This is a tough one to post.  We were handed a huge disappointment - or more accurately - 3 disappointments with the ultrasounds yesterday.  Vet confirmed that there were no puppies.  Moving forward, we will try again with their spring cycle.
Dion will start her heat around middle of January - we will try Duke again, working closely with our vet to ensure our best chance of a litter. I have sent emails to people on my waiting list asking to transfer their spot to Dion's litter.  If I did not e...
Continue reading ...

Canine Gestation Calendar

Week	Changes
Zero to One	*Breeding takes place. *Within a few days, the sperm reaches the eggs and fertilization occurs.
Two	*The fertilized eggs make their way to the uterus for implantation. *You may notice behavioral changes in your dog. She may become moody or more affectionate.
Three	*Implantation has taken place and the embryos begin to develop. *Your dog may begin to display mood swings, appetite changes and breast tissue development.
Four	*Fetuses ca...

Continue reading ...

Measuring the girls' waistlines is something we do until due date - gives me reassurance that there is a pregnancy and subsequent growth of the puppies.  Gestation would be an average of 63 days.

Dinnye  33 inches or 84 cms  @ 46 days
Jazz    29.5 inches or 75 cms   @  42 days
Gloria   31 inches or 78.74 cms  @  41 days

Each dog is walked about 1/2 hour daily at least 5 days a week - it has been a perfect winter for this.  They should not be gaining weight or size unless they're pregnant - each h...
Continue reading ...

Merry Christmas Everyone!  Beautiful balmy 5 degress celsius in Manitoba today!  No snow...I could get used to this!
The jury is still out on whether to girls are pregnant.  Dinnye is day 42....Jazz day 37 and Gloria day 36.  They all LOOK pregnant but I'm just not sure.  Just measured all their girths and they all gained...they get daily exercise so I tend to think it's not from overeating or being lazy.  We will most likely take Jazz and Gloria for ultrasounds next week...if anything just pe...
Continue reading ...

It's been a while since I've blogged!  Not a whole lot to update yet.  Dinnye, Jazz, and Gloria were all exposed to Duke during their heat cycles in November.  Too early too tell looking at them physically.  I don't think Dinnye is pregnant - don't think Duke had "figured things out" with her - we're quite alright with that as we were hoping 2 out of the 3 matings would take place.  Physically Gloria and Jazz both show small bulges, pink enlarged nipples so we are hopeful.  Will make a decisi...
Continue reading ...

And we wait for Dinnye to show us that she's going to deliver a few puppies.  Tomorrow June 2 is her due date...if she doesn't have puppies by the end of the weekend, I will have to accept that either this was a false pregnancy....or she had puppies at the time of the ultrasound, died and were absorbed by her.  Out of our hands at this point...all we can do is be ready in case there are puppies.  I am taking her temperature 3x's daily.  Mornings have been consistent at 37.3 Celsius...afternoo...
Continue reading ...

Are we really at this point again!  With the last puppy from our C litter gone only for a few weeks, we are now 1 week away from our much awaited D litter to be whelped.  This is a litter that has been in the planning stages for over a year.  I had frozen semen from Dewmist Silver Diamond sent to me in April of 2010.  A series of events prevented us from using it on one of our females at the time, so it has sat in it's frozen state waiting for the right opportunity.  Dinnye is the lucky recip...
Continue reading ...

Oct 22

Where did the week go?  This is a dream litter - all are healthy, feeding well - most are content - a few noisy whiny pups - complaining when the milk doesn't flow fast enough.  Chunky!  That was the word that came to mind this morning when I was changing blankets in the whelping box.  75% of the puppies have such a solid weight to them.  They're travelling all over the whelping  box - eyes are starting to show slits - should be open by the time they turn 2 weeks old - on Oct 26...

Continue reading ...

Oct 17

Always amusing when we define time by how old the puppies are.  Tuesday seems like a long time in the past.  Puppies and Gloria are doing very well.  Puppies are gaining weight steadily.

weights:  Females:.416 kgs; .498; .444; .492;  Males: .560; .468; .570; .526; .540

The weights are on the light side - especially when I compare them to Dinnye's May litter of 4 pups.  I know they will all make up for it by feeding regularly from Gloria - she's eating a lot of food these days to ke...

Continue reading ...

2:00 pm  what a day (so far)  9 puppies!  4 females & 5 males - everyone's doing great!  Gloria is pooped and I can only hope she is done!

Quick update:  noon    4 girls  2 boys so far  more to come possibly  started @ 9:20 am

Continue reading ...

