Deja – Jema Golden Retrievers

Counting Puppies

Counting to “7” and Counting to “6”

It’s Monday afternoon and I haven’t accomplished a thing! I know I’m probably being paranoid but I’m jumpy when I hear squeaking and I’m worried when I don’t hear squeaking! I’m definitely getting my steps in by getting up and down “just checking” (and counting puppies) to make sure all are alright. The saddest thing… Only needing to count to “6” when checking Vee’s puppies.

Yeah, THIS will get my heart racing… Couldn’t find this puppy? He is under the “pig rails”! I suspect he got warm and just rolled off that fleece heating pad?!

I’ve now removed the fleece pads that pups originally had. Too many were crawling UNDER these pads and I’m just afraid mom’s won’t know they are there when they go to lie down? Better safe than sorry! (My heating pads do have fleece coverings on them. Mom’s avoid the heating pads; they are NOT cold!) Pups can often be found on the heating pads though and/or are placed on the pads when mom’s are out to potty or eating. Pups just don’t have “fat” (or hair) to keep them overly warm. It will take another week or so for them to be able regulate their own body temperature.

What’s better than a heating pad? Mom, of course!

Both Deja and Vee enjoy their breaks away from puppies. But not for long or else they start to get “antsy”! They both still remain incredibly interested in the other’s puppies? Because Vee is the new mom, I let her in with Deja’s puppies (Deja was there and didn’t mind). She smelled each puppy and seemed satisfied they weren’t “her puppies” yet, she still stops and watches them every time she walks past… Just to make sure! I don’t want to do anything to make Vee nervous or upset so haven’t let Deja in to “nose around” Vee’s puppies but she too “checks out” Vee’s puppies before settling in with her own (I swear they both are counting puppies too?!)

Pups are all growing; all can “walk” in both litters although since their eyes are still not opened, they DO look like little drunks! I want to see each pup “use their rear” at this age. I want them to be able to push themselves up and although they don’t always bear weight very long, they are “pushing off” with their rear legs. This is really important! There is a problem that can occur in some puppies who don’t use their rear legs. These puppies are called “swimmers”; they paddle with their fronts and don’t motivate with their rear legs/hips at all. If they lie too long on just their stomachs, they can actually change the shape of their rib cage causing “flattening” that then can decrease lung capacity. None of these pups have this, thank goodness!

As you can see by that buried puppy (probably blue boy?), “pigment” is coming in on pads (and noses).

I once had one puppy who was a “swimmer”. Most vets will suggest euthanizing these pups; the rehab is lengthy with no guarantees it will work. I did do the rehab on my “swimmer” puppy and long story short… that puppy, now dog, is climbing 14er’s with his very grateful owner. By 8 weeks, that puppy was “normal” but it was a very intensive 6 weeks of physical therapy/rehab to get him that way. It is just something I now look for developmentally in pups at this age.

Not cold (they would be huddled together if they were); GOOD! But no where for mom to sit/lie down! This is NOT GOOD… pups put back into a “puppy pile”. Oh and that is blue boy up on all fours “walking”!

As many of you know, I also have “little dogs”. Compared to the Goldens, do they even count as “1” dog? My furry “little’s” are Havanese; each weigh about 8 pounds each! They, too, are wondering WHAT those squeaks are? Because they pose no threat to puppies, Deja had no problems letting my girl, Juju, in to check them out. Deja is an experienced momma with a rock-solid temperament! Still, I wouldn’t let any dog mess with puppies unsupervised although if the pups were in a different location, my kitty would check out puppies (has in the past). Kitty wants that heating pad, of course!

That’s the latest up to now. Back to checking on puppies!

The “Name Game”

Naming Puppies Is Always Fun! (Vid uploaded of pups nursing)

Most breeders do “theme litters”. These themes are a way to identify individual litters with the actual theme being representative of a time or event significant to each litter. Think of it almost as surnames for your puppies. Some breeders to “alphabet themes”; they have the (a) litter then the (b) litter and so on. Personally, I think that is BORING and totally lacks creativity! Each puppy’s registered name represents the given theme although what you call your puppy (his/her “call name”) is totally up to each individual owner. The theme is used in puppy’s registered name that goes to AKC and will be on your registration certification for your puppy.

