Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

This week was filled with milestones!  The puppies are currently eating solid food, walking around, and interacting with each other. They're changing hourly! It is common for us to comment at this stage that puppies have grown so much since morning to evening. Puppies now eat two meals a day and supplement with momma's milk bar. Tulip will be pleased when pups begin eating three times a day next week. There is no doubt that they are quick learners. After the second feeding, they knew what to do and ate with enthusiasm.  Puppies are typically used to sucking, so we add raw goat's milk to pure ground turkey along with pre-probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. They devoured the second feeding in record time. Upon finishing the milk bar, their mom stopped by with dessert and they all fell asleep. Our whelping box has now been extended, so the pups have double the space to move around now that they weigh an average of 5 pounds. A pair of cameras has been set up for you to watch th

It's been two weeks since we were born!  The puppies are growing rapidly and time is flying by!   This week marked a milestone as the puppies' eyes opened and they began to walk without assistance.   Currently, they weigh about 3 oz and gain about two to three pounds daily.   Each pup is weighed once a day now to ensure they are gaining weight and getting enough nutrition.  It's no problem for Tulip to keep the milkbar open all day and night for them. We will begin feeding the pups solid fresh food mixed with vitamin supplements and raw goat's milk next week.  Over the next several weeks, we will wean them off momma's milk. Therefore, Tulip will supplement their diet rather than serve as their main food source.  The puppies' nails are being cut weekly now and I recommend you continue this at least every three weeks.   In addition to providing traction, short nails also protect your floors.   Tulip now moves freely in and out of the whelping box, and when "r

Tulip's pups   are already one   week old!  I can't believe how quickly this week   passed   by.  So far, they have been a quiet litter, which indicates Tulip is feeding them well.   As I mentioned previously, they are all strong and healthy puppies.   It takes a lot of coaxing for Tulip to leave their side for the first few days.  As a result of such a long labor, she spends much of her time nursing the puppies and sleeping.  I'm certainly glad about that since I could use a nap after being awake for 40 hours! It wasn 't long before Tulip began spending more time outside the whelping box as the week progressed.   Digging a den for her pups outside is one of her favourite pastimes.   She dug a hole big enough for herself before having her pups under out spruce tree!   Still, she is determined to dig a den, so we always keep an eye on her outside.   Each day, Tulip consumes four meals and approximately four pounds of fresh food.   In order to produce milk, her body requi

Tulip very pleased with her new family! Welcome to the world!   A total of nine puppies were born in a 10 hour period.   Three handsome boys and six adorable girls. Born Thursday June 15th (our anniversary). Miss Dahlia (Orange ribbon), Mr. Hosta (Green ribbon), Mr. Bulrush (Brown ribbon), Miss Baby's Breath (Beige  ribbon), Mr. Sunflower (yellow ribbon), Miss Lilac (Purple ribbon), Miss Bluebell (Blue ribbon), Miss Hibiscus (Red ribbon) and Miss Hydrangea (Light Blue ribbon). In the early hours of Thursday morning, Tulip entered stage one labor.   Approximately 10:30 am yesterday morning, she began having contractions, and the first puppy arrived around 12 pm, and the last pup around 8:16 pm.   She took her sweet time delivering these puppies!   The two of us are exhausted from being awake for 37 hours!   Puppies weigh around 1 lb each.   Tulip is a wonderful mother.   She immediately embraces each puppy and won't leave them even for a bathroom break.   During the next week, T

Tulip enjoying a stroll in the yard.    Bronson & Tulip Litter Tulip is in her final week of pregnancy. Although she is showing, it isn't slowing her down. Fortunately, the weather has been mild and not too hot. Currently, she is being fed four smaller meals a day, and she is always looking for more! Her abdomen measures approximately 35 inches or 88.9 centimeters.    We will get her settled in our bedroom next week. Organize the whelping box in which the puppies will be born. We will keep Tulip and her pups separate from the other dogs and the chaos!   Currently, I do not know how many puppies she will have, but based on her size, I suspect she will have many. Goldens typically have 8 pups, but we've had as many as 14 and as few as 3.    Foetuses' skeletons are ossified around 50 days of gestation. During this period, the puppies' coats of fur are fully developed, and they will rapidly grow in size in preparation for birth. As of now, the puppies are just growing b

Bronson & Tulip litter Tulip shows no sign of slowing down.   She is always the first one out of the door and the last one in.   Tulip began digging in the yard several weeks ago.   Typical behavior for a mom-to-be!   As she progresses through her pregnancy, she will search for a den in which to give birth to her pups.   Clearly, we have a cleaner, warmer environment for them to be born in. No matter how much she eats, Tulip remains slim. S he is now eating two meals a day, but in the next couple of weeks, that will increase to three and maybe four meals daily.   Tulip's abdomen now measures 80 cm or 31.5 inches.   The gestation period for dogs is 63 days.   On approximately June 16th, we look forward to the miracle of birth once again. Seems like forever since we had puppies! 39-day -old National Geographic fetus The puppies digestive and respiratory organs, muscles, bones, circulatory, genital and urinary systems, skin and hair, nervous system, and sensory organs-including th

“The Milk Bath” What a week! The action began one afternoon between shifts, when our caregiver leaves for the day and we arrive to take over. In the ten minutes that the pups were unattended, it seems that piece of trim around the entrance to the whelping box that holds all the slats in place got compromised. We arrived to find every single puppy had exited their dwelling. They were all around the sunken living room and even a step up in the kitchen area exploring this new territory – even Olivia’s water bowl in the kitchen was being used as a swimming pool. A quick repair allowed order to be restored and everyone to be returned to their quarters. As the weather got to be somewhat messy throughout the week, we did legitimize kitchen playtime with the gang by setting out some mats, their play station and their favourite: a tub of balls! The action ramped up in no time as some were bashing the play station with their paws, batting balls around the kitchen and “swimming” in their ball poo