Here you can follow the training, showing and every day antics of our beloved golden retrievers.
Please enjoy our blog and getting to know our dogs.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Missing You

Dad....As a child I remember clinging to your hand sometimes not wanting to let go. Last year on this day you held my hand your last hours and I told you it was okay to let go.

Life is a journey
of sweetness and sorrow,
Of yesterday's memories
and hopes of tomorrow.

You are always with me and never forgotten.


Sunday, December 27, 2009

Busy Week Ahead

The "Broadway" litter turned 7 weeks old today! We have a big week coming up. Evaluations tomorrow, vet appt. on Tuesday, baths, nail clipping, feet trimming, and lots of crate training and house training! I have mixed emotions today. It's thrilling to see these puppies growing and thriving. At the the same time it's sad that it's almost time to send them to their new homes. I have to create a new business where I can go around socializing puppies. :) I must admit I have found my passion! Seeing the world through their fresh young eyes is amazing. I have spent hours observing, cleaning, playing, walking, cuddling, feeding, and setting up new interactive play areas for them. At each new developmental milestone it was interesting to watch it unfold before my very eyes. Everything stated in the articles I read was happening in real life with my puppies. I am forever humbled by this experience and will keep these 3 (Peter too) forever in my heart.

Christmas was a hard day for me this year, but being surrounded by family (goldens included) helped to make the day more than bearable. Jamie got to spend a lot of quality time with his pup Parker (aka green boy). Walks in the woods and short clicker training sessions have set these two up for a wonderful beginning together. Jamie will be back next weekend take Parker to his new home. Erik played his new acoustic guitar for us which we all love to hear (new sound for the puppies!). He is a gifted musician. Siena is always by his side when he is playing. I think that's why she loves to sing too! ;)

I'm anxious for tomorrow......wish Bob could go with me for puppy testing. Today will hopefully be the day I get stacked pictures taken of the gang. This puppy stacking is a lot harder than it looks.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Happy Birthday ZAP!!!!

Zap-A-Roo-Puppy doo look at YOU is one year old today!! Off for an early hike in the woods (his favorite thing to do) then making a stop at the pet supply store so he can pick out a toy. Will post pictures of our handsome one year old boy later ;-)




Monday, December 21, 2009

6 Weeks Old!

The puppies celebrated their 6 week milestone by playing out in the snow yesterday! There have been a lot of changes in the past week. I'm trying to get them out to potty after every meal. Siena still nurses them a little, but it's more like a quick snack for them now ;) They are so much more active this week. Twice a day they have the run of the house for about an hour. It's at those times when I set up make-shift agility equipment. One of their favorite play areas is under the dining room table. Over the table legs, under the chair legs, chasing each other through the wooden maze delights them! New additions to their pen include a kuranda bed and a crate. I change out the toys daily so they always have something new to play with. The Christmas present I ordered for them arrived today and I had to open it and let them play. They grow so fast I couldn't wait until Friday! We also had visitors this past week which was fun for all of us. Kara and Donna spent the day with us last Monday. It was wonderful spending time together and having puppy socialization. Jenn and Ann were here on Friday. Siena enjoyed snuggling on the couch with Ann and made sure everyone paid attention to her before the puppies! Jenn was so nice to bring Sam for Zap to play with. The yard was a bit icy so they also had some indoor time to hang out together.

Thanks everyone for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come play with the puppies...it meant a lot to me! And thank you for the very thoughtful gifts!




The "Broadway" Litter's first snow (6 weeks)


Cadie's job is to empty out the crate ;)

Tunnel time!

New bed

The pups taste test the crate

Dining room play-o-rama

Big Blocks for Christmas!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009


Saturday, December 12, 2009

The Week in Review

Having puppies around the holidays, I thought, would be a little stressful. Not so! They are my calming force, they ground me, make me smile and more often than not you can find me immersed in their world. Apollo, Truly and Zap are regular visitors into puppyland (Max not so much yet due to his over active, loud vocalizations ;) Before the weather turned nasty this week the pups took a field trip out to the front porch. It was a gorgeous sunny day and in the afternoon the sun streams on to the porch in a glorious fashion that can't help but lift your spirits. As usual Mr. Red was the first to venture off the blanket with his brother and sister not too far behind. I can now add wood decking to some of the surfaces they have been exposed to. Still, even though the sun was warm we didn't stay out there very long as I didn't want them to get chilled. Last week I took the puppies to my vet for a quick check up and a weigh in so I could worm them. They were all over 6 pounds. The real surprise was Red boy... he weighed 6.2 lbs. That was only .2lbs less than Green boy! Cades was tied with red at 6.2 lbs. Siena was proud to show off her brood to the wonderful staff. Everyone in the office made it a point to greet her first before they dove into the puppy box!

