Ducky Puppies whelped 8/2/2006
We will list most current information an pictures right below this text, read on to reach the birth of the puppies.
Puppies are now wearing collars to help distinguish them. Whelping box doorway has been lowered to allow puppies to use doggy door and they now have access to another 1000 sq feet of fenced decking to exorcise on. An additional benefit is they are learning to go out the doggy door and go potty, a real plus for everyone. For those trying to evaluate color, please remember to examine the color of the ears, this is the color the puppy will end up being.
Pictures taken 9/10/2006
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Wally (John Deere Collar)
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Green Collar Boy
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Burgundy Collar Boy
Black Collar Boy
Blue Collar Boy
Bluebone Collar Boy
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Redbone Collar Boy
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Redheart Collar Boy
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Some Pictures of Goose and Goose meeting his boys.
Day 25
Whelping box is now twice its
original size, puppies are learning about the water bowl/puppy Jacuzzi. Puppies
starting to appreciate human touch and loving. Puppy meal is becoming more
commonplace to supplement Duckie’s milk.
Day25a day25b day25c day25d day25e day25f day25g day25h day25i day25j day25k
Thoughts
on the two litters.
Wally,
an army of one.
Since
Winter/Rodeo breeding had only one puppy, with great sadness we will choose not
to breed her again and instead have her spayed. Please understand that every
time you decide to breed your dam, you are possibly putting her life at risk.
We believe the complications of a dam having only one puppy are far too
dangerous for her and the puppy. We will never consider a breeding that would
knowingly or even possibly endanger the life of the dam.
Winter
is the most beautiful female we have ever owned, her conformation is perfect
and her easygoing gentle loving attitude is absolutely what the breed begs for.
For me (Steve) she represents the best example of my “ultimate” dog. It saddens
me greatly that only one of her progeny will be able to continue her type/lineage.
Wally
means a lot to us, Wally in all probability, represents the last puppy of our
foundation dam/sire lineage. This Sloan Goldens (Beach & Josie) type, great
heads, great show coats, mellow attitudes, showy gaits, are the commonalities
that have come to be associated with our Sloan’s Golden Retrievers.
Wally:
Being born a single, he was really big. Being this big in the birth canal is
not a good thing. He came out breach, which is tough, his toes piercing the sac
just prior to delivery. We got him aspirated and he went to suckling
immediately. At about day 4 we transferred his to Duckie’s whelping box, he has
been a go-getter from the beginning.
His
brothers are about a week older, his size is just about theirs and he is really
strong. He still spends a major portion of his day sleeping, thinking about
eating, and a little play thrown in for good measure. Looks like he is going to
be absolutely beautiful. Strikes me as though he is going to be an alpha, we
will see. Looks a lot like Rodeo.
Wally
and brothers are definitely digging puppy gruel, a mixture of nutro dry &
canned food pureed with warm water. They seem to like the Bonnie recipe
(beef/veggie) better than the Steve (condensed milk/yogurt/banana) recipe.
Yeah, like that’s a surprise.
The
Super 7
Why
English?
Their
Grandfather “Laburnum's
Black Thorn" (Dutch) is an import from the Netherlands.
The
actual Dutch/English blood has produced wonderful temperaments, great heads,
good toplines and tailsets. Typically English tend to be a bit lighter and more
moderate in size. The stop (area from nose to eyebrow) is much more pronounced
(like American dogs used to be). The Dutch/Brooklyn litter is now over a year
old, health/temperament of all the puppies is excellent.
Week
3: Incoherent thoughts of a sleep deprived breeder.
Big
kids are sneaking through the whelping area to use the doggy door; rodeo is
using this as a ploy to have an occasional bite of Duckie’s dry food, the
pirate Rodeo needs an eye patch for his plundering runs. Now it’s more like a
general viewing, everyone just wants to pass by and take a better look.
Duckie
has shown wonderful restraint for our other dog’s curiosity and general
interloping through her whelping area.
Dogs
like humans usually have lots of in-laws to deal with, most of whom (read
girls) feel they should be raising the puppies anyway, our house is no
different.
Duckie
has to contend with Winter (Wally’s dam), Rodeo (Wally’s sire),
Goose
(the Super 7 sire), Josie (Wally’s great grandmother), Beach (Wally’s great
grandfather), Brooklyn (Super 7 grandmother)
I
proud of the fact that puppy owners get to meet both the dam and sire. In
Wally’s case, you get to meet great grandmother and grandfather.
