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| Previous Litter - Isla and Ty. Nine pups (6 females, 3 males) were born November 24, 2016.
Isla is from the same general line as Geneva but is smaller and more compact. She is well on her way to finishing her show championship. She is happy and outgoing. As her mate Ty is quite dark in colour, we expect to get a good range of gold in this litter. Isla has clearances for hip displasia, elbow displasia, detectable heart defects and eye cataracts. Please click HERE for her pedigree.
Ty is a mid-sized boy with a beautiful head and expression. His coat is dark gold, straight and easy-care. His nature is confident and outgoing - the perfect outlook on life. His pedigree contains some of the oldest Canadian and American lines. We expect that he and Isla will produce beautiful healthy puppies. Ty has clearances for hip displasia, elbow displasia, detectable heart defects and eye cataracts. Please click HERE for his pedigree. Birthday - November 24, 2016. Isla began her labour about 9 pm. She delivered the first pup at 9:30 and the last at 1:45 am. The birth weights ranged from 9.5 ounces to 12 ounces. The pups were vigorous and nursed soon after birth. Isla was calm and attentive and the delivery was uncomplicated. Here are a few pictures.
Update - November 28, 2016. Unfortunately, one of the male pups died in the first 24 hours after birth. This can happen when one or more of a new-born's systems don't function properly. On the good side, the remaining 8 are doing well. All are eating and moving as expected and Isla is proving to be a good Mum. We feel that all 8 are not at risk. Here is a picture on Isla's 8 taken this evening.
Update - December 3, 2016. The pups are 9 days old. Isla agreed to look after 2 of Geneva's pups and is doing a great job with all 10. She is nursing well and is quite dedicated although she is showing signs that some time outside the whelping box would be nice. Her pups are all growing well and developing as expected. Here are pictures of the 10 pups and one picture of one of the pups with a toy which we will use periodically to show how the pups are growing.
Update - December 10, 2016. The pups are just over two weeks old. Their eyes have opened and they are beginning to walk. Isla is feeding them well and they have grown quickly as a result (see the last 2 pictures below). All is normal which is exactly what we want.
Update - December 19, 2016. Isla's pups are now over 3 weeks old. We have started feeding solid food (Royal Canin starter ration soaked in hot water until soft). They LOVED it. They ate quickly and then spent time licking each other's faces. Isla continues to feed them when necessary but seems to have decided that her commitment to these guys has ended. She spends as much time as possible outside the whelping box. The pups are quite active, are walking well and growing as expected. We plan to move the pups out of the whelping box on December 25.
Update - December 23, 2016. For the first 4 weeks of their lives, the whelping box has been the pups' world. Isla has been with them full-time and provided almost all of their nutrition. Life was stable. The next four weeks will be a time of change. Before they leave us, they will be weaned, de-wormed, vet-checked, microchipped and vaccinated. They will spend several hours with their new owners and others during visiting times so that they will be confident with people. They will also develop their individual personalities as they interact with each other. It's a lot to experience but essential if they are to be ready for life in their new homes. So the whelping box was removed and their space re-configured. Isla will not stay with them full-time but will visit on a schedule to nurse them. We will feed them their starter ration. As the weeks progress, the number of nursings each day will decrease while the starter feedings will increase so that the pups are weaned when they reach seven weeks of age. As Geneva's pups are almost the same age, both she and Isla will nurse one litter while we feed the other litter their starter ration. For now, the litters will be kept in their own space.
Mug Shots - December 24, 2016. The pups are now wearing the coloured collars that we will use to identify them until they leave us. Here they are, each showing that keen intelligence for which Goldens are known.
Update - January 3. As of today, Isla's and Geneva's pups are being housed together. Please click HERE for pictures between now and the time that they leave us. Eight weeks old - going home. The time has finally come. The pups have been weaned, de-wormed, vaccinated, microchipped, socialized and matched by their new owners. They are now ready to begin their lives in new homes. It is a happy - and a bit scary - time for pups and owners and a bitter-sweet time for us. It was a pleasure for us to meet each new owner. We know that they will give these pups the love and attention they need and that they, in turn, will give them years of enjoyment. We thank them for choosing Setherwood Golden Retrievers. Here are pictures taken as the pups leave us.
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