I had a photo shoot with the pups for our Christmas card the other day. It was challenging doing it by myself, but then I thought of people who have large litters and I can't imagine how they get all the puppies to hold still at the same time!! I did manage to get a few cute pictures and ordered my cards yesterday....whew!

Yesterday was Siena's birthday! As a special treat we snuck off to the McDonalds drive thru and shared a cheeseburger. It was nice to have her all to myself for a few minutes. This drive thru thing is a ritual of ours after agility trials. Happy Birthday cee cee, nennie, nennie poo poolata, siena nenna!!!

Zap and I had a humbling lesson on Tuesday. This word was used several times during our lesson: fren-net-ic: (adjective)-frantic; frenzied. :o)

The boy just couldn't seem to get his head together so instead of working on go outs and other fun things it was all basic control stuff. Not what I had in mind; however, my now approaching 1 year old lad needs to slow down and think. At this age not a big deal, and since he picks up things so quickly I have no doubt we will be back on track in no time.

All in all there has been really good news coming in this week from Bob, Jamie and Erik (career/college related). It's refreshing and encouraging!



Looking forward to upcoming puppy visits this weekend and Monday from friends and neighbors!




Truly visits puppyland

Monday, December 7, 2009

4 Weeks Old!

Yesterday was the 4 week mark! Today we start solid food. Siena is spending less time wanting to nurse and who could blame her with all those new puppy teeth!
L-R: Green boy, Red Boy, Cadie

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Zap's Day Care

Today was Zap's his first official playtime with the pups (in the pen) . He was so gentle with them that Siena permitted him to stay and quietly play for about 10 minutes. He checked his adolescent energy at the door since Siena will not tolerate such nonsense around her babies! The puppies enjoyed their special time with him and took a long nap afterwards.

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!

Hey, guys wake up it's me ZAP!







I love you Uncle ZAP!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Perfect Morning

Here I sit in the new puppy play pen with Siena, her pups, my lap top and a nice hot cup of coffee.
I will never forget this feeling :-)



Sunday, November 29, 2009

Happy 3 Week Birthday!

Three Weeks old....WOW! The puppies have been up playing on and off since 6 am and Siena looks ready for a nap :)
Busy day ahead. We are fixing up the puppy room with a big play area! Just cleaned the whelping box and changed the fleece. I had the big dogs out running around while I picked up the yard (they were so helpful with stick duty). Lots of small limbs and sticks fell from all that wind yesterday. We lost power for about 3 hours yesterday morning. Off to do puppy laundry and to train Zap and Truly at a nearby park. Then Bob is headed to Albany to help Jamie load the moving truck.

I'm hoping to get pictures of the puppies in their new play area later today.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Week 3 Happenings...

Development of the puppies week 3 (days 15-21)

~Teeth begin to erupt
~Puppies stand up and start walking
~Begin to lap liquids
~Defecate/urinate with out stimulation
~Start becoming aware of environment
~Start playing with litter mates

Puppies are changing daily! They still sleep a lot; however, when they are awake they are exploring their environment more and playing with each other (which is the cutest thing in the world to watch ;) Erik and Jamie were home for Thanksgiving and we had fun holding, watching and playing with the pups when were weren't eating! Erik brought an early Christmas present for me and the puppies. He surprised us with a mini tunnel and it's been fun to watch the puppies interact with it. I love it!
With all of this increase in activity we will be setting up the big play area within the next few days.
Green and Red boys with BUG

Mr.Red is usually the first one to explore new things

We turned the LR into a big play area Sat. afternoon ;-)
Mr. Green in ON the tunnel

First game of bitey face
Cadie in the tunnel


Monday, November 23, 2009

Can it really be 2 weeks already?

The puppies turned 2 weeks old yesterday! It amazes me how much they have changed in such a short amount of time. Zap had his first puppy "awwww" moment last night. While I was holding purple girl he jumped up on the couch and quietly settled in next to me at the same time resting his nose ever so carefully on my leg next to her! For all of his adolescent gusto and energy to witness such a tender moment from him was very special.