All
our litters on the Ranch have grown up alongside the cockatiels
(nickie/rickie). Occasionally, one of the younger adult dogs will slam a paw
against the cockatiels cage, I think it’s a little payback for have to listen
to them growing up as a puppy. The cockatiels don’t seem to mind the fact they
help raise bird dogs.
Puppies’
vision is about three feet now, when you get closer they wag their tale. They
are a pretty vocal group, usually making a few whines when they wake or move.
They regulate their temperatures using proximity with each other. If they are
hot everyone is spread apart and if they think its is cool they huddle in mass.
Our house is pretty much a constant 72 degrees, but we like the have the windows open so they can experience all the fresh smells and experience the gentle breezes and fresh juniper air. Their area has always been the best in the house, bordered by windows on two sides, the cockatiels/kitchen on the third and Steve/Bonnie and a lot of adult goldens on the forth side. They have the benefit of growing up right in the middle of everything that goes on.
We had a few events to
contend with during the litters. First was the storm that caused the Black
Crater Fire, and then the concern about the fire itself. Here is a picture
of the Vortex of the storm as it passed over the top of our house, and a picture
of the Black Crater fire from the back of our property. (Looking west across
the Deschutes River)
Litter
pictures: Day 11 for Ducky puppies, Day 3 for Wally (Winter Puppy), Wally is in
the last 3 group pictures (11f-h), a little smaller and a little darker (keep
in mind he is only 3 days old).
Day
11a Day
11b Day
11c Day
11d Day
11e Day
11f Day
11g Day
11h
Time really goes by fast;
hear it is day 22 already. Puppies are starting to make a transition to puppy
meal. It is about a week early, but their size pretty much demands it.
Everyone’s eyes are open (even Wally’s). They are trying out their moves, still
a little unsteady at the walking stage. Teeth are starting to come in and they
have little tiny nylabones to aid them. This is a great week, as they will
begin to be more aware of their surroundings. They look you in the eye and then
kiss you on the nose. Primaries are still eating and sleeping, but this is the
week we get to start handling them more. Duckie (dam) has been an absolute
trooper in all respects.
Day22a Day22b day22c day22d day22e day22f day22g day22h day22i
(Day
1 picts are just after mom taking a little bath to get the afterbirth off)
(Change of shift tonight,
Bonnie is taking over, Puppies really growing)
Sorry
for the delay in posting new pictures. We took a couple days off to deliver
Winters “Lit”, it’s not a litter due to the fact she only had one beautiful
boy. He is indeed very handsome and his head already looks a lot like Rodeos’.
Duckys litter is about to open their eyes and they have really grown. Winters
boy nicknamed “Wally” suckled on her colostrum for three days.
What
is colostrum?
Colostrum is special milk is
yellow in color and thick and sticky. It is low in fat, and high in
carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies to help keep the puppy healthy.
Colostrum is extremely easy to digest, and is therefore the perfect first food
for the puppy. It is low in volume (measurable in teaspoons rather than
ounces), but high in concentrated nutrition for the newborn puppy. Colostrum
has a laxative effect on the puppy, helping him pass his early stools, which
aids in the excretion of excess bilirubin and helps prevent jaundice. The dam’s
colostrum provides not only perfect nutrition tailored to the needs of the
puppy, but also large amounts of living cells which will defend the puppy
against many harmful agents.
On day three, because we
didn’t feel that Winters regular milk was coming in fast enough, we moved Wally
into Duckys litter to nurse. As an additional benefit, Wally will receive all
the regular stimulation that comes from growing up with littermates and we
believe he will be better socialized as a result of growing up with all the
other puppies.
All are very healthy and have been Vet checked for heart, pallet and the other personal boy stuff. At the moment (48 hrs. old) it would appear that their coloring will be 2 light colored, 3 blonde and 2 medium, time will tell. Vet removed their dewclaws today (8/4). Dam and Puppies have bonded really well and puppies are thriving. 7 puppies birthed in less than 2 hours, amazing. Some of Josie’s litters took close to 12 hours.
My puppy’s development
present & future.
2-20 days
Basic Needs: Warmth,
food, sleep, mother
Mental Capacity: Nearly
zero
Trainability: None
Special Note:
Little handling by humans to promote bond w/Dam. We pamper the Dam so that she may devote her full time to the puppies and ensure the absolute best bonding relationship. We feel this make a significant difference later in the puppy’s lives. At this time the other Sloan goldens will be allowed to view the litter from a restricted distance of approx. 5 feet, everyone in the house (goldens) want to see the new kids.
