Puppies

Settling into the second week of school holidays, we are so lucky to have so many helpers and hands on deck. Making sure Nala feeling special and loved, washed and keeping her dietary requirements up for her growing babies! 

Week 3 will be an exciting and joyful stage for our Golden Retriever puppies. Their eyes are now fully open, and it’s amazing to see how much they’ve grown since birth. Their coats are filling out, gaining more hair each day, and their little bodies are stronger and more coordinated. Tiny barks, squeaks, and playful sounds show their growing awareness and early attempts at communication.

This week, the puppies’ faces are starting to change noticeably. Their features are becoming more defined, their noses have darkened, and their little eyes give them that unmistakable Golden Retriever look. The round, soft shapes of their heads are slowly giving way to the gentle, sweet expressions typical of the breed. With each passing day, they look more and more like the Golden Retrievers they will grow up to be, making it even more delightful to watch them explore and interact 

The puppies are starting to enjoy short periods outside in a safe, supervised area, wobbling around and exploring their surroundings. They love moving around together, climbing over each other, and testing their new-found strength and balance. These little adventures help them develop coordination, confidence, and curiosity about the world beyond their whelping box.

Mum, Nala, continues to care for them wonderfully, keeping them clean, warm, and comfortable. The puppies respond to her presence, following her movements and learning from her gentle guidance. Gentle handling and lots of cuddles from us continue to help them feel secure and build positive experiences with humans.

We will also try to get their individual photos this week, though it’s not easy! With all the wiggling, exploring, and tiny squeaks, capturing their cuteness in a single frame can be a challenge. Still, every attempt gives a glimpse of just how adorable they are and how much they’re growing day by day.

Each day brings noticeable growth and development, both physically and mentally. It’s incredible to watch them gain strength, explore more actively, and make new little sounds as they interact with each other and their environment. Week 3 is truly a special time of discovery, movement, and playful beginnings, and we’re excited to see what the coming weeks will bring as they continue to grow and thrive.

Collar Colour Key:

Five Boys:                                           Four Girls:

          - Yellow Collar                    - Orange Collar

          - Black Collar                      - Red Collar

          - Green Collar                     - Pink Collar

          - Brown Collar                     - White Collar

          - Blue Collar

The second week has been full of small but exciting changes as the puppies continue to grow stronger each day. Some of the pups are beginning to start to open their eyes and ears are beginning to open, giving them their first sense of the world around them. Although they are not open for long periods of time. They’re starting to react to gentle sounds and the movement of their mum nearby, and their once wobbly movements are becoming more coordinated as they learn to push up on their little legs and wriggle about the whelping box. Their little noses are beginning to change and darken, which is so sweet to observe.

Mum continues to do a wonderful job caring for her litter, feeding them regularly and keeping them clean, warm, and content. Her milk supply has settled into a steady flow, and the pups are thriving under her constant care and attention. Each evening, we weigh them to make sure everyone is growing well, and it’s lovely to see their progress.

This week also marks their first worming treatment, an important step in keeping them healthy and strong as they develop. Pups will be wormed fortnightly from here on in. Their tiny nails are gently clipped to keep mum comfortable during feeding and to help prevent scratches as the pups move around more. As their ears begin to open, they’re becoming more alert and aware of the sounds around them, including our voices. They’re enjoying extra cuddles and gentle handling each day, which helps them feel safe, loved, and used to human touch.

The whelping area stays clean, warm, and soft, with fresh bedding and plenty of quiet rest between feeds. It’s such a special time watching them grow, and as they begin to sense and respond to the world, each day brings new developments in their strength, coordination, and awareness. We’re excited to continue watching them grow and look forward to the weeks ahead as they explore and develop even further.

Being the first week of school holidays here in NSW, cuddles are often but less photos of these sweet little ones this week. I will make sure there are more taken for next week :)

Collar Colour Key:

Five Boys:                                           Four Girls:

          - Yellow Collar                    - Orange Collar

          - Black Collar                      - Red Collar

          - Green Collar                     - Pink Collar

          - Brown Collar                     - White Collar

          - Blue Collar

We are thrilled to welcome our ten beautiful Golden Retriever puppies! The first week has been full of feeding, sleeping, weight logging and plenty of cuddles. Nala was amazing, a natural. She cleaned and chewed all cords carefully of each pup birthed.  Active labour began at 4.23pm and the final girl was delivered at 10.01pm. All pups were weighted and sat in a healthy range from 341g -443 g. Not to mention; What a range of colour in the litter!

Nala, is doing an amazing job feeding the puppies well and keeping them clean. She is a natural mum; caring, patient and incredibly gently and cautious moving around her babies. Her milk supply is developing into a strong and consistent flow, and we are supporting her with nutritious food and plenty of water to help her recover and keep up her energy while caring for the litter. We’ve also been keeping their box clean, dry, and warm, ensuring the puppies are comfortable and safe. 

Nala is happy to leave the litter for short periods, enjoying time outside and in the sun before returning to the house and her whelping box to care for her pups.

Early in the week, we noticed our little male was having difficulty gaining and keeping weight on. After seeking further guidance from the vet, providing additional support and supplementary feeding and assistance in latching to Nala after larger pups got her let down (flow of milk supply) happening, and closely monitoring him. He sadly continued to struggle and unfortunately did not survive, despite Nala’s and our best efforts. While heart-breaking, we continue to meticulously care for the remaining nine pups, who are continuing to grow quickly and all thriving.

Our family is loving the additions and having them around, and our kids have been a big help, giving extra cuddles and helping care for Nala and her puppies.

Over the next week, the puppies will continue to gain weight, become more active, and start moving around the nest more confidently. We will keep nightly weigh-ins to carefully monitor their growth and development, and we look forward to watching them continue to thrive under Nala’s care and our guardianship.

Collar Colour Key:

Five Boys:                                           Four Girls:

          - Yellow Collar                    - Orange Collar

          - Black Collar                      - Red Collar

          - Green Collar                     - Pink Collar

          - Brown Collar                     - White Collar

          - Blue Collar