Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Heidi out for a brief stroll in this hot weather This is the final countdown before Heidi has her pups! She has decided to search the yard for the perfect place to have her babies. We cannot let her outside alone because she attempts to excavate the perfect den and ends up with dirt up to her elbows. Heidi’s abdominal area now measures 91 cm or 36 inches. She is now eating three meals daily and I am sure if we increased it to four or five meals a day, she would be delighted! Remarkably, Heidi still can jump on the bed at night for belly rubs but we’re not sure if she prefers the bed or sleeping on the cool floor. She seems to be testing them both out! We are checking Heidi’s temperature twice daily. Any significant drop will indicate the puppies are soon to be on their way. She is officially due on June 2nd but it could be 24 hours before or after this date.   A Golden Retriever puppy fetus almost fully developed. It’s easy to feel the puppies moving around in Heidi’s tum...

Heidi is our happy-go-lucky girl. She has not experienced any morning sickness this pregnancy which is wonderful! Heidi is still enjoying her meals and is always looking for more. She is being fed 3 times daily now and that will most likely increase to 4 or 5 times daily as the puppies grow and there is less room for her tummy to expand. Her routine has not changed much either as she continues her daily walks with the pack. Over the next week we expect she will begin to slow down as she heads into the final few weeks of her pregnancy. It was difficult to tell Heidi was even pregnant as she didn’t really show much until day 37, when all of a sudden her waistline expanded to 31.5 inches (80 cm).   Above is an amazing photo by National Geographic of an embryo at 25 days. By day 30, digestive and respiratory glands, muscles, bone, the puppy's circulatory, genital and urinary systems, the skin and hair, the nervous system and all of the puppy's sensory organs--including the e...

Surrey’s tummy has expanded to approximately 73.6 cm (29”) in her abdomen area. At this point in her pregnancy, it is not easy to detect the little bump in her belly when she is standing. However, when she is lying on her back wanting belly rubs, one can spot the plump area where the puppies are growing. Surrey is eating more these days as the puppies continue their development.  Her activity level has remained about the same, but over the next couple of weeks we expect she will be slowing down.   National Geographic - Fetus at approximately day 39 This is when the puppies head into a huge growth stage. Right now the spine and skull are forming and the nose is clearly visible. Their heartbeats can easily be detected with a stethoscope or ultrasound. They are developing toes, eyelids, whiskers and claws and beginning to look more like puppies everyday. The fetus is approx. 5 cm (2”) long and has developed skin pigment. Pre-natal period: It is an interesting fact t...

It won't be long now till we meet our forever families! “The Return of the Big White Monster”   Perhaps that’s something of an overstatement, but imagine that you’re a seven week old puppy with limited life experiences under your furry belt. One afternoon as we were tending to the litters in the living room, we heard growling coming from the library where Bailey’s litter is located. Bailey, we thought, was telling her brood that they’d reached their quota on the milk-truck and that she wasn’t interested in any further top ups for a while. We called out to her, but to no avail. We decided we needed to go investigate. To our surprise, we found our big boy Haydain, sprawled out in the middle of the whelping box enjoying some of the puppies’ toys. Haydain occupied so much space that the pups barely had any room left for themselves. Whenever a puppy approached, he would emit a bassy, resonating growl to communicate that he preferred to keep the toys all to himself. Of course, it...

  We are growing up so fast. “Goldenstock” It was to be the biggest event of the year and the weather seemed to be holding out. They came from near and far for a singular purpose: it was gonna be a party! The invited guests were all of Sierra’s, Whitney’s and Bailey’s litters with the moms designated as chaperones. The event began with drinks….as usual. Each of the litters sought out and chased their respective moms for their liquid refreshments. Once the little ones were topped up, the fun began. Some unsettled weather from earlier in the week ensured there was a fresh supply of twigs and small branches on hand. The day’s favourite activities were crawling into a “foxhole” that their Aunt Bailey had dug and the tug-of-war competition which was usually played with one on one or two on one. In a canine interpretation of the shot put, the puppies would see how far they could flip the water bowl. In these circumstances, anything goes. Since some of Whitney’s litter was beginni...

Rain or shine we love being outside! “Decisions, Decisions”   This week was all about treasures and discovery. Since the weather was a bit unsettled during the week, Mother Nature contributed numerous twigs and bits of bark to the yard. These quickly became the gang’s favourite toys. While we get a little squeamish when we have to go outside in a bit of drizzle, the little ones don’t give it a second thought. Rain or shine – it doesn’t matter. As long as they get to go outside, they’re happy. This week, their outdoor activities included tug of war with a stick; one on one, one on two or simply having a nice leisurely chew. They engaged in chases, whether actual or imagined and hide & seek was a huge crowd pleaser. The water bowl was also a key attraction and it often did double duty as a footbath. For some reason, the puppies were curious as to what the underside of the bowl looked like so it needed frequent refilling. We can never quite understand the decision-making p...

We are so well behaved. “The Sortation” This one goes in here. This one goes in there. This other one goes in here. Like letter carriers arranging the mail for their morning route, we were tasked with sorting each of these precious little packages back into their respective whelping boxes after a large backyard outing with Sierra and Whitney’s litters together. They were a bit reserved to start, but after a swig of liquid courage from their mom, the little ones raced off to join the rest of the group in activities ranging from scavenger hunts to rock climbing. It was one big, happy outing with neither judgment nor discrimination – just a whole lot of fun. The puppies’ play is becoming a bit more coordinated and adult-like, but they’re still just kids at heart. And that spinning around trying to chase your tail thing never gets old. Toward the end of a long, fun-filled day, the puppies like to get some good night cuddles before they drift off to sleep dreaming of tomorrow’s adv...