Photos taken last week of pups out in the garden “helping” us weed! A good time was had by all!!
Just some fun photos of a fun day!
A Day In The Garden… With Puppies!
So Much To See; So Much To Do!
Tag: fun
Lazy Day
A Typical Day With Puppies!
Wednesday, July 18
This morning, the puppy pen was a disaster! It was bad! Bless my dear hubby for cleaning the pen this morning even though he always does the morning clean because this morning… It was exceptionally BAD!
Mark was an hour late for work but he still got the first load going and managed to power-wash the potty boxes. BLESS HIM!! Since then, I’ve been keeping the washing/drying going to get all bedding, etc. clean again, WHEW! (Regular laundry is fit in around puppy bedding, LOL!) This is not something people usually think about regarding puppies but it is a very real “behind-the-scenes” thing that needs to be done!
Pups usually “help” with the morning clean. They like to chase the vacuum cleaner! Some even have started RIDING the vacuum cleaner head as the area is cleaned! Such helpful puppies they are! On this morning, pups got to go out to the indoor/outdoor run! They were thrilled! Running up and down my covered 40′ run means… great muscle strengthening and coordination! And it was outside where I fed them their breakfast.
Watching that thermometer closely (and having a lovely breeze today), I left pups out when I went out to pick up the bowl. Polished clean! Starting for lunch, I will increase food yet again! I actually prefer some food be left so I know EVERYONE got their fill.
Sitting in my study, my window is cracked so I can hear them running and playing. I frequently go into the “dog room” to look out the window to check on them. After a short nap (puppies; not me), I went out to pick up and hose down the run.
YEARS AGO Mark bought me a Honda power washer. I struggled so much with our previous power washer pulling to get it to start. Guys will probably understand the motor, etc. of the Honda but… I can start this power washer myself! I’ve been cleaning my dog runs for years! For the last two years or so, I’ve been recuperating from spine surgery (first surgery “failed” so had to be repeated the following year). I haven’t used MY power washer in quite some time (although Mark has, of course). Today, I was able to pull start and hose down the puppy run! Well, YEAH for me! Now I was very careful to NOT let the blast of the hose anywhere near any puppy but they LOVED splashing on the newly wet concrete! Which gave me the idea…
I pulled out the kiddie pool and a different hose (because I remembered how hard it is to ATTACH the hose to the power washer) to fill up the kiddie pool. Then, each pup got to “go swimming”! This time, each pup got to play with the hose and have water from the hose splash and get them wet. And, I placed their indoor slide (which Mark cleaned this morning) so they could slide down the slide into the pool! ALL had a great time!
Because of our cool evenings, the house is opened up for fresh air. It is when I hear the dog room AC kick on, I know it is heating up outside. Time to close up the dog room for sure and probably also the rest of the house (although the dog room is ALWAYS cooler than the rest of the house. For the dogs, of course!)
Lunch fed outside although a few seemed less hungry. That is okay. I’ll pick up now and offer again in a few hours. I’m working on getting the “feeding schedule” closer to what it will be like when puppies leave. When they leave me, they will be on a three feedings per day schedule (with maybe a treat at night). I would like for “lunch” to be closer to noon-1:00 but right now, pups prefer lunch (are more hungry) around 3 p.m. But we’ll get there. For the amount, feed 3/4-1 cup of food/puppy. Again, the goal is that puppy probably will NOT eat all of their food (so the “mom” in all of us will know puppy ate enough; got their fill!) As puppy becomes more active and grows bigger, they will soon be polishing off that 1 cup of food at feeding time!
As an aside and just for reference, my “big dogs” eat 1 cup of adult food per feeding and they are fed twice per day. This is for my girls. Rooster is fed 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups of food twice/day. It depends on how active they are and how they are looking. When you are feeding, it is a great time to “feel their ribs”. You want to be able to feel their ribs without them being “bone-y”. If you can’t feel ribs at all, time to cut back on food/feeding! This is for adult dogs but… You can get in the habit now with puppy of checking ‘how they feel’. One of the easiest ways to assess your dog’s weight is by using the “knuckle test”:
Another chart you’ll probably see at your vet’s office is the hand’s-on guide for evaluating weight. It will probably look something like this:
Illustrations of Adult Dogs for Weight Evaluation
LATER:
Temp is climbing now; another scorcher of a day! Pups pulled through the doggy door (some came in on their own) to learn how to use. My mistake was in NOT closing the gate… Some puppies attacking me; some running wild! Climbing the single step into the house is no problem for puppies now so I have two puppies in my study, one in the kitchen, and braver ones heading towards the front door! In other words… Puppies EVERYWHERE!
