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.

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!!!