differentiate between light and dark through a kind of haze, this will clear up very quickly over the next week or so until they experience normal sight. The little ones are able to hear quite well...