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Previous Litter - Millie and Kygo - 10 pups born March 23, 2020.


Setherwood Mildred "Millie"

Millie has a light colour easy-care coat. She has the perfect Golden temperament - happy, loves people and dogs and is always willing to please. She has health clearances for hips, elbows, heart and eyes.

Ch O'Quince's Stole The Show at Bowbell "Kygo"

Kygo was imported as a puppy from the O'Quince kennels of Indiana, USA, by Bowbell kennels of Port Hope, Ontario. He comes from a long and distinguished line of titled Goldens from the show and obedience rings. He is a mid-sized boy with a medium-coloured easy-care coat. He has very dark eyes and pigmentation. He achieved his Canadian show championship handled exclusively by his owner. He has health clearances for hips, elbows, heart and eyes. 

Kygo has sired several litters of puppies whose outstanding quality is their easy-going and biddable nature.


Birthday - March 23, 2020.

Millie delivered her litter of 10 by planned C-section without complications. The pups were vigorous and vocal right from the start.
Their average birth weight was just over 1 pound which is normal. After we had arrived back home, we put Millie and the pups in the whelping box. Millie made sure all were nursing well then took a well-deserved nap.

Our thanks to Dr. Rick Doner and his staff at the Beaverton Crossroads Veterinary Services for their excellent work with Millie. Great job as usual.



Arriving at home after C-section.

Millie and her 10 pups.

Update - March 24.


Millie is nursing and cleaning her pups and the pups are nursing well. To be sure that all the pups have access to milk, we are keeping 5 in a heated green bin while the remaining 5 are with Millie. Every hour, we switch. Millie will have all 10 during the night and we will check her at about 3 am to be sure that all is OK, let her out and give her a few snacks.

Here are pictures taken on March 24.



The boys.

The girls.

The group.

Update - March 25.


Millie and her 10 pups are doing very well. The first few days are important as the pups' systems begin to function. At present, there are no concerns. Millie is nursing and cleaning as a good mother does and the pups are responding. They are plump, active and vocal when they are hungry (which is always).

As we said earlier, the pups are nursing in shifts.  Here are pictures of two of today's shifts. Note the pups' tails which become rigid and stick out when the milk is really flowing.
 

The girls.

The boys.

Update - March 26.

We have been weighing the pups daily to be sure they are gaining. So far, the pups are between 1 pound 2 ounces and 1 pound 5 ounces each which is acceptable for this age. Millie continues to attend to her pups, spending a lot of her time licking their stomachs to stimulate them to relieve themselves. Although she is quite dedicated, she is quick to desert them when treats are offered.


A girl never tells her weight (but the scale does).
Mother at work.

When it is treat time, babies (and everything else) are forgotten. Davis (left), Millie and Tilda wait for a cookie.

Update - March 27.

We weighed the pups today as usual. Four weighed about 1 pound 4 ounces while the remaining 6 weighed between 1 pound 6 and 1 pound 7. We want to monitor the individual weights of the smaller pups to make sure each one is gaining so we put coloured collars on them. They will stay with Millie full time while the other 6 nurse in shifts as usual.


Black and blue are boys and yellow and red are girls.

Update March 28.

Millie is still quite dedicated but is willing to spend a few minutes away. All is as expected.

Now that the smaller pups have collars we see that they are not as aggressive nursers as the others so they don't get as much milk. Being with Millie full-time will help them.

The pups are spending almost all their time either sleeping, nursing or thinking about nursing. Here are a few pictures of the pups in sleep mode.






Update March 29.

Leaving the 4 smallest pups with Millie full-time has already shown results. Their weights are now close to the average weight on the others. In a day of two we should be able to remove their collars. If there are others that should spend more time with Millie we will put collars on them.

Click the picture to see a 2 minute video showing the pups nursing. You can see how they stop moving when the milk starts to flow at which point their tails become stiff and quiver.



Update March 30 - 1 week old.

The pups are one week old today. Their growth and development so far are normal. They are keen to nurse and are quite mobile when Mum arrives after an absence. They are starting to raise themselves although they are still mostly crawling and have difficulty keeping their balance. We expect their legs to strengthen and their eyes to open next week.