For those that have owned registered dogs before, this may sound familiar. For those that weren’t given a theme or due to some other circumstance, let me know if you have any questions.

Deja’s puppies are going to be themed around the word “last”. This will be her last litter. It is a bittersweet time; Deja has produced beautiful puppies but soon, it will be her turn to be an “always by my side” type of dog without her worrying about taking care of “puppies”.

Some examples of names are below but folks are certainly welcomed to come up with their own names too. Anything that goes along with the theme. I have personally killed many long hours driving from dog show to dog show playing the “name game”, LOL! It is a fun thing to do while waiting for puppies.

Each puppy will have our kennel name first: “Jema” (signifying where puppy came from). Here are some examples to give you an idea what I’m talking about.

Jema’s Last Dance
Jema’s Last Minute
Jema’s Last Resort
Jema’s Lasting Impression
Jema’s Last Stand
Jema’s Last Man Standing
Jema’s Home At Last
Jema’s Everlasting Dream
Jema’s Last Train To Paris
Jema’s Good to the Last Drop; call name “Maxwell) … This has been used before in our coffee theme. AKC will not allow it to be used again.
Jema’s Last of the Mohicans… This also has already been used in the past. His call name is “Hawkeye” and is a Champion dog with TONS of agility titles. He is now retired at 12 years old living his best life.

In Vee’s litter (due tomorrow!), her theme for her litter will be “Ice”. The sire for Vee’s litter is my beloved boy, (Grand Champion/Champion) GCH Tazo; now deceased. We used his frozen semen for this litter, hence the “ice” reference. Timing of breeding, when using frozen semen, is critical! Once thawed, the “collection” has an eight-hour viability window. I have done “frozen litters” in the past; there is about a 50/50 chance the girl will even get pregnant! This is another reason I bred both girls. I wasn’t as sure Vee WOULD get pregnant!

Examples of “ice” registered names:

Jema’s Ice Castle
Jema’s Fire and Ice
Jema’s Ice Ice Baby (already taken)
Jema’s Ice Princess
Jema’s Twice as Nice (can use words that have “ice” in them)!
Jema’s Alice in Wonderland
Jema’s Dealer’s Choice
Jema’s Roll The Dice
Jema’s Spice It Up
Jema’s Slice Of Life
Jema’s A Night In Venice
Jema’s Ice Breaker

Update on puppies, themselves… All are “filling out”; their bodies now match their heads. Think of it like in human newborns. Heads are always the biggest presenting part; bodies generally less big. Until they start eating and get “chubby”… we have chubby puppies now! Dew claw sites are look really good; all healing nicely. Most of the umbilicus’ have fallen off (they are tied off from the placenta shortly after birth. In a natural delivery, mom’s usually do this with their back teeth. They “grind” those cords to prevent bleeding. Standing by and “helping”, some breeders use dental floss to tie off cords. We use sterile surgical suture material because… we have it!

Pups are still “squeaking”. All move incredibly well and are able to “find mom”. We have several getting up on their rears legs; pups will be “walking” soon! And not a coincindence in the timing of these pups (warmer weather) means less chance of puppies becoming “chilled”. Rarely do I find any of them on the heating pad even in Deja’s absence. What I want to see (and what I’m seeing) is pups sprawled out (signals they are NOT cold!) The downside of them sprawling out is… I want them to give Deja enough space to lie down without one getting behind her (that is when you hear the biggest squeaks; pups have to crawl around the mountain!) Because there IS a chance Deja might not see a pup and accidentally lie on one (would NOT be good!), we have “pig rails” in her whelping box. Even if Deja (any mom) lies down, she can only lie down as close as the pig rails. There is room under those rails for pup to slide under so as to avoid actually being laid upon.

Next milestone for puppies is in approximately 5 days when eyes start to open followed closely with ears opening afterwards. Then, pups “voices” will change. They will be able to hear themselves and littermates and squeaks will turn into little barks. They will go from being little potato blobs to real dogs!

