Hello friends! The last blog post I shared was from the beginning of December, when we had two litters of puppies getting ready to head to their new homes. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and I hope the beginning of 2021 has been treating you well!

This year has been just rolling along quickly for me. I can hardly believe March (and then spring!) is just around the corner! Since winter is not my favorite time of the year, I am more than happy to see the end of February drawing near.

Having a litter of puppies in February certainly does brighten the time and help pass these winter days. I’d like you to meet Jade’s newest babies!

She blessed us with seven beautiful puppies- four females and three males. They were born last week, and this first week has gone exceptionally well. Jade is a very fussy, attentive mother. She can hardly be convinced to leave her babies, even for a few moments, but she takes excellent care of them.

During the first week, my main concern is taking care of Jade. I make sure she is eating and drinking plenty. She is also on the NuVet Plus supplement, since nursing and caring for puppies is a time when mommas have very high nutritional needs. It also supports mom’s immune system, which works extra hard during this time, as well.

For the puppies themselves, I have had to do very little so far. I keep the bedding clean in their pen, and I make sure the room is warm. Other than that, I simply observe them to make sure each of them is growing and gaining weight. When I walk into their pen, I like to see all the puppies either vigorously nursing or snuggled together on a pile. They pile on each other naturally for warmth. (A puppy that doesn’t seek out the warmth of its siblings is likely weak or sick.) When I pick them up, I like to feel full, round bellies. And these guys have all been doing very well. While there is a range of weights, they are all very close in size, none of them significantly larger or smaller than the others.

It’s looking like there will not be any available puppies from this litter. When we had our first litter of Golden Irish in 2018, I never imagined they would become as popular as they are! I am blown away by all of the support and interest we have had for these puppies. So thank you to all the families who have purchased one of our puppies in the past and recommended us to your friends and neighbors. I am very grateful for the connections and friends we have made, and I am very excited to get to know the new families that will be blessed with one of these sweet puppies!

Check back next week for some more pictures!