Miss Purple is now officially know as Cadence (Cadie for short ;). Her registered name is TruHeart's U Can't Stop The Beat: http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=356493

Hairspray-You Can't Stop The Beat Lyrics (partial ;)
You can't stop an avalanche as it races down the hill
You can try to stop the seasons, girl, but you know you never will
And you can try to stop my dancin' feet, but I just cannot stand still!
'Cause you can't stop the motion of the ocean or the sun in the sky
You can wonder if you wanna, but I'll never ask why
And if you try to hold me down, I'm gonna spit in your eye and say
That You Can't Stop the Beat!!!

So the beat goes on with Cadie added to our family. This is a high note for sure compared to this time last year. Time (& goldens) heals....

Cadie pup

Green boy
Red boy



















Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Week 2 Happenings

Development of the puppies Week 2 (Days 8-14)

~Eyes should open around days 8-10
~Ears should open around days 13-17
~ Body temperature should be around 97-99 degrees

In anticipation of their eyes opening this week I've stopped all flash photography and I'm also keeping the lights dim in the puppy room. I've kept a weight chart since day 1 and will go from weighing them daily to bi weekly. Here is their weight gain from birth date (Sun. 11/8) to last night:
Purple girl: 15.7oz to 44.8 oz
Lime Green boy: 17.5 oz to 50.2 0z
Red boy: 14 oz to 42.8 oz

Siena is spending a little more time out of the whelping box and is getting some playtime outside, which is good for her and the pups since they are gaining more than enough weight :-)

Early neurological stimulation is going well and each pup gets lots of cuddle time afterwards. I just love holding each one of them this whole experience is amazing!

Max, Truly and Zap have adjusted beautifully to all of this. I am impressed with Zap's maturity and patience and can't wait till they can all play with the puppies. Apollo is staying with Kara for a few weeks since he was at a dog show the weekend the puppies were born. I'm hyper paranoid about exposing the puppies to bad dog show germs. We miss him!!

Pinch me...I'm dreaming! I can't believe we have 3 beautiful Siena x Apollo puppies!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

ONE WEEK OLD!

This first week with the puppies flew by! They have more than doubled their birth weight. I spent a lot of time holding them, watching them and doing laundry! Bob clipped their nails today and we had a week one photo shoot. We love our little "Broadway" Stars. Siena is such a wonderful mom and is looking and feeling great.

These will be their last pictures for awhile since their eyes will opening this week.


Red Boy (our snuggle bug)


Lime Green Boy (Moose the Mushy puppy :)


Purple Princess Girl :)




Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Interesting Reading

Came across an old article I received from a field trainer I use to take lessons from. It breaks down the development of puppies week by week.


Development of Puppies Week One (Days 1-7)

-90% of time spent sleeping
-10% eating
-Susceptible to heat/cold
-Instinctive reflexes: crawl, seek warmth, nurse
-They can right themselves if placed upside down
-Needs stimulation for urination/defecation
-Rapid development of central nervous system
-Needs constant care from bitch
-Rectal temperature 94-97 degrees F
-Weight should double by end of first week

Started Early Neurological Stimulation today.
http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/articles/early_neurological_stimulation_en.html

It's interesting to see the different reactions between the individual pups. Mr. Red does not hold still for any of the positions! However, after a quick sponge bath (just his butt ;) he cuddled in my arms for a good 10 minutes. Silly boy!

Got some playtime and a couple of short training sessions in with Zap and Truly today. It felt good to reconnect with them and do some of our normal routine. Puppy raising is very time consuming.




Mr. Lime Green taking over the bed last night




Tuesday, November 10, 2009

48 Hours....Feeling Very Thankful

The puppies were exactly 48 hours old this morning! Of course I had to get out my camera to take a few pictures ;-) As many have told me the first 24 hours were quite an adjustment, and I have a new found respect for all breeders who put their ALL into the litters they care for. I've gone from worry, to joyful excitement to mourning all within the first few hours. The huge responsibility I feel for these 3 new lives is at times overwhelming. I worry about everything; however, I am blessed to have a very calm, loving husband and the support/guidance of a very good friend. This special friend drove 2 hours, VERY early Sunday morning, to help us whelp our first litter. She guided us through the whole process and tried so hard to get Peter (puppy boy #3) to breathe. She sat with Siena and the pups in the whelping box LATE into the night that first night so I could get some rest. At that point Siena was still a little freaked out by the squeaking/squealing and the odd bobbing head movements of her new charges. Kara has gone above and beyond to help us and I will never be able to thank her enough!

