Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

We will miss you little ones. “Choir Practice” It began at very low volume, oscillating for a moment before it built to a crescendo.  Could it be?  Yes….our prayers were answered.  It seems that two or more of Sierra’s pups have inherited their mother’s absolutely darling “happy howl”. As her brood matures, Sierra’s role has evolved to that of pack leader, although choir leader is more apropos at times. Her pups are almost fully weaned now as they are eating three square meals a day. She is affectionate and playful with them, teasing them with toys and showing them when to bite and when not to. She lets them know she’s the dominant dog and corrects them if they misbehave. Prior to letting them nurse, she does two or three laps of the foyer while the puppies give chase to try and capture their target. The gang has also entertained some other canine visitors. For the longest time, Bailey has been desperate to make their acquaintance. Once she gained access, she gave the...

Whoo hoo is this fun! “It Happens” We’re not certain as to whether it was intended as a message or simply an accident, but there was no mistaking the end result. It was morning and the puppies had finished their breakfast – the bowl polished to its gleaming silver perfection. One by one each of the mini-pack members curled up for their post-breakfast slumber. When we went to retrieve the bowl, we discovered that one of the gang had apparently gotten up and left an unseemly treasure in it. In light of their usual impeccable English manners, we’ll chalk this one up to a sleepwalking incident. Every Golden puppy, at least in this part of the world, is born with an innate desire to romp in the snow. So while the world is watching the proceedings in Sochi very intently, we held our own winter Olympics in our little corner of Caledon. Unfazed by the cold, the little minions explored every corner of the yard, danced, skated, skied, and body checked their way around until they were all a...

What a fun week! “The Volume Control” In need of a space to work off some of their winter weight, the puppies now have access to a gymnasium also known as our foyer. It was a bit overwhelming at first, transitioning from a 32 square foot space to a 350 square foot vast expanse. As with everything they do, the girls: Miss Blizzard and Miss Sunshine were the first to explore this strange new world. With as much traction as you’d expect walking across an ice rink, the four little minions made their way around with buckling limbs. Before long, they found their footing and scampered around from toy to toy, puppy to puppy and person to person. Mr. Frostbite was mostly content just to cuddle on our laps while Mr. Moonbeam carefully inspected each of the gates surrounding the area. Every so often the puppies would disappear into what’s become their favourite hang-out: the plush doggie den. Spent from the bustle of the outing, one by one the little ones begin to yawn, curl up and drift off...

We are having lots of fun! “When Nature Calls…” As we approach the end of the fourth week, Sierra has entirely abandoned any notion of finding alternative real estate for her puppies; quite the contrary. It would seem that Sierra has taken up residence in the whelping box with her family and has adorned it with her several of her own marrow bones and toys. As she moves in and out of the library, Sierra can be observed stealing a puppy toy or bringing some other treasure into the whelping box. She occasionally has misgivings about her decision when she is aroused from her slumber by each puppy’s twenty-eight razor sharp teeth. That’s when mom leaves to find an empty room to lounge in – after her little ones are topped up, of course. There is relief in sight for Sierra as the little ones have been introduced to mush: a canine smoothie comprised of moistened puppy food, oatmeal, goat’s milk, supplements, probiotics and honey - all blended to perfection. Miss Blizzard was the first to...

Mr. Frostbite “It’s a bird, it’s a plane…” Now that the ever-growing puppies are situated in our library which runs off a large open foyer, we’ve found it necessary to add barricades to enforce an “invitation only” policy with the rest of the pack. Never one to be deterred by convention, our Surrey revealed her Olympic prowess by hurtling over not one, but two barricades stacked back-to-back in order to get inside the whelping box to get better acquainted with the mini-pack. Since Surrey was not able to produce the necessary guest pass, we escorted her out again. After two successful breaches, we’re uncertain as to how to reinforce the perimeter of the puppy zone…..three barricades perhaps? Meanwhile in the whelping box, Mr. Frostbite had just been roused from a deep slumber and found himself nose-to-nose with Miss Blizzard who was mouthing and pawing him. This is how the puppies learn rudimentary social skills. Now that their vision is established beyond simply being able to ...

Mr. Frostbite can see the world! “The Cyclops” The big news for Sierra’s mini pack is that the puppies have opened their eyes allowing us to peer through the windows to their little souls. That is, all except the cyclops: Mr. Moonbeam, who decided he would be opening his just one eye at a time! At this stage, the puppies can only differentiate between light and dark, but the haze will clear up very quickly over the next week or so as they begin to experience normal sight. They are however, able to hear quite well as soon as their ears have opened. All in all, this is a very quiet bunch. Normally puppies will bellow whenever they’re hungry, but with the all-day buffet at their disposal, this brood is so well fed that we barely hear a peep out of them save for little coos of contentment. Miss Sunshine has overtaken everyone in the weight department and now resembles a plump little Buddha. Leaving nothing to chance, we rub her belly and make wishes. The other big event is that the...

Mr. Moonbeam - just another day at the spa. “The Catapult” It was a day like any other, just a few days prior to her scheduled due date. Sierra was happy and upbeat with her emphatic wiggle and her happy howl. She polished off all of her meals…… and then to our surprise, her water broke. Despite the impending early arrival of her pups, the timing was still well within the window in which the little ones could be whelped safely. Later that day as Sierra was enjoying a cuddle on our bed, the first puppy, Miss Blizzard was deposited there. Around thirty minutes later, this time in the whelping box, Mr. Frostbite joined his sister. Apparently that was hard work and Sierra was in no hurry, so after a break of over an hour and a half, Miss Sunshine made her appearance followed by Mr. Moonbeam some forty-five minutes later. Since most girls whelp their puppies in the middle of the night, this was one of those rare, but cherished deliveries in the waking hours. We always knew Sierra was cu...