P.S. Today is “Vee Day”! I’ve lined up “help”to watch Deja’s puppies and keep an eye on Deja for anything she might need. Prayers and Happy Thoughts appreciated for Vee and her pups-to-be! I’ve no idea how many pups to expect (we did not choose to expose her to radiation otherwise known as an x-ray to get a “count”. There wasn’t a medical reason to do this so… We didn’t do it!) I will say that Vee is fascinated by Deja’s puppies and feels the need to TRY to get in with them every chance she has! Her maternal instincts have kicked in! Vee will be “set up” next to Deja so that we can keep an eye on both mom’s and puppies. Deja’s feelings about Vee’s interest in her puppies… Deja KNOWS Vee is not a threat so is not bothered by Vee’s interest. As I predicted would happen, I can see “co-parenting” happening should we choose to let that happen? It is nice to even have this as an option! (And hence the different marked puppy collars!!)

Puppies are gaining weight!

Monitoring puppies and mama IS a full time job!

Deja’s milk IS coming in by evidence of puppies beginning to gain weight. I am again “sold” on the prenatal vitamins Deja received before delivery and now flipped to “new momma” vitamins. This makes me so incredibly happy although our smallest puppy IS getting “special attention”. We “help” this smallest puppy get the best nipple (the ones closest to the rear of Deja do have the biggest milk supply). The goal for all puppies is a steady, consistent gain of weight. We strive to avoid “runts” in every litter due to human intervention and assistance.

Stats: (Birth Weight–4/26/21)

Blue boy: 11.4 oz– 13.4 oz
Green Boy: 12.6 oz–14.4 oz
Orange Boy: 10.0 oz–10.4 oz
Pink Girl: 14.2 oz–15.6 oz
Red Girl: 11.8 oz–13.2 oz
Yellow Girl: 14.6 oz–1 lb!!
Purple Girl: 12.6 oz–14.2 oz

As you can see, Orange Boy is our “special project”. While not a huge disparity in weights, our goal is to “catch him up” to his littermates long before eight weeks of age. Of interest, he WAS the smallest puppy at birth by a little over an ounce.

Deja “checking in” on her babies. Yellow girl has her head on the heating pad; the others are apparently warm enough.

I’m again very grateful that hubby is sleeping with the puppies every night. There was less crying out/squeaks last night with pups being a bit more aware where mom was (so they didn’t wander too far away from her.) Deja is an experienced mom who keeps close tabs on puppies and is probably less worried about puppy’s squeaks then we are?

Meanwhile, you always “think” you are ready and then things seem to occur to me later. Today we adjusted whelping boxes slighly in preparation for Vee’s puppies later this week. This adjustment will allow us to keep close(r) tabs on BOTH litters at the same time. My “dog room” is what enable me/us to have two litters at nearly the same time. That and the help of my family which I whole-heartedly admit are a huge help!

Puppies hanging out in a small dog bed with Deja attentively watching! Time to clean/change the bedding.

Tonight, we will remove dew claws. IF a breeder is going to remove them, it has to be done between 3-5 days of age. Most breeders end up having their vets do this. Again, I am fortunate for family aka “hubby’s” help. There is some debate regarding whether to remove dew claws or not? Having one of my dogs rip their dew claw (not my breeding) during our recent blizzard (and having everything closed the day afterwards so no vet care available)… I gotta say, “I hate dew claws!” Fortunately, we were able to patch up the dog and she left that vet wrap alone so she didn’t cause further injury to her ankle/leg! She’s fine now but this could have been avoided had her breeder had those dew claws removed when they were 3-5 days of age, sigh!

Everyone back “home” again. Deja watching me remove the old bedding listening for any “squeaks”. No, Deja, I didn’t take any of your babies!