Feeling thankful today.



(L-R) Mr. Green, Miss Purple and Mr. Red at the end of the bed.

Close up of Poppin' Purple Girl

Close up of Mr. Lime Green

Mr. Red marches to the beat of his own drum!

Siena settling into motherhood





































Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Broadway Litter has arrived!

Two boys and one girl. Miss Poppin' Purple was first and weighed in at 15.7 oz. She is beautiful and looks a lot like her mom. An hour later Mr. Lime Green (a.k.a. Apollo Jr.) was born weighing 17.5 oz. Sadly the next boy was stillborn. We named him Peter (my dad's middle name). I'm sure my dad welcomed him in heaven where they can look down on us and smile. Next came another boy, Mr. Red, he weighed 14 oz. and is always on the GO! Siena was a little unsure of the pups, but has settled in and everyone is nursing happily right now. I'm exhausted but thrilled. Kara is staying the night to help me through the first 24 hours....Thank You Kara!!


2 Puppies So Far!!

Girl and a Boy!! Kara is here...thankfully! Siena is working on #3.

Water Broke!

Lots of contractions! Kara is on her way!!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Puppies Tonight or Tomorrow!!??

Siena didn't eat her dinner tonight. She is nesting, panting and looking a little uncomfortable. No contractions yet. Her last temperature reading was 98.9. I plan on sleeping in the whelping room with her. This could be the night! Wish I could stop biting my nails ;)

Going to try to get some sleep soon in case things start happening in the middle of the night.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Temperatures and Puppy Dreams

Siena's temperature is staying low. Yesterday morning she was at 99.4. Her night time temp was 99.8. This morning she is 99.7. She still has a great appetite and is resting comfortably. Bob is keeping a close eye on her while I go to my classes with Zap and Truly.

After agility classes today I'm going to concentrate on getting everyone groomed. I finished up Zap yesterday and he looks really good! Still not proficient at ears but I'm getting better and better at feet ;-)

I'm having a lot of puppy dreams lately. The other night there was a male pup in my dreams that looked EXACTLY like Apollo (this is a reoccurring dream). That might be Jamie's puppy!

Count down continues....

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

ACTIVE PUPPIES!!

I felt the puppies move for the first time this morning! And I mean MOVE! I think there might be some future agility stars working out in Siena's belly ;-)) All is going well. Siena is feeling great and the only difference I notice in her (other than the increasing circumference of her tummy) is she takes more naps and has started nesting at night. We have a chart set up to record her temperature daily. Towels, blankets, and papers are folded and ready, scale is set up. All my whelping supplies have arrived; well almost all...one of my orders is missing an item...blah! Stocked up on coffee and snacks. We have an air mattress for the whelping room since I will be sleeping in there. I anticipate at least one DD run though (Ice coffee for Kara ;) Trying not to bite my nails too much....this is so exciting!

Counting the days.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Counting Puppies!

Siena's x-ray showed 4 puppies! Perfect for a first litter ;-) The vet said everything looks good.
As I type this Siena is curled up in the whelping box as the sun streams in through the window....she is so beautiful.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Whelping box, A Fish Lamp & Zap 10 months!

Exciting day here....Bob set up the whelping box! We still have some finishing touches to do in the puppy room, but we are almost ready for the big event. Siena instantly jumped in the box and started rolling around on the soft fleece bedding. She seemed right at home.

Earlier this afternoon while I was in the basement finishing up some laundry I saw a box out of the corner of my eye. It was a box with a Tiffany fish lamp in it. The lamp belonged to my dad. It was his way to make it through the long winter months when he wasn't feeling well. The lamp represented a promise of warmer, better days ahead. While he lived with us he had it set up next to his favorite chair in the kitchen. The lamp is now in the puppy room. Sunny is on the small grooming table and will watch over Siena and her pups. So strange that I saw that lamp today. I hadn't noticed it since dad passed away.

On a totally different note Zap turned 10 months old today! Puppy hood is such a fleeting time and it's been a ton of fun with this boy!

Two weeks (give or take a couple days) until puppies!!!!



Whelping Box (thank you to my wonderful husband for building it for me! ;)
He is assembling the pig rail today!



Siena approves



Ahh...nice soft bedding! She kept rubbing her nose all over the fleece.