Two by two I pick them up and take back to their puppy pen. I refill their water bowls (they have two now) and everyone immediately pees. REALLY?! You couldn’t have done that OUTSIDE before coming in? Well, my fault really… I woke them up from sleeping. I SHOULD HAVE taken them out on the grass to potty then bring them inside. Oops! Remember that everyone… After eating; when they wake up from sleeping; and last thing before bedtime TAKE THEM OUTSIDE to potty! (I would add when you first take them out of their crate too!)
Everyone is settled down for their afternoon nap. Now… Time for me to go mow the grass! I hope everyone is having a GREAT week so far!! Happy Hump Day!
Sorry this is late posting but I had to get photos uploaded, etc. And then… there is always “other stuff” to get done 🙂 And now… It is almost the weekend! YEAH!
I will share that every year we get a pair of nesting hummingbirds although we are not really in their flight/migratory pattern. Well the babies have just left the nest and we now have hummers EVERYWHERE! SO MUCH FUN watching them fly from flower to tree to flower!
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!
“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!
Bath Time!
Bathing NINE puppies was quite the endeavor!
Puppies first bath… And I did all nine of them, WHEW! I’m so glad we did this yesterday (7/14/18) when it was 90+ degrees and sunny outside; today it is much cooler. We’ve already had a bit of rain and looks like we’ll get more?
Pups did awesome with their bath. It was a positive experience for all and something they will have done the rest of their lives so… I was very careful to NOT soak their heads or get soap in their eyes and as you can see in the vid, I AM quite obsessed about rinsing! My mantra re: baths… rinse and then rinse again! Pups then were air-dried outside in the sun (learning to be blown-dry is a lesson for another day/bath!)
A variety of still photos taken from their baths…
Happy Four-Weeks-Old
Puppies: 4-Weeks-Old
Great time meeting all the new families last Sunday who are getting a puppy from this litter! It COULD HAVE BEEN a bit cooler but all-in-all, we swung with the weather and still had a good time! I know the puppies had fun; they were all exhausted after all the guests left and slept soundly… Until the next meal that is!
LOTS of info sent out yesterday (Puppy Packets + Contracts) along with another email packed with info… Things I wanted to make sure I said on Sunday and may have forgotten?
Puppy Weights this week (4 weeks old):
- Blue (M): 4 lbs 10.6 oz
- Black (M): 4 lbs 14.8 oz
- Purple (M): 4 lbs 3.6 oz
- Green (M): 4 lbs 6.4 oz
- Pink (F): 4 lbs 13.0 oz
- Lime (F): 4 lbs 9.0 oz
- Red (F): 4 lbs 12.0 oz
- Yellow (F): 4 lbs 6.0 oz
- Orange (F): 4 lbs 6.4 oz
So our “biggest” puppy is Black Boy (4 lbs 14.8 oz) and our lightest puppy is Yellow Girl (4 lbs 6.0 oz). Essentially, the puppies are only ounces different in weight from each other! All are “chunky monkeys” and doing well eating solid food. We’ve now increased the amount in each feeding and have increased the number of times puppies are being fed per day. We have quit the goat’s milk substituting water to make sure pups stay hydrated. ALL have sharp puppy teeth; Deja is very grateful for the “help” in feeding her babies!
Speaking of sharp puppy teeth, everyone needs to make sure they buy “teething” chew toys (Nylabones are great!). This is a great way to substitute chewing on hands or clothes that puppy will likely do. And those puppy teeth are SHARP! When puppy puts their mouth on hands, just put the chew toy in their mouths (and remove your hands) instead! Pups will soon learn that hands are a “no!” but chew toys are all right to chew. You will definitely want to make sure they are chewing on these types of toys and NOT your furniture! Goldens are definitely “chewers”. And for those with kids, have them be consistent with substituting chew toys also. I would suggest that when you go to pet puppy, have a chew toy in your other hand as they will likely respond to your petting with chewing first!
After their initial bout of teething, pups will again teeth at around 4 months of age when their permanent teeth start coming in. Have those chew toys handy! ESPECIALLY for the kids when playing with puppy!!