My “dog room” is like an “over-size” utility room off my kitchen. I also have an oversized sink in this room. It IS where I thaw my Thanksgiving turkey every year, LOL! It has it’s own heating and cooling system (I will turn on the AC for the dogs during our hot days of summer long before I turn on the AC for the rest of the house.) We have severa “runs” in this room; the runs each have doggy doors that lead out to 40′ covered runs. Most of the time, the dogs have free access to the rest of the house but during special times, like now, I can separate dogs. The dogs on the far left run have their own fenced “doggy yard”. The “inside dogs” have yet another doggy door to access our fenced backyard. I remember “way back when” as my carpenter was making specialty adjustments to our home soon after we bought it, he predicted I would have raccoons come THROUGH those doggy doors? Has never happened (I’ve never seen a raccoon in our yard!) but my barn kitty uses it all the time. While kitty DOES prefer to be “out and about”, he also comes inside for food, water, cat trees to nap on, and for easier for me, vet care! It is my “kennel system” that allows me to have an intact boy separated from my girls when need be. Or puppies outside safely (the outdoor runs are covered so NOTHING can jump in or out! Or fly over/in! This room IS the reason I bought our house previously built by, yep, another dog person! (I KNEW this when we first looked at the house! I know what “I” was looking for in a home and later, I found out who built the house. I know the family… they show and occasionnally breed Irish Setters and Daschunds.)

Not a flattering photo of Vee but you can see how the momma’s will be carefully watched and cared for along with their puppies. Vee is, no doubt, eyeing “treats” I store nearby but definitely OUT of doggy reach!

I feel like we have a pretty good handle so far (knock on wood!) Vee has a few more days to go before her pups are born. Today (because I like to be prepared), I ordered the puppies deworming meds as well as puppy food we will eventually wean puppies on later. Deworming puppies is done prophylactically; we will do at 2, 4, 6 weeks of age (and new owners will get copies of what we’ve done to give to their vets so vets know pups were treated.) It’s all part of making sure pups are as healthy as possible and get the best start in life starting with our care first.

I hate to end on a “bad note” but Deja does have some hardened areas along her mammary chain. She does have a history of mastitis; these hardened areas could be “scar tissue” from past infection? Or they could be the start of mastitis now with her milk coming in? We’ve started alternating warm and cold compresses to hopefully alleviate “full blown mastitis” that would require antibiotics to treat. Again, through human interaction, we are making sure pups nurse above and below that hardened area to “keep things flowing” correctly. So far, the hardened area is not worsening and it actually appears to be resolving somewhat. Whew! I don’t know how anyone could have puppies in an “outbuilding” or “not monitored closely”? I know that sometimes happens and sometimes pups and momma are “fine”. Fortunately, that is not how breeders I know “raise puppies”!

Deja’s Puppies Have Arrived!

Long day but all are doing well!

What a day (or last few days)!

Bottom line… Deja had seven puppies (4 girls/3 boys). Puppies and Mama are do great…So far so good!

Hanging out together shortly after birth

Statistics:

Blue Boy: 11.4 oz

Green Boy: 12.6 oz

Orange Boy: 10.0 oz

Pink Girl: 14.2 oz

Red Girl 11.8 oz

Purple Girl: 12.6 oz

Yellow Girl: 14.6 oz

As many of you know, Deja was scheduled for a C-section. I had her due date as 4/24 realizing there is a 24 hour window on each side (so due date would be 4/23-4/25). There was a small possibility her due date might have been today, 4/23 (so that 3-day window would have been 3/22-3/24). To make sure her due date wasn’t actually today, she had her progesterone level tested yesterday early morning and her C-section would have possibly been done yesterday. Both her progesterone level and the much less scientific approach of taking her temp proved her due date was NOT today so doing a C-section yesterday was out of the question. I know this probably sounds confusing but… the very last thing to develop in puppies are their lungs (and the ability to breathe on their own). Taking even a day too soon could cause problems with puppies not being able to breathe hence not being able to sustain life.

Vigorous puppies all vying for a space at the milk bar!

So… we went home to repeat yesterday… today! The big difference, Deja’s temperature this morning was 96.8! That is a huge temperature drop signifying her drop in progesterone… Means puppies within the next 24 hours (or so). And yes, her progesterone level done at 0800 definitely indicated she was going into early stages of labor! Pups were ready to be born!

Now it would be terrible to put Deja through labor and then also the surgery of a C-section! Sometimes, that can’t be avoided but like I thought, her due date WAS 4/24 (63 days post ovulation!) While my hunch was correct, I am very happy my reproductive vet MADE SURE and based that C-section on those progesterone levels!

Helping Deja clean little “red girl” so she doesn’t upset the others at the milk bar.