Oct 12

6:38 am  Good Morning - still no babies but we are getting closer.  Gloria has been "leaking" for a few hours and just had a good gush of fluid.  She's concerned and surprised the fluid came from her!  Hopefully I'll have something tangible to report on in the next few hours.  Already told work that I was on puppy duty.

Continue reading ...

Oct 11  Thanksgiving Monday

6:25 pm:  tick tock  tick tock  nothing to report other than heavy breathing

4:30 am  Gloria's temperature dropped to 36.6 Celsius (was 37.5 at 11 pm)  Currently 9:00 am and no puppies - I let her outside briefly and during that time she managed to squeeze herself under our steps and burrow - sure sign that puppies are on their way.  Check back later - hopefully I'll be able to blog on how the puppies are doing!

Continue reading ...

Oct 10 noon

Last pictures of Gloria being pregnant.  I believe the first stage of labor has begun.  Gloria is still moving around but visibly shivering.  Hard to say how long this will go on but safe to say that it will be in the next 24 hours.  Then again Gloria doesn't do anything "by the book" so stay tuned!  Will post again when the 1st puppy is born.

Continue reading ...

Oct 9  7:40 pm

Today is D-Day  - but no sign of puppies arriving anytime soon.  Gloria's temperature was 37.6 mid afternoon - still normal.  She still has a hearty appetite.  She measured another inch of growth - can feel movement when she is resting.  She has a hard time sitting in one spot - shifts her weight every 2 seconds - just can't seem to get comfortable.  Her resting mode these days in flat on her stomach with back legs stretched out behind her.  What day - got my new whelping...

Continue reading ...

Oct 6

Happy 25th Birthday to our son Vance!  25 years ago we had a huge snow storm several days after he was born.  It is a beautiful 20 degrees today!  Gloria is continuing to "grow"  Girth is 91.44 cms (36 inches)  Another inch!  Her shape isn't so comical anymore - she's filling out now so it's a little more uniform.  She is starting to be a bit uncomfortable, though is still game to retrieve a ball in the backyard.  Her temperature was 37.7 Celsius (99.6 F) at noon today.  I am goin...

Continue reading ...

Oct 2

What a beautiful day here in Southern Manitoba.  Just back from a walk with the dogs...this is Gloria's last day of mile walks - around the block plodding until she whelps.  Her pregnancy shape was quite humorous today -tried to capture it with my camera - just doesn't do it justice.  She gained another inch since Wednesday - grand total of 88.9 cms.  It looks like the weight has started to shift towards her back end - maybe explains the comic book character like shape.  We're now...

Continue reading ...

Sep 29

2.54 cm (1 inch) growth this week. - grand total of 85.86 cms aroud Gloria's girth.  Day 51 of gestation.  Her abdomen is very hard - I've been feeling for movement but haven't detected any yet.  Gloria looks very pleased with the process - like she has this big secret.  I've reduced our walks to 1 mile - all Gloria can handle right now - our pace is slower than normal - it's now more of a casual stroll.  Her appetite has increased and she's a little more content just laying arou...

Continue reading ...

Sep 23

7.62 cm (3 inches) in 8 days - pretty good growth - Gloria has lost that svelte feminine figure and has really bulged out - 83.32 cms - Day 45 of gestation.  In face, during our walk yesterday I think she was walking differently - would even dare to call it a waddle!  She chose not to swim in the River on Sunday - was just happy to watch Dinnye retrieve a stick from the water and take it from her at the shore - standing knee deep in water.

Continue reading ...

Sep 15

Amazing what a week can do with a dog's pregnancy.  1 week after the sonogram and no physical evidence of the pregnancy, Gloria is showing signs!  We were on our daily walk and it was very obvious today that she is bulking up.  I'm sure she understands me when I ask her if she has puppies.  She smiles and looks very pleased - maybe it's just the tone in my voice?  Today is Day 37 of gestation - her girth measured 76.2 cms (30 inches)

Here's a tidbit not related to the pregnancy. ...

Continue reading ...

We are very happy to report that Gloria is pregnant!....but let me go back a month in time:   

Sep 7

Gloria doesn't do anything normal...normal for a golden retriever that is.  Exterior is beautiful like a golden...but she thinks like a human - and has emotions of a human. She smiles, she gets frustrated; she has crowned herself Queen of the yard; she gets jealous; she does payback by chewing up things belonging to the person she's upset with; she's guilty when caught; thinks it's beneath...

Continue reading ...