From birth to adoption, a puppy’s first eight weeks are full of growth and learning. This is just the beginning of all the joy a new dog can bring into the world!
Photo: Ellie Mae feeling a little tired the day prior to the arrival of her new litter.
Preparing for Arrival of the New Litter
As any expectant mother knows, the final days of a pregnancy are tiring and uncomfortable; there is a strong feeling that it’s time for that baby to come! Ellie Mae was no exception. We stayed with Ellie Mae all the time and let her get comfortable with the whelping box during the week prior to birth, as well as tracked her temperature to monitor when the time of whelping was near. Once we saw the signs, Christine slept in a nearby chair that night, anticipating that the process could begin at any time.
Friday morning, I was out back doing chores in the barn around mid-day when I received the excited phone call from Christine, exclaiming, “The puppies are coming!” I rushed up to the house and the first puppy had already been born! Even though this was Ellie Mae’s first litter, she knew just what to do. The way that God gave Ellie Mae the instinctual ability to immediately care for these little puppies is so amazing! Over the next few hours, eight more puppies came, and just like that, we had a pile of Goldendoodle puppies!
Photo: So cute! These new Goldendoodle puppies love to stay close to each other and their mom.
New Puppies are the Cutest!
As each puppy was born, we measured their weight and heart rate, listened to their breathing, and conducted the other steps of the APGAR test. We were pleased that all were doing very well. Then Ellie Mae rested while the new puppies began to nurse. Soon, all were fast asleep. Christine and I, as well as our daughter and niece just couldn’t stop watching the little puppies as they slept. The way they would squirm around to nurse with Ellie Mae and make their little noises, sometimes a soft snore or sometimes a tiny squeak, while maneuvering to get the best spot, was both funny and cute.
Week 0 has been exciting, and we are so thankful that the puppies and Ellie Mae are in good health. One of the best parts of being a dog breeder is that you get to take care of cute little puppies all the time, and then watch with wonderment how they are carefully nurtured by their mother. What a joyful experience!
We are looking ahead to all the milestones that next week will bring. Subscribe below to follow the weekly progress of Ellie Mae's litter!
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