My vet is fantastic! Her philosophy with her C-sections is “8 minutes from the moment of anesthesia to getting those pups out”! Why is this important? Anesthesia given to Deja passes through the placenta’s and will also sedate puppies. When anesthesia given at the last possible moment, Deja is comfortable for her surgery and those pups are out before becoming sedated. I tell ya… this is the first C-section I’ve ever had done where pups were NOT sedated! They revived quickly with hearty crying (a really good sign in newborn pups!) Pups were cared for (umbilicus cords tied off, dried off, suctioned)… all done simaltaneously while Deja was sewn up and given a chance to wake up. Before we left the vet clinic, all pups had a chance to get that first milk rich in colostrum. Then, back home with Momma, still a bit groggy, while pups rode home on a heating pad in our “warming box”.

Deja is awake now and has cleaned all of her new babies. My other dogs have all reacted to the puppy squeaks wondering WHAT is in with Deja?? The other dogs are separated with Deja giving mom and pups plenty of privacy so Deja can focus on her new babies. Weights and collars put on once we got home and are used to monitor weight gain/health of each individual puppy.

Call it a “hunch” but I had a LOT of reasons to do this C-section with Deja. One of my biggest concerns was in “losing” puppy/puppies during whelping. As it turns out, Deja has several very large, fluid-filled cycsts on the OUTSIDE of her uterus. It was difficult getting that last puppy out around these cysts as they enveloped this puppy. My vet ended up having to make Deja’s incision just a bit longer/bigger to get this puppy out. This, no doubt, was the reason we “lost” a couple of puppies from her last litter? It is highly unlikely this particular puppy would have survived a natural delivery! (The plan for Deja will be to have these cysts surgically removed once Deja’s hormones return to normal sometime at the end of August of this year.) I am so grateful we did the C-section not only to save that last puppy but to also get a direct view of Deja’s reproductve system so that she might be treated for this problem in the near future!

Welcome to the world precious babies!!

Yes, We Are Having Puppies!

Planning, cleaning, monitoring… Getting ready for the big day!

Quick update… yes, both girls ARE pregnant! Deja is scheduled for a progesterone blood test, x-ray (to count skulls and spines to get a puppy count) and a C-section (4/22 or 4/23). I will start taking her temp twice per day starting a week prior to her due date (that will also monitor her progesterone and that drop).

Deja and her puppy belly! Doing what she does most these days… resting and growing puppies!

Progesterone is the hormone that maintains pregnancy. Just before (within a 24 hour window usually), progesterone levels drop signifying impending labor. That drop in progesterone causes the girls temperature to drop by a full degree… a sure sign of impending labor. Another way to monitor that progesterone level is a simple blood test. We want to make absolutely sure her progesterone levels drop, and puppies are “ready” to be born, before they do that C-section.

Vee is about a week behind Deja and also pregnant. She, will have that pre-whelp x-ray to count skulls and spines (to know how many puppies to expect). She is scheduled for her C-section on 4/30; her actual due date.

Vee is also spending a lot of time “growing puppies”.

Meanwhile both girls are ravenously hungry! When they aren’t sleeping, that is. They are getting moderate exercise but separate from my more rowdy dogs. It is just an added precaution but neither need to be darting and diving for say a tennis ball! And as those puppies grow… Many more potty breaks for both provided these days!

I’m still waiting for my collars to arrive. They said they’ve shipped but this certainly is NOT Amazon which we’ve become so used to in regards to fast shipping. Fortunately, I do have “plan B” if they don’t arrive in time.

This weekend is pullout and clean/bleach “puppy stuff”! I will feel good being “ready” with things set up; I just hate leaving anything to the last minute! That is IF the weather cooperates?

I WILL try my hardest to keep folks updated but please know, my first priority will be mom’s and puppies health. That first few days (actually first week) is so critical in monitoring mom’s and puppies health for any problems. Just as soon as I’m sure all are doing well, we get to go through the entire process again with Vee. This is the hardest part/time, in my experience. Then, the next “hard time” starts again at around 4-5 weeks when we start transitioning puppies onto solid food.

Lastly, and really sort of silly are “technical difficulties”! As we’ve all experienced, just when you’ve learned a new program/software, they change it with “new and improved” functions! What used to be easily done now takes longer to figure out how something new works! I guess this is “good” as it keeps our brains thinking/working but yeah… frustrating to figure out how new improvements work too!

