Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Whitney's abdomen is certainly beginning to show! Whitney has always been our little princess and since her pregnancy she has upped the ante. If she could have her meals delivered to the bedroom and served to her while she relaxes on our king size bed she surely would! She is ever so affectionate and increasingly demanding belly rubs! Of course, we are very happy to oblige. Whitney has an enormous appetite and polishes off every meal and still looks for more. Since ravenous Whitney took it upon herself to include a helping of pillow and pillowcase in her diet, we have begun feeding her 3 times a day. It was difficult to tell Whitney was even pregnant as she didn’t really show much until Day 37 when her waistline bulged to a whopping 31.5 inches or 80 cm and she has approximately 19 days to go! She is definitely beginning to have a waddle in her walk!   National Geographic - Fetus at approximately day 39 Pre-natal period: By day 30, digestiv...

No comment! “Class Clown” It was very hot outside, but they didn’t care. They just wanted out and didn’t hold back communicating this to us. Notwithstanding the temperature and humidity, the gang had a great time in the yard and was going outside to play several times a day. Clever bunch that they are, they used the water bowls as splash pads which we had to refill continually. Then Miss Sky, class clown for the day, paraded around with the water bowl on her head. We’re not clear as to whether or not the other puppies laughed, but we certainly did. Some of Surrey’s pups were still on hand to round out the teams so playtime was even more fun. Rock climbing was especially popular which lead to some puppies honing their gymnastic skills by catapulting five inches onto the grass below. Rugby proved to be fun as well, with or without the ball. Everyone demonstrated their track & field skills by running off spontaneously in a random direction and occasionally falling down in the ...

This week was all about having fun! “Son of Godzilla!” This week saw a mixed bag of activities for the mini-pack. The weather cooperated just enough to allow the gang to enjoy some outdoor fun. Demonstrating his Canadian birthright, Mr. Thistle honed his stick-handling abilities on the lawn, albeit there was no puck involved. In keeping with Mr. Thistle’s sports theme, Miss Peach practiced her cheerleading skills by tumbling across the yard. Miss Sky proved to be more of nature buff as she was frozen in her tracks, completely mesmerized by a couple of passing butterflies. And Miss Meadow took frequent breaks from playing with the others for some extreme cuddling. Their mom, all the while set up an outpost partway down the yard so she could keep a watchful eye on her brood while she munched on a giant stick. To kick things up a notch, we had both Heidi and Surrey’s litters outside in the yard together for a giant play fest. The two groups quickly blended together with a common purpo...

What fun we have had this week! “The Accomplice” The house was quiet. The two large humans hadn’t been seen for a few days. Apparently the female human who’d been guarding the pack had gone out on an errand somewhere. That’s when it happened. Upon her return, Savannah the caregiver discovered that Surrey had actually facilitated a puppy escape by removing all the barrier slats from her whelping box. Mr. Cardinal was found roaming the kitchen and Mr. Denim was fast asleep with his rear end planted under the sofa. Neither put up a struggle as they were reunited with their siblings. Of course, it’s not always the boys who are up to something. While Miss Plum was hoarding sticks in the backyard, Miss Shimmer spent her time studying nature. As the birds chirped from their perches on the trees, Miss Shimmer would answer back by howling at them. The little mermaid, Miss Blossom liked to wash her feet in the water bowl or sit in it. In fact, she was so enchanted by the water bowl that once...

We are enjoying all the time we are spending outdoors. “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall” Despite our need for rain, the weather was sufficiently agreeable to enable us to introduce the gang to the great outdoors. It took mere seconds for them to take it all in and make a quick decision as to which direction to take off in. The puppies were immediately curious about the crunchy yellowy/green substance they were walking on, formerly known as our lawn and discovered that not only did it make a good ground covering, but it also served as a vast salad bar. They also expressed a keen interest in sticks and twigs. Puppies apparently come out of the womb with a profound connection to nature’s debris. There were even some stuffed animals outside to add a little variety to the mix. When there was a break in the action, Heidi brought the milk truck around to provide everyone with a little snack. And there’s always water available to help keep the crew hydrated. When she’s not being the local milk ...

Surrey is such a devoted mom. “Cleanup in Aisle Three” When the call goes out, Surrey comes running. In fact, whenever a puppy whimpers whether near or far both Surrey and Heidi bolt in the direction of the little voice to investigate. Surrey dotes on her little pack and spends quite a bit of time with them. She never just walks past the whelping box without climbing in to stir things up. She still sits outside it to watch them play, but she also gets immersed in the action both indoors and out. After all, the puppies need to do something to keep their ten pounds of weight looking trim. Throughout the week, we managed to get the group outside frequently for playtime. There is never any hesitation as they all scurry off in all directions in search of treasures. It’s as though gathering up sticks and chewing them is part of a puppy’s DNA. They immediately know how to go through all of the motions without any kind of formal training or seminar. Some of the gang tried their hand at roc...

What a great week we've had! “The Coma” There’s no question that this group is well-fed. This week, the puppies began to wean and were introduced to mush: a canine smoothie comprised of moistened puppy food, oatmeal, goat’s milk, supplements, probiotics and honey. The convention with mush when it’s introduced to a new group is that the puppies typically sniff at it, shake their heads or walk away until we dab a little on their mouths to coax them into trying it. It didn’t take long before all hands (or feet) were on deck or in the food bowl with everyone anxious to see what all the fuss was about. Mealtime goes on for quite a while because the puppies also get to enjoy dessert by helping to clean each other up. And mom is right there to deal with any spots they may have missed. Meanwhile in the living room, the extension was added to the whelping box to give the pups more room to stagger around in or try their hand at the play station. The puppies are also enjoying some stuffed...