Sunny the Fish Lamp


Zap 10 months old (picture taken a couple of days ago)

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Meet The Parents



I put together a photo album of Siena and Apollo today: http://picasaweb.google.com/truheartgold/MeetTheParents?authkey=Gv1sRgCPONr6-zu8utCg#

More pictures of Apollo can be seen on Kara's web site: http://sunkissedgoldens.com/apollo.html

I was hoping to show a little bit about who they are and what they enjoy doing ;)




Monday, October 19, 2009

3 Weeks to Go....

Until PUPPIES!!!!
So much to do yet, I feel a sense of calm at the same time....weird. Ordered some whelping supplies and a set of fleece pads for the bottom of the whelping box. We are setting the box up this week and then Bob will start building mini agility equipment for the pups to play on when they are old enough. I'm always thinking enrichment and keeping puppies occupied in the middle of winter ;-)

Siena is back to normal this morning. Last night she wouldn't settle, which is odd since she is an expert cuddler. She appeared to be uncomfortable and now I'm wondering if she snatched a piece of pepper jack cheese off the platter during the football game yesterday....hmm...that would certainly cause some digestive distress. I have noticed her appetite has increased and am adding a 3rd meal to her schedule. She also enjoys having a hard boiled egg with me in the morning. We've been working field training drills in the yard to keep fit and to satisfy that powerful retrieving gene she has!

According to my chart puppy organ formation is complete, the fetuses now look like dogs, displaying head and trunk differentiation, gender can be determined (COOL!), skin pigment develops, may be able to hear fetal heartbeat with stethoscope~that was all acually last weeks developments. The puppies bones begin to mineralize this week. Also, I've read that the puppies are easily felt through the abdominal wall at this stage....haven't done that yet. Siena should start to lose hair around the abdomen starting this week too. This is facinating!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Surprise.....Puppies!

Big News....we are expecting our first litter! Although surprised, we are over joyed with the news. The vet said there are at least 4 puppies!
Can. Ch SunKissed In Keeping Secrets CGC "Apollo" and U-CD Zeus' Sunrise On Siena CD RAE AX AXJ CGC CCA TDI "Siena" are the proud parents and I am beyond excited.
These are 2 very beautiful, talented dogs that I feel will produce outstanding working/show pups with extraordinary athleticism and attitude.
Puppy pedigree: http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=352529

The puppies are due around Nov.8th and we will be working hard to get everything prepared for their arrival. I plan on writing all about this litter from today forward. ;-)
I already have a couple puppies spoken for but will accept a few more applications:
http://sunkissedgoldens.com/TruHeartEmailApplication.doc
The application can be emailed to me at: lindaflora@comcast.net

Stay tuned for future updates!


Apollo


Siena


Puppies!!!























Sunday, September 20, 2009

Lighthouses & Show News

First bit of news since my last entry is that we are not moving to Georgia. Not sure what the new plan is but I'm sure it will all work out!

Now onto our other adventures.....

The last weekend in August we took at trip out to Rochester, NY to visit family. Siena came along for the ride while the rest of the gang stayed behind at Kara's place and with the wonderful folks at American K9 Country. Siena got a lot of swim time since my sister's house is right on the lake! We all took a ride to see the Charlotte Genesse lighthouse together. Fun family weekend was just what I needed!

Some dog show news~ Apollo was out with Diana Mason PHA this past weekend at the Cape Cod shows. He took Reserve Winner's Dog 2 out of the 4 days! I just can't contain my excitement about this boy! With very little coat and looking a bit immature compared to the other open dogs he did fantastic. Diana did an amazing job showing him and he loves her already. We have decided to keep him home for the winter to mature and hopefully grow that gorgeous coat back. Hoping to have him back out for some spring specialty shows. After watching Apollo show one of the days Bob and I decided to visit the Nobska Lighthouse (not far from the show site). There is something about lighthouses that captivates us!

We had a visitor for a couple of days after the Cape Cod shows. Sorbet, SunKissed Berried Treasure, fit in wonderfully with our golden family and we all miss her! Zap is particularly sad she had to go back home.

We have some upcoming agility & rally trials in October/November. Possibly heading back up to Canada with Zap.




Siena waiting patiently to swim in the lake!



Beautiful house in a beautiful location
Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse (me, Pat, Sharon & Jamie)


Nobska Lighthouse (Bob)

Nobska Lighthouse


Zap and new best friend Sorbet




Zap & Sorbet sharing