We are very pleased to announce that Bella gave birth to a beautiful litter of Dark Red Golden Retrievers on June 23, 2023! Billy, a health certified stud, is the proud father of this litter! Follow along here for updated litter photos and new developments as the puppies grow!
Born with their eyes and ears closed, newborn puppies are helpless and completely dependent on their mother for sustenance and care. Milk consumption immediately after birth is crucial to the puppies' survival as mother's milk is rich in colostrum. Colostrum is rich in nutrients and antibodies which help the puppies fend off illness as they develop their immune systems. The first week of their life pretty much consists of eating and sleeping. Even though quite young, the puppies quickly start gaining a little weight and become stronger every day with consistent care and nutrition.
Although quite helpless, these little babies are quite able to make noise, sounding like little high-pitched squealing. Unable to walk, they scoot and crawl along to get closer to momma for nursing. Immediately after being born, momma cleans and dries the puppies with her tongue. Instinctively, the little ones are able to find their momma's nipples and begin nursing. At birth, pups do not have teeth and are unable to urinate or defecate on their own, requiring the mother to stimulate the young pups and clean up after them. A warm, dry environment is also crucial at this stage as a newborn puppy is unable to regulate its own body temperature.
When receiving adequate nutrition and care, a newborn puppy should double its birth weight in the first 8-12 days of life!
Around 10-14 days old, the puppies start opening their eyes. This is an incredibly cute and heart-warming stage. At this stage, there is still a lot of sleeping, napping, and nursing. Rapid growth occurs as the puppies generally put on about 10% of their birth weight every day! At 2 weeks old, we administer the first dose of deworming medication to keep the newborns healthy!
At two weeks old, the puppies are much better able to support their own weight on their front legs and are becoming more mobile. The next few weeks of life open up a whole new world in the life of a newborn puppy as they continue developing their eyesight and hearing.
As you can see in the photo, 3 weeks old finds Bella's puppies wide awake and much more alert to their surroundings. While the puppies are becoming much more active, they can also be easily startled by sudden movement or things that are unfamiliar to them. Bella is still very attentive to the puppies' needs at this age and milk is still their primary sustenance. During the 3-4 week stage, the puppies are introduced to puppy food which quickly becomes something that they love!
Week 3 of a puppies' life can be summed up in three words: playing, teething, and weaning. Their little legs are strengthening quickly at this age, and they are now able to support their own weight! Playing and exploring are now quickly becoming a part of their daily routine, especially since they are much less reliant on their mother's constant warmth and support. Sharp little puppy teeth start coming in, demonstrating the need to start them on puppy food and gradually begin the weaning process.
4 weeks old is a very fun stage as the puppies are now much more active, playing with each other and interacting with the world around them. This stage is incredibly cute and the puppies are much more responsive to human voice and are starting to enjoy being held and petted. While still very dependent on their mother's milk, the young puppies are also now introduced to puppy kibble.
At 4 weeks old, we administer the second dose of deworming medication and continue keeping a close eye on the puppies as they grow! The puppies really love baby talk and that is truly one of the favorite parts of my day, talking to the little ones and seeing their response!
Bella's dark red Golden Retriever puppies are some of the cutest out there! We've started separating the little ones from their momma for a period of time each day to give her a break and to also start the weaning process.
5 weeks finds the little Dark Red Golden Retrievers becoming a lot more vocal. They truly have the cutest little barks and growls as they tussle with one other! It's so much fun to spend time playing with Bella's pups at this age, as they very much enjoy exploring and are very inquisitive and cautious about anything new they find in their surroundings!
It's hard to believe that Bella's pups are already 6 weeks old! The litter vet check has been completed and all the puppies passed with flying colors! Momma Bella also got her vet check done and the Dr. says she looks really good and also passed her physical exam. Weaning is in full swing and the puppies are hungrily eating their kibble. They also love when momma is let back in and quickly latch on to get some more of that yummy milk!
This beautiful litter of dark red pups has been fully adopted! Thanks for joining me! - Marcellus