As I may have mentioned to some folks on Sunday, we have a visiting girl with us this week. Rooster is quite enamored with his new girlfriend! I want to specifically thank Terri for helping stack puppies “just for fun”. We were just playing around and only did a few puppies but Terri has promised to come back to help evaluate puppies when they are older. This is great as I can’t stack puppies and take photos at the same time! Terri’s method of stacking puppies is very different from the way I stack puppies… I was very pleased at how well the pups did her way!
Meanwhile, I was worried about pup’s “going home” packages. I’m happy to report that everyone will receive a Royal Canin sampler pack courtesy of Royal Canin! These sample packs are now on order and should arrive soon! YEAH!!
(Pups were sleepy when we woke them up to stack them. But for the first time being stacked, they all did very well. We only stacked these puppies this time; we’ll do all of them when they are older!)
I Can Count… At Least To Nine!
3 Week Weights and… Spending Time With Puppies!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve counted to “nine”! 1, 2, 3, 4 and then over there, 5, 6. There is 7 & 8. Where is 9?! Where is NINE! Oh, there is 9… Whew! Checking puppies happens a LOT here! I check them when mom is in with them and I check them when mom is NOT with them! I check to see if they are too hot or too cold. I just check them ALL THE TIME! And I count to nine!
Today was “paperwork” day. I tried to make something I had “work” but that darn “editable” PDF really wasn’t so “editable”! So, I re-typed my intro out and found/corrected several typos. Oops! In reality, it needed retyping anyways. There are always “new things” to add; I would be remiss if I didn’t go over new things too. My “puppy contracts” are up-to-date and ready to be filled in by the new owners. That is another thing I wanted to “get ready”. And the info AKC mandates I have on every new home in every litter, well, my “boxes” are getting filled in which will help not only for the contracts but also for the AKC paperwork I will fill out later.
Meanwhile, folks are locking in their registered and call names. Such fun, great names so far! To the folks who haven’t decided, keep thinking! Yes, you do have time yet; I don’t absolutely NEED your names now but… If your are sure and ready, definitely let me know. We have:
- Jema’s Journey of Vim, Vigor, and Valor; call name “Vee”
- Jema’s Journey to the Finish; call name “Finn”
- Jema’s Lost Paddle Journey; call name “Eddy”
I also chatted with Journey’s owner, Shannon, today. It has been a while since we’ve “touched base”; so nice to catch up! Shannon has been such a wonderful breeder to work with; we ALL are very lucky in that regard! We can never forget “dad” who is why we are where we are today!
I “think” we are ready for the upcoming “puppy party”? I KNOW my dogs are going to LOVE all the extra attention! And the puppies… they play hard and then they sleep but then they wake up again so it will be a fun time giving them lots of extra attention too! Crossing fingers we have nice weather to take them outside! Not too hot and not too cold!!
As everyone knows, pups have started on solid food. I wean pups on Royal Canin Starter Mousse. I swear, this is THE BEST product in the world! Okay, it is a bit “stinky” but that is why the pups probably enjoy it so much? Easy to digest; easy to eat; just the right consistency! The last thing I want is for one of my babies to choke on a home-made “gruel” that might be too thick! This stuff is the best!
Deja helps “clean up” any remainder of the food not eaten by pups and does try to clean pups a bit too! I admit, I help her out wiping faces and cleaning paws. Learning to eat is a messy business! And I’ve started “brushing” puppies. I am sure this must be a strange sensation to them but… It helps get the food out of their fluffy coats and it IS something they will need for the rest of their lives!
Speaking of Deja, now is the time we are REALLY watching her closely (well, really, when have we not watched her closely?!) She now has less demand for milk so should produce less but it is better to have a gradual drying-off period. This is the main time mastitis rears its head with her body thinking it should continue producing as much milk as she has up to now. What I really want to happen is those back nipples (the really “good ones”) to get emptied to prevent any chance of mastitis from coming back! I might say put one of the hefty boys on those back nipples but in reality, the girls are keeping up with the boys in weight. My “lighter” girls are not so light any longer!