We are still nursing the 6 largest pups in shifts while the 4 smallest pups are with Millie full-time. Millie is quite dedicated but is willing to spend short times away. We are still checking on her and letting her outside once during the night.


Here are pictures taken today.





Millie - mama extraordinaire!

Update March 31.

When Millie arrives after being away for a while, the pups smell her and immediately try to move toward her to nurse.
HERE is a short video showing their coordination and politeness.

Update April 2.

The pups continue to do well. Their weight range is now 1 pound 13 ounces to 1 pound 15.

Here are pictures showing what the pups do about 20 hours each day.









And here is Millie checking the news during her evening break.



Update April 3.

As the pups grow, there is increased competition for feeding spots. And, in most litters, some of the pups are not aggressive feeders and are pushed out of the way by the aggressive ones. So we are holding back the four most aggressive feeders for a few minutes to give the less pushy pups nursing spaces.

Click
HERE for the latest nursing video. You can tell when the milk starts to flow because they stop pulling and concentrate on drinking (and wiggle their tails).

The pups' eyes are beginning to open although their vision is still not good. This will develop over the next week or so.



It's tough to find a spot!

Eyes open.

Mouth too.

Update April 4.

The pups are all over 2 pounds now. All are trying to walk when Millie arrives. Soon they will be able to see each other and move well enough to play.

Here are today's pictures.







Update April 6.

The pups are two weeks old today and are developing as expected. Millie is doing a great job, spending most of her time feeding and cleaning them. All is well.

Here is a sequence that is repeated each time Millie returns after being away, even for a short time.



All sleeping while Mum takes a break.

Mum returns.

Some are aware - others not yet.

On a mission.

Another nose becomes active.

She's over there!

Over the wall!

SUCCESS!

Most puppies have roundworms which come from Mum. Today we gave them medicine to kill the worms. We weighed the pups to determine the correct doses and also trimmed their front nails so they won't scratch Millie. Here are the pictures.


Tools of the trade.

Two bins of unsuspecting puppies.

2 pounds 4 1/2 ounces.

Mmmmm! Caramel flavoured!

First nail trimming.

The pups weigh about 2.5 pounds which is about double their birth weights. All good.

Update April 7.

There is nothing new to report today. Millie did her usual. We did our usual. It was just a peaceful family day.









Update April 9 - first feeding.

Normally we start to feed solid food at 3 to 4 weeks of age. Although Millie is doing a great job her milk supply is not quite enough for the 10 pups now that they are drinking more. So we tried to feed their first solid meal (starter kibble soaked in warm water and puppy formula until mushy). While it took some effort to keep them focused on the task, they did eat it all and managed to get a lot on themselves in the process.

Here is a VIDEO and some pictures of the event.

 
WE LIKE IT!

Yes we have staying power.

You need a little clean-up.

Our social graces class was cancelled.

Is there dessert?

Resting up for next time.

Update April 10.

Since the pups have demonstrated that they are keen to eat solid food, we decided to put them on a feeding schedule. So Millie gets 5 pups to nurse while the other 5 pups
eat solid food. We switch shifts every 3 hours during the day. Millie will still have all of them overnight. This way all the pups are satisfied and there is less stress on Millie.



Five girls nursing.

Five boys face-stuffing.

Update April 12.

The pups are doing well on the current nursing/feeding schedule. After eating, they spend some time cleaning each other and playing before going to sleep. HERE is a 2 minute video taken after the early afternoon feeding.

And here is what they looked like about 5 minutes later.




Update April 13 - 3 weeks old.

 
The pups are 3 weeks old today and they are all doing well. They are mobile, can hear and have discovered their voices
which they often use all at the same time. Millie is fine, eating well and maintaining her weigh. Everything is in order.

Two weeks ago we started the deworming process. Today we gave the first of two doses to kill coccidia, a microscopic parasite that might be present and that could cause the pups to develop diarrhea. They will get the second dose at 6 weeks. Here are pictures of the process.


Always read the fine print!

Thanks for the offer but I think I won't like it.

I was right. And I think it gave me wrinkles!

And here are a few shots of the pups just hanging out.








Update April 15.

HERE is a short video entitled
"An after breakfast romp" which we shot this morning.