We
usually sleep alongside the litter for at least the first week to lend
assistance and tend to the dam’s needs; again we feel the benefits far outweigh
our sacrifices. We literally live in the whelping box/area this week, it is a
great place to be, but a little hard on our somewhat older backs.
4th week (21-28 days)
Basic Needs: Warmth,
lots of milk, sleep, motherly bonding, maybe a little whining for good measure.
Mental Capacity: All
senses functioning. Awareness of living begins.
Trainability: Slight
Special
Note: Extreme critical period - Do not remove
from Dam. Introduction to humans & the “dog pack” instituted but
carefully
controlled.
5th-7th week (29-49 days)
Basic Needs: Canine socialization within litter and socialization with humans. Greater interaction with other dogs.
Response
to sound of meals being prepared, appreciation & exploration of
surroundings.
Mental Capacity: Capable
of responding to voices and ability to recognize people.
Trainability: Developing
Special Note: Awareness of difference between human and canine societies. Puppies starting to learn from each other.
Conditioned
to timing of feedings & sleep cycles.
8th-12th weeks (50-84 days)
Your Job begins in
this extremely critical period.
Basic
Needs: Remove
puppy from littermates and mother influence, otherwise the puppy will become
dependent and insecure when finally rejected by mother. Exposure to supervised
human socialization. Establish a new love-security relationship. Supervised
play with children. Puppy requires new mother image for security.
Mental
Capacity: Puppy
has ability to establish permanent bond and the human-dog relationship, ability
to establish confidence, capable of accepting gentle discipline. No loud
voices, try to use positive responses.
Trainability: Ability
to learn respect, capable of learning simple behavioral responses; come, sit,
down, stay, no, begin housebreaking, and begin fetch training
Special Note: It
is during this period that a bond will be established between dog and human and
that will have a lasting effect upon the puppy. During no other phase in his
life will he have the ability to achieve a stronger bond than during this
critical period. His contact with people during this phase is the whole key to
his emotional and social success within the human society!
Children and other animals should not be allowed to scare or hurt puppy - either maliciously or inadvertently – as it WILL affect the puppy for the rest of it’s life. Introduction to other humans is very important now, but must be closely supervised to minimize adverse conditioning. (No biting, chewing on finger or wrists, jumping in the face) Expose puppy to loud noises gradually; i.e. autos, vacuum, washing machine, gunfire.
Housebreaking should be instituted in a gentle manner, ensuring that praise is used as a reward - the primary training tool - rather than a forceful correction. During this critical period, the absence of praise serves as a meaningful correction. It is during this period that puppies can develop what we generally refer to as "hand-shyness". The puppy at this age is learning about human beings, and what he learns about them should always be constructive. Children should not be allowed to scare the puppy, nor handle him without being closely supervised.
It is during this fourth
critical period that the puppy should be socialized with the human element. Not
just with the new owner, but other humans as well. The puppy should be taken
for walks out in the public. He should meet people, be allowed to play with
children and other animals (under contained supervision).
It is during this critical period that simple commands should be taught. There should be gentle discipline. Forceful connections during this period could adversely tip the scales on which the puppy's emotional development now rests.
He's learning to live in a human's world. He's learning to trust in,
and have confidence in human beings. A puppy this age does not deliberately get
into mischief! He does not know he's doing anything wrong. A physical and
forceful correction could result in complete and utter confusion within the
mind of the puppy. Faith and trust in his new human friends could be quickly
shattered.
Discipline should be confined to verbal scolding, whenever it's necessary. Verbal scolding does not include shouting.
13th-16th weeks (85-112 days)
Basic Needs: Love,
attention, discipline, socialization, security
Mental
Capacity: Fully
developed, needing only experience. Will attempt to establish self as dominant
being and “alpha” of the house, mind still being influenced.
Trainability: Capable
of undergoing formal training, capable of adopting a positive or negative
attitude toward training, and time to begin training for conformation,
obedience & retrieval.
Special Note: Training classes should be attended as a family unit with your puppy. Classes should teach all family members the correct commands and corrective actions to use with your puppy so that the puppy is not getting mixed messages from each family member - everyone in the family will be using the same commands and requiring the same responses out of the puppy. Sounds easy, anyone else have kids who ask mom first and then get the needed response from dad?