Keeping fingers crossed for a safe whelping and healthy puppies! And as I write this, just thought of yet another question for my vet… pain management post C-section? What does she recommend for mom’s surgical pain that won’t cross over into milk and sedate puppies? Hmmm??? I guess we cross that road when we get to it. I’ve already been told that due to Covid and mandates, only one person will be allowed “to help”, sigh! I will help the techs “revive” puppies; hubby will be waiting to help wherever he is allowed? It would just about kill me to NOT be with my momma’s and babies in real time! Maybe by some miracle, our Covid mandates will be lifted in the next few weeks? One can certainly hope!!

Day 5…

Puppy Update

Puppy Update:

So excited that as of last night’s daily weighing (day 4), ALL puppies have hit that one pound weight gain! In truth, all but one puppy was over one pound on Day 3 but as of Day 4, ALL are now! YEAH!! Deja’s milk has come in and with the puppies nursing, the hardened areas along her mammary chain have softened. In other words… The “milk bar” is officially open!

With puppies, that first 24 hour period is SO CRITICAL but after making it through that first 24 hours, that first week is very critical also! I am very relieved to know all pups are gaining weight so thought I would pass along this happy news.

And for future reference…

The girls are:

Red Collar,
Pink Collar,
Purple Collar,
Yellow Collar.

The boys are:

Dark Blue Collar
Light Blue Collar
Black Collar

Yesterday, momentarily, Deja decided to sit up while nursing puppies! They are way too young for this (and she only did it for a moment before lying down with them) but I was able to catch this photo. Silly girl!!

Puppy Evaluations

Puppies Off To Their New Homes…

Puppy evaluations… otherwise known as “eenie, meenie, miney, moe”! Puppies were stacked on the grooming table last night (7/29/18) by my friend and fellow Golden Retriever club member, Terri, while we all went over “parts”. What we are looking at is how does each puppy, on his or her own, compare to the Golden Retriever standard on exactly WHAT a Golden Retriever should look like! (The standard for the Golden Retriever was part of your “puppy packet”; it has the absolute specifics of what I’m talking about here. It can also be found on the AKC and GRCA web site.)

It was after work (for Terri) when we did the evaluations. Pups were out in the backyard running around as we evaluated one puppy at a time. And we watched as the storm clouds were moving in too! Pups all brought inside just before the rain and hail started and the evaluations continued inside. Pups were getting hungry (we all were) so I’m afraid some of my photos were only so-so. Today, I re-stacked pups on the grooming table to re-shoot all of them in much better light.

Mark is on his way to the airport to pick up Sherry. Once I confirm with Sherry, I will be able to let everyone know for sure who is getting what puppy. And I will email you the health info I have from MY vet for you to keep for your records/give to YOUR vet on your puppy.

I am sure I’ve said this many times but it bears saying again… These puppies ALL are incredibly beautiful puppies and very consistent with each other in “type” and “substance”. They have been from the start! I am VERY PROUD of each and every one of these puppies!

Black Boy.jpg — Black Boy (now known as “Trek”)

Blue Boy.jpg — Blue Boy (now known as “Ziggy”)

Green Boy.jpg — Green Boy (now known as “Finn”)

Purple Boy.jpg — Purple Boy (now known as “Eddy”)

Red Girl.jpg — Red Girl (now known as “Vee”)

Lime Girl.jpg — Lime Girl (now known as “Charley”)

Pink Girl.jpg — Pink Girl (now known as “Gracie”)

Orange Girl.jpg — Orange Girl (now known as “Westie”)

August 30, 2018

Where did the time go? Oh… crazy busy time with folks coming to pick up their new babies. Puppies getting situated in their new homes, vet visits, and house-breaking/training started. And just like that, my house is back to “normal”! Puppy pen taken down and dining table back in its place.

It occurs to me that while the folks getting their puppies KNOW all of this, others who may be following my blog do not. Sitting in my “drafts folder” is this entry yet unpublished! So for the folks who may want to see how these pups “stacked” up for the evaluation, here they are. These puppies came at a time in my life when I needed a bit of joy and joyful they were! Some litters are just like that!