The pups are fed every 4 hours during the day. Half are fed solid food while Millie nurses the other half. They are becoming used to this routine and become quite animated just before feeding starts.

HERE is a video showing the process. It uses the very latest video techniques. Feel free to be impressed!

Update April 17.

The next four weeks will be a time of change. Before the pups leave us, they must be weaned, de-wormed, microchipped, vet-checked, vaccinated and socialized. They must also be encouraged to develop their individual personalities and learn to be comfortable with people. It's a lot to experience but essential if they are to be ready for life in their new homes.

So as the pups will be 4 weeks old soon, it was time for us to move them from the whelping box that has been their home. Millie will continue to nurse them but will not stay with them. We will feed them their starter ration several times daily. As the weeks progress, the number of nursings each day will decrease so that the pups are weaned by the time they reach about 6 1/2 weeks of age. Soon after, we will change their diet to 3 daily meals of regular puppy food.

One of our jobs is to teach the pups to use the wood shavings when they relieve themselves. We do that by putting them on the shavings at the end of each nursing/feeding. At the start there are many accidents but eventually, they will do all their business in the shavings, leaving the living area clean.

As is usual, the pups were first concerned about their new surroundings but soon settled in. Here are pictures taken today.





The watering hole.

The latrine.

Toys and comfy bed (where they probably won't sleep).

The inspector gives his approval.

Some are concerned.

Uncle Davis says "Don't worry - all will be well".

She thinks her life is over.

Millie waiting for the girls to arrive.

Bowls ready for the boys.
Nursing in progress.

Three finders, two seekers.

The last 4 weeks took forever!

Millie loves to wash the dishes.

Toilet training.

I think somebody missed!

We're all OK now.

Update April 20 - 4 weeks old.

The pups have reached the half-way point of their time with us and they continue to do very well. Their appetites are great and they are active and inquisitive. AND they are using the wood shavings instead of the blankets (well, mostly). They learned this in just 3 days which is exceptional - and a big bonus for us!

They were given a second dose of dewormer today and we trimmed their front toenails as they were very sharp.

As always we are having fun with these guys. Here are pictures taken today.



We're practicing our line dance.

Ever notice how we always play with our mouths open?

We might need another lesson on social distancing.

HEY! MUM! WE'RE HERE. AND WE'RE HUNGRY! AGAIN!

Alright. Who's tail is that in our picture?

Stay well. We'll be together soon.

One more thing. We forgot to mention the puppy toys donated by friends Mark and Jill of "Our Dog and Company" pet food and supply store in Aurora. The pups (and we) thank you!


Great toys donated by "Our Dog and Company" in Aurora.

Update April 22.

This afternoon, we let the pups out of their pen for an hour of play and interaction with us until they fell asleep. Click
HERE for a short video.

Otherwise all is normal.

Update April 24.

The pups are being nursed once each day, boys in the morning and girls at bedtime. They are being fed solid food 3 times each day. They are active, content, quiet and eat enthusiastically. We are seeing signs of their personalities but it is too early to categorize them. As this is a repeat breeding and we have seen the pups from the previous litter, we expect that their dispositions will be similar.

Here are headshots taken after breakfast and just before their nap.

The girls.



Two darkest girls.

Two medium coloured girls.

Lightest girl.

The boys.


Two darkest boys.

Two medium coloured boys.

Another medium boy.


Update April 26.


The pups had been using half of the available pen space. Millie was using the other half as her nursing area. As the pups are outgrowing their area and Millie is now nursing only once per day, we gave the pups the whole area and added a second litter box. They made use of the extra space right away. Here are pictures of the area before and after the inmates took possession.


The whole area in pristine condition.

Just arrived and already christened.


We set the activity centre up today. The pups went right to it and had a great time as these pictures and video show (click
HERE for the video).








Update April 27.

The pups are 5 weeks old today. We put their coloured collars on so we can identify them until they leave us.

Here are their pictures. We tried to put them in the same order as the pictures in the April 24 update.



Miss Hot Pink.

Miss Lime Green.

Miss Yellow.

Miss Turquoise.

Miss Purple.

Mr Red.

Mr Black.
Mr White.

Mr Brown.

Mr Blue.

Update April 29.