Puppy's mind still being influenced. Praise for correct behavioral response is most effective training tool. Meaningful praise highly important to shape positive attitudes. This is also the time to start agility and field training if you want your Golden to compete in those types of competitions.
A highly significant thing will happen during this critical period, and the owner should be prepared for it and ready to handle it smoothly and with confidence. The puppy will make his first attempt to establish himself as the "Alpha" in the family pack. It is here that the puppy will learn whether he can physically turn on his owner and get away with it!
It would be well to the
point out here that if he is allowed to get away with it, he loses the
confidence and respect for his owner that developed during the previous
critical period. The tolerance level toward his owner will be narrowed. He'll
learn that rebelling, he'll get things his way. It is during the critical
period that absolute authority will be challenged. It is here that the dog’s
owner will meet the challenge, head-on.
Instructing people as to the best method of dealing with the problem is difficult because no two dogs are exactly alike. Disciplinary measures for one dog are not necessarily suitable for another. Contact us for thoughts on your specific puppy, as we have insights into each, which may assist you in this challenge.
The puppies for when they go home at 8 weeks or how
do I prepare for my new puppy, READ ON.
They get up at 5AM, they go to bed
at 9PM.
Type of Food:
Nutro Ultra Puppy (dry food)
Single servings should probably be between ½ & 3/4 cup, you can mix a little (one slight teaspoon) canned if so inclined. We always add a little water, and the puppies appreciate the “gravy” as it softens the food and is easier to chew with their tiny teeth.
Approximately they are fed and 5:30 AM, Noon & 3:30 to 4PM (they are on a 3 feedings a day cycle, fed every day at exactly the same times) The proper amount of moistened food is placed in a stainless dish, puppies take about 15 Min. to eat and dish is taken away when finished. DO NOT free feed your puppy; leaving a dish of food lying around to snack on all day is NEVER a good idea. Give your puppy gentle praise (reward) when it finishes its meal. Please consider when you bring your puppy home; it is new to you and in new surroundings, and under a lot of stress.
This is probably the worst time to consider changing foods. It is very hard to start potty training if the puppy is placed on a new food and their system is giving them constant diarrhea. Transitions to new foods should probably delayed for at least one month, and then gradually changed over for a period of a couple of weeks by mixing the foods. Be attuned to your puppies tastes/eating habits during this period, they may really hate the new food.
Stainless steel dish:
Lightweight, easy to sanitize, you can throw it in the dishwasher. They do not get grimy looking like plastic does. Buy two, and use one for water in addition to a water reservoir.
Water:
Consider a large quantity water reservoir, these puppies require very large quantities of water. For any puppy that spends time by themselves during the day, this should be a requirement. Usually, they will use a bowl of water as a swimming pool or a foot wash. The reservoir ensures they will have a good supply of clean drinking water.
Potty Box & pine shavings:
A Rubbermaid type cat box is cheap and works great, the pine shaving (found in pet stores) are what the puppies are currently using and I would recommend keeping this in the house and available for the puppy to potty train. Eventually, you will move the potty box outside the door and eventually to the “approved potty area”. We use a shop vacuum to clean the whelping area and potty box. It is simple, productive and ever so fashionable.
Buy a crate:
Crates come in all shapes and sizes, don’t buy a cloth one just yet. Buy the crate large enough to transport a grown adult dog, as a puppy use a cardboard box (covered with a blanket) to take up half the crate. If a puppy has too much space it will potty in its crate. Typically a crate labeled as “Large” (36L x 24W x 26H) is about the right size for most adult Goldens. Big boys may require the extra large later in life. Buy a rubber backed bathroom mat to use as a crate mat. Always carry a extra mat & garbage bag in the car, it the puppy gets sick or goes potty, all you do it replace the mat and seal the old one in the garbage bag, and your on the road again. We always buy a larger water bowl than the one provided with the crate, and always travel with lots of water. On long trips you can buy accessory fans that attach to the crates or use “cool” mats. (Our do-it-yourself section has directions for making your own “cool” mats)
Buy an x-pen:
We like the ones made by “Precision”, the ones that are gold anodized last so much longer and look much cooler as they match the Golden! Seriously the ones that look like normal steel will rust in no time and leave rust (read scrape marks) on your floors and permanently stain your carpets. Some of our pictures show a top-rail on the x-pen. I made these by using a section of 1” PVC pipe (length is the width of 2 panels) with a slit down the side. It is a great aid for keeping the dog from moving the x-pen into weird shapes and eventually knocking it over. It also serves as an inseam pad when stepping over a tall x-pen. All our adult dogs will “stay” in an x-pen only 24” high, this training is necessary and is an aid a picnics, events, camping, dog shows etc. Most of the manufactures make a separate panel that is a door, I highly recommend buying one. We use 3 large snaps from horse leads, (you can usually find the ranch stores) to fasten the entrance together.