Puppy Pool Party!

Happy 6 Weeks Old!!

Yeah! Pups are 6 weeks old today! Folks out to meet puppies last Saturday and although cloudy with a breeze, the heat was still stifling for the fluffy pups. What a brilliant idea of Mark’s to bring out the kiddie pool and soak pups to cool them off! Pups went from lethargic, hot, fur-balls looking for shade to perky, playful puppies which is their normal selves!

Pups SO LOVED meeting people and time outside

Perky puppy now that they are cooled down! (Again, I purposely did NOT post any photos of children! I will send those photos privately!)

Patiently waiting for a turn in the pool and being “splashed”!

Puppies continue to be GREAT little eaters now eating solely solid food (no more nursing!) The benefit of this is better poops! You might expect some softer poops upon the transition to your home(s) when you first take home puppy but with consistency and patience, poops should firm up quickly again. Until pups are acclimated to your new homes, I would recommend you NOT feed any additions to their diet at least not right away… At least until they have their “sea legs” again and are getting used to yours and their new routines in their new homes.

Today was much cooler out, although quite humid! Pups are now doing single steps and followed me out to the “dog room”. There, Beanie (the French Bulldog) proceeded to bark at them and as everyone knows, her bark can be a bit shrill. Poor pups just looked at her wondering what on earth was HER problem? Kudos to the pups who walked right up to her and licked her nose! They probably thought she was one of them? She IS their size!!

We didn’t stop long but proceeded to work on learning “doggy doors” today! Again, stepping up and over was no problem for pups (as long as I held the flaps open for them to see where they were going!)

Once outside, a whole new world opened up to them! First and foremost was “chasing the broom” as I swept! After dining Al Fresco, pups enjoyed running up and down the covered run (on cement; another surface mastered!) Because we had rain on and off all day, I didn’t pull out a ton of toys but they all enjoyed running through (and trying to climb over) the tunnel!

I need to prune these evergreens! And tonight, Mark did just that for me so we won’t have sticky/sap puppies!

But the outside slide was the “big hit” of the day! Pups climbed through the tunnel-like slide and enjoyed “spinning” the toys hung on the side of the slide. Funny to watch the pup on the inside of the slide spin the toys back to the pup on the outside of the slide!

It was a full day for pups being outside in the covered runs and then back through the doggy door and back inside everyone went. Some play time, some napping, and then dinner was eaten outside again this time on the grass. Pups had a “mini-bath” since the grass was wet from the rain. Inside just before the rain started again, this time with a bit of hail! Definitely a full “puppy day”!

Weights for this week:

Blue (M): 7 lbs 12.6 oz
Black (M): 8 lbs 8.6 oz
Purple (M): 7 lbs 13.6 oz
Green (M): 8 lbs 1.2 oz
Hot Pink (F): 8 lbs 5.6 oz
Lime Green (F): 7 lbs 12.4 oz
Red (F): 8 lbs 1.2 oz
Yellow (F): 7 lbs 8.2 oz
Orange (F): 7 lbs 5.8 oz

This is probably the biggest weight difference between puppies since birth. Heaviest puppy (Black Boy) at 8 lbs 8.6 oz to the lightest (Orange Girl) at 7 lbs 5.8 oz. Nine puppies all within essentially one pound of each other means… VERY UNIFORM weights between all puppies! The weight difference is really negligible. Puppies de-wormed again today as per their schedule. You will get this info, along with their feeding schedule, when you pick up your puppy to let your vet know. It is standard protocol to de-worm puppies, based on their weight, at 2, 4, and 6 weeks.

And while this probably won’t mean much to most people, both Mark and I have felt both testicles on ALL the boys! That’s a good thing!

Golden Hour

Puppies Playing Outside As The Sun Is About To Set

The Golden Hour, in photography, is that hour or so just before sunset (or after sunrise) where the light is just magical. Add nine bouncing Golden Retriever puppies and that hour just became MORE magical!

I am very thankful for my “help”! Mark thoroughly cleaned the puppy pen then met us outside to help. Andrew watched (and counted) pups while I got the chance to “focus” (tee-hee!) on taking photos.