Here are two videos, one showing the pups at play in the afternoon (click
HERE) and the other of them eating their supper (click HERE). The second one is entitled "Feeding Frenzy" which gives some idea of their manners.

Otherwise, it was just a normal day.

Update May 1 - first time outside.

The weather cooperated this afternoon so we were able to take the pups outside for the first time.
HERE is a video of the event.

Update May 2.

Each morning, we let the pups play on the floor while we clean their pen. They have become quite good at coming out of the pen when called. Today was the first time we called them to return to the pen after cleaning. Nine of them did well. Mr White had trouble but later complained that the instructions weren't clear and demanded an apology for the name he was called.
Here's the video.


Update May 4 - Six weeks old.

The pups are six weeks old today and are doing very well. They are almost completely weaned and have started the conversion from the starter ration they have been eating to regular puppy food. They are energetic, inquisitive and loving.

Today the pups spent most of the morning and half the afternoon in the outside puppy pen. Here are pictures of them coming down the steps from the dog room (still a bit scary), running across the grass and finally going into the pen.










They seem to have a lot of fun wrestling, playing in and on the tunnel and climbing on the overturned plastic crates. They haven't yet learned to overturn the water bowls or dig enormous holes but will no doubt discover them soon.

Here are today's pictures.






They ate their lunch outside today. The food was served in 3 large bowls and 1 small one. They all went to the large bowls, ignoring the small one until the others were almost empty. One by one the pups found the small one until there were four heads in the bowl which was being pushed across the grass. In the end, all the bowls were empty and the pups then spent a few minutes cleaning each other's faces.











Update May 5.

During the first 4 weeks, Millie spent all her time with her pups so did not go for daily walks. The walks resumed about 2 weeks ago. One of her joys is to roll in the field.
HERE is a video of her recent "Roll Call".

The pups are spending time outside as the weather permits. Yesterday, Millie joined them for a romp just before they came in for the night. They did their best to catch her but without success. The pups are much better at climbing the steps to the dog room - with some encouragement.
HERE is the video.

Update May 8 - Millie says "Goodbye".

Millie has finished her nursing job. As this is her last litter, it's time for her to join the family that has been patiently waiting for her arrival. It's hard for us to say "Goodbye" but we know she will really enjoy her new life as an only dog.

Here are pictures of her last time with her pups and in her new home.







Update May 9 - Fun in the snow.

Today, quite unexpectedly, 3 cm of snow fell during the late morning and early afternoon. Although it was cold, we took the pups out for 15 minutes. They run around as usual and seemed oblivious to the weather. We took a 2-minute video which you can see HERE. Notice how well they are climbing the stairs at the end - certainly quite a change from the first few times.

Otherwise it was a normal day.

Update May 14 - Ready to go home.

The pups have completed the course. They received their vet checks and first vaccinations on May 11 and their microchips on May 13. They are healthy, inquisitive, active and confident. They are completely ready for the next adventure.

The first pup left us today. Three will leave May 15, 3 more on May 16 and 2 on May 17. The remaining pup (Mr White) will stay with us.

Here are pictures taken over the past few days as the pups enjoy their daily time outside.


















Update May 17 - Going to new homes.

All of Millie's pups are now in their new homes.
As usual it is a bitter-sweet time for us but we know that each new owner will give them the love and care they deserve. Our thanks to you all for choosing Setherwood Goldens and please keep in touch.

Here are the pictures of the pups as they left us.
 

Setherwood Gracey "Carling" (Miss Lime Green)

Setherwood Guinness "Guinness" (Mr Blue)

Setherwood Greyson "MacGregor" (Mr Red)

Setherwood Ginnie "Ginnie" (Miss Hot Pink)

Setherwood Gunner "Jasper" (Mr Black)

Setherwood Guss "Guss" (Mr Brown)

Setherwood Golden Glory "Sadie" (Miss Turquoise)

Setherwood Georgian Bay Lexi "Lexi" (Miss Yellow)

Setherwood Gracie "Tara June" (Miss Purple)

Setherwood Grady "Grady" (Mr White)

And one more photo. We gave each pup a bath before his or her owner arrived. Here is a picture of Lexi (Miss Yellow AKA "Digger") just as her new owner arrived.


Fortunately the dirt fell off before her goodbye picture was taken.