Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Such a beauty. “The Final Countdown” As Skye heads into her final week of pregnancy, she is very much focused on finding the perfect den in our backyard to have her puppies. This morning she dug a hole that she can pretty much fit herself into along with Pepper, her partner in crime! It is her natural instinct to find and prepare a den to birth her puppies however, she’ll actually have them in a nice warm and sterile environment known as the whelping box. We keep puppies in our bedroom for the first 3 weeks and over the next week we will make all the final preparations for their arrival.  Skye is still extremely interested in food and will almost take your hand off when offered a treat. She inhales her food in about 4 seconds flat and is now receiving 3 meals daily, but we may increase that to 4 or 5 meals as we move closer to her whelping date. Her abdomen measures a whopping 35.5 inches or approx. 90 cm. Skye has a cozy dog bed or our king-sized bed to sleep on but pre...

Skye and puppies daddy Storm. Sassy Skye continues to be as active as ever. She enjoys being in the air-conditioned house when it is so humid outdoors. The occasional bird or squirrel has her preoccupied outdoors, but she quickly realizes that it’s too hot outside and she’d rather just come inside to cool off and enjoy a bone.  Diet is so important at this stage as the puppies are beginning to grow rapidly now. Over the next few weeks as her abdomen expands, Skye will obviously begin to slow down. Skye has always had a voracious appetite and she certainly continues to eat her food in record time and is always looking for more. She is enjoying an unprocessed raw diet including all the natural vitamins and minerals required along with folic acid, prebiotics and probiotics daily.  As her waistline expands, she will have less room for food so we will increase the frequency and reduce the size of each meal. Skye’s abdomen now measures 76.2 cm or 30 inches.  At this ...

Momma and pups had a wonderful time outside! “Nature’s Charcuterie” The weather here finally cooperated suitably for the puppies to get outside. While a little tentative for the first two and a half minutes, they wandered over to the milk truck, aka Chanel who provided them with a little snack al fresco, despite their twenty-eight razor sharp teeth. After that, there was a huge free-for-all. The pups ran off in groups of two or three or sometimes solo. As their confidence grew, they explored the yard in ever-widening circles. They scaled rocks and little mounds of snow and chased one another around a big cedar tree in a seemingly endless game of tag. When they were ready to wind down a bit, a sampling of nature’s charcuterie followed. This consisted of sampling a variety of twigs with a chaser of a mouthful of snow. Even moms milk truck came by to provide a snack.  Most of their neighbours, namely the pups in Faith’s litter departed for their forever homes over the we...

We're growing up so fast. “UFC Takedown” The days are getting longer but unfortunately, they’re also getting soggier as Mother Nature peels back her snow covering and reveals our nemesis, namely mud. Accordingly, we’ve had to resort to some indoor playtime. We tossed a plush 6 ft long caterpillar onto the kitchen floor and let the gang loose on it. At first the mini pack sniffed it from end to end and then they worked on subduing it until they were satisfied it no longer posed a threat. This week, the puppies experienced their first examination by Dr. Matt, the friendly veterinarian. Considering the number of puppies in our household requiring their checkups, it made more sense for him to make a house call. We had the pups on the kitchen floor while the checkups were being conducted and they were completely oblivious to the goings-on. They played and ran laps around the kitchen island. On more than one occasion, they were entranced by Dr. Matt’s colourful socks, but they ...

We've had a fun week! “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” The pups had an absolute blast outside this week. They were just a bit tentative on their first outing, but it didn’t take long for them to step up to the challenge. They were unfazed by the mounds of packed snow and what surely seemed like mountains and moguls. Of course, the mounds are somewhat slippery, but this determined bunch quickly found their footing and conquered the summit. Some even found a few cedar twigs to nibble on while others either scurried about or simply meandered, taking in the vastness of the yard, the sunshine and the cool, crisp Caledon air. It’s interesting to witness the pups’ growing independence as they venture into the far corners of the yard either on their own or in small groups. Faith is both a mom and playmate extraordinaire. She lures the pups into play mode with the “will you play with me stance” leading them on chases over the snow-covered terrain. Then, she rolls around in the snow...

Feeling relaxed!   “Nibbles”   The dynamic in the whelping box is evolving.  This is the beginning of the most influential socialization period for the puppies. They’re learning to communicate with each other and with us by wagging their tails. With the increased control over their facial muscles, they are making expressions and are beginning to reveal their personalities and communicate their opinions. They spend longer periods of time awake and they use it to engage in some manner of play with their siblings whether head butting or wrestling. They’re also craving a lot of attention and affection.  Since the little ones are getting more accustomed to eating solid food, their food is being prepared a bit drier and they are drinking plenty of water to keep hydrated. Now that the food isn’t as messy, fewer clean ups (in that department) are required. Of course, Chanel still nurses the puppies to supplement their diet. This week we removed the pig rails...

Hello everyone! “The Experiment”   It was just a matter of time. Since the pups are well on their way to being fully weaned, they always have a fresh bowl of water at their disposal. To this end, we use a spill-proof bowl. Every now and again, a litter of puppies decides to test that theory with some experimentation. This was no exception. While there’s an insert that helps prevent most of the water from spilling out, we were too trusting and had opted to leave it out for the moment. Strike one and lesson learned. We would have loved to be able to get the pups outside this past weekend, but mother nature hasn’t been very agreeable these past few days. We have snowbanks up to six feet in height and the snow throughout the yard is up to a foot and a half. That said, our biggest concern was losing a puppy in the snow. In the meantime, the party is indoors and the group is unfazed because they’re having a blast getting to know each other. There’s a lot of squawking and chi...