Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Surrey has lost her girlish figure The excitement is starting to build in our household once again as we await the much-anticipated arrival of Surrey’s puppies.   Surrey is entering the final week of her pregnancy and is doing very well but we are certainly seeing her slow down. She is now eating three meals daily and her abdominal area has expanded to 82.5 cm or 32.5 inches. Today we will increase her food intake to four smaller meals daily.  Golden Retriever puppy fetus almost fully developed At this stage Surrey is shedding the hair on her belly in preparation for the birth. We can actually feel the puppies moving at this stage - w e’re not sure if it is the stimulation of our touches or if they are just anxious to bust out into the world! The puppies have a full coat of hair and can be felt moving around in her tummy. The coat is one of the last organs to develop along with the intestinal tract. The...

  Surrey taking a nap! Surrey is entering the third and final phase of gestation. Around day 32, amniotic fluid in the uterus increases in order to protect the pups. It’s hard to believe that she will be having her puppies in approximately 3 weeks. Now is the time that her tummy will begin to expand on a daily basis as the puppies head into a huge growth stage and she will shed the hair on her belly in preparation for the birth. As the puppies grow and develop, individual toes begin to form. Eyelids, whiskers and claws start to grow and they are beginning to look more like puppies every day.  It’s an interesting fact that a dog's tactile perception develops before birth so unborn puppies can detect touch when the mother is petted from the outside of the abdomen. This establishes the basis for puppies to tolerate being touched, when compared to puppies born to mothers that were not petted. Pregnant dogs that are exposed to stressful events tend to release hormones that can...

We are such a happy bunch. “Does this Rag Smell Like Chloroform?” We have litters of puppies that are memorable to us for different reasons. In the case of Sierra’s litter, they’re renowned for their ability to sleep soundly. And they’ll do it anywhere. This past week, the gang went on their first car ride to visit our friendly veterinarian. Some litters will punctuate the ride with ear-piercing shrieking, but not this one. They managed to sleep through the entire ride. Once at the clinic, they put their best feet forward and were very well-behaved, but also very brave throughout their examinations. All scored top marks. This group doesn’t always come across as though in a coma. They have their share of rowdy moments and we’re sure it was a team effort that resulted in the inversion of the “tip-proof” water bowl in their whelping box. Best of all, they had massive play dates with Bailey and her eight pups. The weather was agreeable enough that we were able to get everyone outs...

We love Spring and the great outdoors! “Busting Loose” Whenever the gang anticipates that it’s time to go outside, they’re ready to rumble! Like a bull released from its pen at the rodeo, the little puppies spilled out onto the living room floor, just steps away from the door leading to the yard. There’s no time to lose. The weather was great and there was so much to do….so many new adventures, so many games to be played. After the big squeeze through the little opening, they were outside and they scattered in many different directions. Some headed straight for the rock garden while others tore across the winter-weary lawn at top speed. What made some of these outings so much more enjoyable was that they were shared with Sierra’s litter as one giant play date! Bailey was her playful self and engaged all of the pups in various forms of play. Sierra shuffled around with a few pups in tow and even their “Aunt Whitney” joined in on the fun albeit the little ones were confused by W...

We are a happy bunch! “The Code” The code being transmitted was persistent. One-two-three-pause-one-two-three-pause and so on. It’s not subtle by any stretch of the imagination but this is the means by which Sierra communicates her wishes and/or summons us. Our most recent inspection revealed that her roomie, Bailey was lying in the whelping box with Sierra’s puppies. On this occasion, the queen was not amused. Fortunately, Bailey and Sierra are good friends to the extent that Bailey even seems to have adopted Sierra’s pups and has apparently assumed the role of Godmother. As fickle as it’s been, the weather cooperated sufficiently to allow the puppies outdoor playtime. The charge was usually led by Bailey who either demonstrated some gymnastics moves to the gang or played chase with them. A popular activity is the game of tag in which each puppy exhibits a burst of energy in succession. Now that most of the snow has melted, it meant that the rock climbing initiative had been ...

Experiencing the great outdoors! “Follow That Milk Truck!” It was all fun and games during the week when the group was introduced not only to the great outdoors, but a giant playground carpeted with snow. There was no hesitation whatsoever as the puppies scurried off in all directions as though they’d done this a hundred times before. Their mom Bailey was there to chaperone, but also to add to the excitement by playing with the members of her mini-pack. She would frequently tempt them with an offering from the milk bar and dash off with several of them in pursuit. She also demonstrated how to make snow angels, but beyond that the little ones just improvised. They ran, they wrestled, they rolled around and somewhere along the line managed to find some twigs that apparently needed reshaping. A good time was had by all followed by the requisite naptime. While the pups enjoy playing with one another, they delight in their encounters with their two-legged friends. Sunday was visito...

Our big adventure outdoors! “A Family Affair” Everybody loves a puppy and there’s no exception in this household. There are times when security may be lax and a breach into the puppy zone can occur. Hannah the four month old who is herself still a puppy, adores them. On her way outside to the washroom, she will frequently pull a hard right turn into the whelping box to mingle with the pups. She loves to lie down in the middle of the box where she studies them with a very inquisitive expression on her face. Not to be outdone, our big boy Haydain has also found his way in there. He offers the puppies a very cursory greeting and absconds with one of their chew toys which we later have to coax out of his mouth. There’s Bailey, Sierra’s next door neighbour who will wander into the whelping box to nurse Sierra’s little ones just so she can make off with yet another plush toy. And finally, there’s benevolent Whitney who has since become a semi-permane...