Buy a nylabone/gummybone:
When the puppy tears up the carpet, tries to destroy your shoe or its laces, bites your finger, chews on your finger, or just needs to greet a guest, place the nylabone in their mouth instead. This one suggestion is the solution to so many “problems” encountered in adult Goldens. All it takes is a nylabone or gummybone, buy several small ones at first. The puppies are still cutting teeth and will appreciate having this to chew on.
Whoobee:
Any stuffed animal small enough to be carried around by the puppy. Buy several, Goldens tend to surgically unstuff these, get used to it, its better than your shoes or pillows. Cut any strings used to hang the toy on a store display. If you buy the one with squeakers, be on the lookout, sooner or later that squeaker will be removed and in your dogs mouth, and if your not careful it will be lodged in their throat. The whoobee is the first and best toy to begin fetch training, take care to make a game of it and do not let the puppy become too possessive of the toy.
Thoughts about “tug-a-war”, great fun for all, well maybe. But think about it, the dog and a human are in direct competition for the toy and the dog always gets to walk away with the toy (Read: the dog dominates every time). At the very least, the human should force the dog to “release” or better yet use the “out” command and then give the toy back to the dog. I my opinion, this is a much more positive form of building a trusting relationship.
Buy some fleece:
We have used a large nap fleece as their bedding since they where born. What better way for puppy to know where it’s new bed is located. It is also really good for those little growing joints. You can cut 2” x 5” strips from some extra fleece and tie knots in the middle; it makes a great first whoobee.
Above all else:
Our lives
revolve around YOUR dog. We are here to answer your questions and assist you in
raising/training your dog. We have assisted 30+ owners in developing hopefully
wonderful examples of the Golden Retriever breed. We are true
been-there--done-that Golden people, our assistance is offered for the life of
the dog, it is free, and asking/using it might help you in avoiding some of the
pitfalls we or a great many others have encountered along the way.
About Sloan’s Golden Retrievers Site
We designed this site first to help individuals new to the breed with learning the fundamentals about the Golden Retriever. Secondly to help provide resources for the conscientious hobby breeder and those new to breeding the Golden Retriever. We believe in and support the Golden Retriever Club of America and the American Kennel Club.
We are conscientious hobby breeders producing, raising, loving and showing Golden Retrievers to uphold and improve what in our opinion exemplifies the breed. It is not our intent to produce large quantities of puppies.
The purpose of our breeding program is to continue to produce our particular type of Golden Retriever for competitions and while the occasional pet is a wonderful result, breeding pets is not our reason for breeding Golden Retrievers.
What are the Golden Retriever Health Problems?
We strongly believe that breeding only pedigreed dogs with proper clearances is the only way to produce Golden Retrievers who stand up to the Golden Retriever Club of America/AKC Standard. With great pride, we feel it is our responsibility to preserve our type and bloodlines for the generations of Golden Retriever owners, which will follow us.
Click here to read the Standard.
The true nature of the breed is that of a hunter and a swimmer, you can see in your dog’s eyes when this destiny has been fulfilled. It is a unique breed in that they have the heart to work all day and the next day are happy to lie on the couch and watch the football game. Above all their gentle nature and love for children, also they’re desire to please, learn and their sheer beauty. Upon arriving home, if your Golden Retriever does not relish you with complete and somewhat reckless abandon, something is very wrong. We raise and expect all our kids to live in an "underfoot, in the house, and on the bed" atmosphere.
The Golden Retriever I always wanted
Dog are not humans, try and listen to what THEY are saying.
In the end your dog will be largely what YOU allow them to become.
Your dog's behavior and happiness will depend upon how well YOU understand their needs; biological, physical, behavioral and how well YOU meet them.
Give them the love, understanding and care they deserve and they will become that perfect, (well, almost perfect), Golden Retriever you have always wanted.
Rodeo & Steve taking Reserve
(Timberline Gidde-up Cowboy )
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(Steve thinks he has to wear way too may costumes!)
Photos of Tyler (Our Grandson)
May 1, 2005, Pictures of Sloan's Winter Wish (Winter), our youngest.
This is not a show groom, just a bath day.