Which brings me to 3-Week Weights:
- Blue (M): 3 lbs 0.6 oz
- Black (M): 2 lbs 14.2 oz
- Purple (M): 2 lbs 12.6 oz
- Green (M): 2 lb 12.2 oz
- Hot Pink (F): 3 lb 2.8 oz
- Lime Green (F): 3 lb 0.6 oz
- Red (F): 2 lb 13.2 oz
- Orange (F): 2 lbs 7.6 oz
Sometimes there is a “runt” in a litter. Not in this litter though! Every puppy has had a good nursing reflex and has been a strong “fighter” to get the best nipple. And once on, s/he doesn’t allow another puppy to knock them off! At one point, I thought Lime Girl was a little behind so I “helped”. To see her go after the solid food now, she is a moose! I will probably “help” orange girl over the next few days; I’m sure she’ll pick up a few extra ounces to catch up to her mates soon enough! Seeing the pups grow, it is definitely time to help Deja out and start the pups on solid food!
I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July celebration with family, friends, and neighbors today. Happy Birthday, America!! I really hope we don’t have anyone who thinks it is “all right” to set off fireworks tonight!! Our ground is dry; the grasses brown! Plus, it just isn’t good if you have animals. So like most years, Mark and I will be home with our critters ensuring everyone stays safe and out of harms way!
Have a SAFE 4th of July celebration everyone!
UPDATE (and a day late but…): Puppies have now been introduced to (and are doing very well) on the kibble they are being weaned on… Royal Canin Starter Food. The kibble is soaked until “mushy” then mixed in with the Royal Canin Mousse. And because we haven’t given them water yet (but will today), a nice drizzle of goat’s milk around the bowl. ALL puppies are chewing the softened food and drinking/licking the milk.
Then, Deja comes in to clean up any “leftovers” and helps clean puppies’ faces. Pups are now nursing while she is standing and on the move! Again, we want to make sure Deja doesn’t “explode” but pups are getting the majority of their nutrition from solid food.
And puppies… They readily seek people out for cuddling. They are all barking more and becoming more inquisitive about their surroundings which is now filled with interactive toys. They eat, they play, and they sleep! What a life, eh?!
What’s In A Name?
Naming puppies and… recent photos
Naming your new puppy is a BIG endeavor! There is the “registered name” and then the “call” name; what you call your puppy every day. Having a “theme” for a registered name helps folks see that these puppies, later dogs, are related. That they are part of a bigger picture. ALL the puppies whether they be the next big show dog or are the family’s companion are listed in a data base where there names show the world not only their pedigree but also that they are “family”. I am personally very proud of all of my puppies in this database whatever their future holds for them and their people!
For me, naming a puppy gets harder and harder. We’ve played the “name game” on numerous long car rides with my then young kids. The joke in our family is that my husband ALWAYS comes up with the name, “Cassiopia”! And he is always shut down when he suggests this name, LOL! For years, my son’s favorite name was “Astro”. I’m not sure if it was because of his interest in astronomy or the Jetson’s? When asked now if he thinks that is a good name for a puppy, he says no. But we laugh at how these were the names that always came up playing the “name game”!
For this litter, the theme is “Journey” as a credit to the sire of the litter; it’s his call name. I did have an idea of going into this theme but as usual, that idea evolved into something totally different. I don’t usually “announce” my name until after all the puppies have gone to their new homes and I know which puppy I am keeping but… I will here! My new puppy girl will be: Jema’s Journey Of Vim, Vigor, and Valor; her call name will be “Vee”. (Now I haven’t registered any puppies in a while, I need to double check with AKC to make sure I’m within my letter limits? But this is the name I would like to use.)
In Other News:
Pups have moved OUT of the whelping box and into their bigger space. We soon realized that the space may be a little TOO BIG right now! So, we divided that space to keep pups relatively contained mainly so they wake up when Deja is with them to feed them. It has been very hot here lately which is great knowing the pups are warm enough but the box was maybe a bit TOO WARM for Deja.
So… the following photos show the bigger space (and toys) pups will have soon probably when they are eating on their own. Several puppies have started to “lick” us which means we can start introducing solid food soon.
On to photos…
Two and a Half Weeks Old
With their eyes open now, pups begin to explore their environment
Pups seem to grow overnight! They are beginning to notice each other and want to play together. All are walking better even if they still tend to tumble now and again. Deja continues to be a good mommy keeping close tabs on the pups although is now spending some time away from them, but never too very far away.
Looking forward to meeting everyone soon at the “puppy party”! No worries if you can’t make it, we will set another date so that everyone has the chance to play with the puppies!
I love how the pups are noticing each other and beginning to “play” with each other. This is the beginning of great socialization between littermates that everyone will need to continue when puppy goes home.
Jema Golden Retrievers 