Pregnancy and Birth Process

During the pregnancy phase, we are getting Mommy-To-Be ready for delivery. Dogs are pregnant for approximately 63 days, but can go into labor early or late. We usually calculate from the first tie (mating) we see, but depending on when she ovulates it can be sooner or later. If we get the timing right, we will utilize the progesterone test at our Veterinary Office that we use throughout our entire pregnancies. This will give us more of an exact due date and also allows us to have our Veterinary Staff on-call for the labor if something were to not go as planned, which we are so thankful for!

During the prenatal phase, we are feeding Mommy-To-Be a high-quality food. She is getting plenty of exercise but also not overdoing it. A dog who exercises has a much easier delivery than an overweight, nonactive dog. We also support her with Folic Acid, Omega 3 vitamins, and then added calcium during her labor. We will also be introducing her to her whelping box where she will sleep at night before delivering, so she is comfortable in the area. We currently have our Mommy-To-Be whelp in our master bathroom so that we are close enough to hear any distress.

Puppy Raising

The life of puppies from 1 day to 7.5 weeks is described below:

  • Puppies have a safe space with their mother because from birth to 3 weeks everything is orchestrated by the mother. I’m just there for moral support, wash and change the linens multiple times a day, and check that everyone is taking their weight and their place. Mama is in charge as long as everyone is healthy, happy and there’s no need to intervein. We have used a round large whelping pool in the past and now use a Dura-Whelp enclosure for whelping.

  • From the 2nd week, we introduce noises and sounds at specific times to accustom the puppies. When mom is around, everything is ¨friendly¨. Cutting of the claws of the puppies is done once a week from 2 weeks, to allow the mother not to be scratched by her babies, and also to allow you to have a puppy with short claws at the time of adoption. It’s easier to continue when the puppy has already been handled as a baby for nail trimmings. We do their first deworming at this time.

  • At 4 weeks, depending on the litters, we introduce hard but still mushy food to support the mother. I get them used to doing their business in a litter tray. Puppies don’t like to be dirty. They quickly appreciate and understand this use. It is quite amazing how fast they pick this up! Another round of deworming.

  • At 5 weeks, we introduce the straight hard food. Depending on the time of year, we start spending some time outside.

  • At 6 weeks, they are vaccinated and microchipped. At 4 and 6 weeks they are dewormed. Third set of deworming is done and the last time is at 8 weeks.

  • At 8 weeks, they are ready to join their new family. From 8 to 16 weeks, the puppy will be like a sponge, and they will learn a lot with their new family. I suggest watching training videos for this period where the puppy, having not had all his vaccines, is vulnerable to certain diseases that can be encountered outside or in public places.

Important : I remain the 2nd owner of your puppy. Thus, if you “change your mind” 3 months (or whatever the delay) after the adoption, you must return the puppy to Golden Paws and I will take care of finding him a new family. There is no financial compensation if you return your puppy or dog. Likewise, if you cannot keep your dog in the future for any reason, you must contact me and together we can find a solution for your dog. This lets me know that all my puppies and dogs are well adopted and are not ending up in shelters or given away to people who don’t want them. This is very important to us and this is our policy! This is stated in our contract as well.

GUARANTEE: Puppies are guaranteed for 2 years for the heart, eyes, hips and elbows.
Registration: All puppies are registered and sold with a no-breeding agreement.

Sterilization: Female and male puppies must be sterilized after 24 months of age. This is an obligation stated in the contract. When to Spay and Neuter in the menu above has more details about this.

Since we work with living beings and our goal is to find responsible families for our puppies, we ask that you think carefully before deciding to adopt. Therefore, reservation deposits are non-refundable.