So here you go… a ton of shots taken of puppies once the temps were cooler as the sun was setting. The only editing I’ve done to these shots is fix my horizon (straighten the shot), changed my ratio from 2:3 to 4:5 (just a bit more square) in some shots, and in some, brought up the shadows. IOW, these are pretty much “straight out of camera”! I’ve tried to get every puppy. If I missed any, well, there is always tomorrow night! 🙂

Enjoy!

I realize this photo is “out of focus” but wanted to show off her beautiful top line!

Black Boy (fluffy butt! DEFINITELY a wide body!!)

Deja is pretty much “dried up” but that doesn’t stop the pups from “trying”! At this point, this is more of a pacifier than food!

“Go Play With Puppies”

Puppy Chaos With Puppies Outside By Myself! (5 Weeks Old)

“Go play with puppies”, Mark says. That sounds like a GREAT idea! But sitting on the tile floor in the puppy pen about kills my knees so I have this great idea… I’ll take puppies outside! I check the temp; only 88 degrees and it IS cloudy out so I decide pups will have a good time!

I start pulling pups out of the pen past the soon-to-be-surmountable barrier. I can do two at a time except for a few out of reach. I step into the puppy pen to get the pups farther back. In the meantime, pups already out of the box decide to pee… THREE of them! I throw down paper towels as I call them to the back door.

Holding the door open, I lift pups two by two outside the threshold. As I’m holding the door open, three flies fly into the house. Drats! I finally get all the pups outside on the back patio and two of them are pooping on the concrete. Oh no… I call them onto the grass (because it will be easier to pick up the poop); some follow, others do not. When you have to go, you have to go!

And then the sun comes out! I go back inside to grab their water bowl and after refilling, I take it outside. Now I’m doing that “count to nine” thing again. I only count eight! Deja is supposed to be “helping” me but she takes off towards the side yard; yep, there is the ninth puppy meandering off! Deja comes when I call and that puppy follows mom. Good girl, Deja!

I leave pups for a moment to grab the pooper-scooper (remember the flies earlier?!) Now I can’t find where they went (except for the ones on the back patio of course). Some puppies are hanging out in the shade but the others, some go right; some go left!

I go out to the grass where I can see them all. Snap a few photos until they see me and then, they come running. I have one biting my ears (I’m lying on the ground) and another chewing on my camera strap. I disentagle the puppy chewing on the camera strap and do my count again… all accounted for!

And then, two decide our little water fountain looks interesting and climb up on the lowest edge peering at the trickling water. I call them back to their water bowl but it is the trickling water that is fascinating pups.

Several are panting by now. I start picking them up two at at time and take them back to the puppy pen. I make three trips with two and two trips with single puppies. I’m missing one! Back outside calling for puppy… P-U-P-P-Y! P-U-P, P-U-P, P-U-P-P-Y! And I hear before I see that last puppy deep in my planting bed! As she comes towards me, she will have to go through a rose bush. I quickly swipe her up thus avoiding the thorny branches of the bush. Whew… all nine pups accounted for and back in the house!

I pull out frozen water bottles and ice cubes. A few lick the ice cubes while some lie on the water bottles to cool off. I sit with puppies until none are panting any longer. As I leave the puppy pen with everyone fast asleep, my parrot starts calling… “PUPPY, PUP, PUP, PUPPY!”

Lesson here: DO NOT TAKE THAT MANY PUPPIES OUTSIDE BY MYSELF!

5-Week Weights:

Blue (M): 6 lbs 3.6 oz
Black (M): 6 lbs 10.0 oz
Purple (M): 6 lbs 1.0 oz
Green (M): 6 lbs 4.6 oz
Hot Pink (F): 6 lbs 9.4 oz
Lime Green (F): 6 lbs 5.2 oz
Red (F): 6 lbs 7.8 oz
Yellow (F): 5 lbs 13.6 oz
Orange (F): 5 lbs 14.8 oz

In other news: Puppies are now eating only slightly softened food. I sat with them to make sure none had a problem chewing the harder kibble the first time. All did great! Watching them wrestle with each other (and chew on each other), time to add more “chew” toys! And time to make sure Deja doesn’t try to steal them from the pups because… everyone likes a good chew toy!