Noel is now two weeks old!
Her eyes are open now, and she is growing so quickly! She begin life weighing just over half a pound. Now she weighs over two pounds!
Now that her eyes are open, she will soon become more mobile. And that’s when the real fun begins! Right now, she crawls, but she will soon start to take those first wobbly steps.
That’s all for today. It’s just a short and sweet kind of post. Have a happy day! I’ll post an update again next week!
I am feeling very blessed and very thankful this week! Both Mia and Noel are doing well! My worries of insufficient milk from Mia have all but dissipated. Noel is a little pudgy girl, and she is gaining around 1 to 2 ounces each day. I couldn’t be more pleased with her progress.
She seems to like the stuffed toys that I got to keep her company. I often find her snuggled up against them (or under them!).
Look at this round little belly! Mama is doing such a good job!
And just for fun, here are a few more pictures I took this evening (with my phone instead of with my camera like I was planning… Cameras don’t work well when you don’t have the camera card).
Have a great weekend!
There is once again new life in our home! Mia gave birth to one puppy today; and although we sincerely were hoping for more babies, we are very grateful for the one, healthy puppy we have.
We are happy to introduce Noel. I chose a Christmas name, because this little girl will be ready to go to a new home in time for Christmas this year.
I sincerely apologize for this less than ideal picture. Noel was unhappy and crying about having her picture taken. Mia, being the very good mother that she is, would not allow me to take any pictures without comforting her baby. You can at least see her beautiful dark color. I’ll post some better pictures when Noel is feeling more cooperative. I don’t like stressing little puppies more than necessary.
Raising a singleton puppy will definitely present some new challenges, but we are prepared to make the necessary adjustments. I am currently arranging for Noel to have some “foster siblings.” I’m blessed to know of two people close by me with a young litter of puppies that will be able to help give our puppy the proper socialization she should have from litter mates. I also made a trip to the store tonight to buy her some stuffed toys to snuggle with and crawl over. We’re also making some adjustments to our whelping box to keep it warmer. Usually, litter mates depend upon each other for warmth when mama has to leave the nest. We have to be more careful to keep the temperature warmer than is usually necessary.
My most immediate concern, though, is milk supply. Some mamas don’t receive enough stimulation from just one puppy to keep up a milk supply. In some cases, however, this isn’t a problem. It really depends on the mama. So far, Mia has plenty of milk for Noel, and Noel has been steadily gaining weight even in the first 24 hours. This is excellent. We will still very closely monitor her weight for the first several days to make sure Mia continues to keep a good milk supply. I am hopeful that no intervention will be necessary. I am prepared to supplement if needed, but I try to avoid those situations if at all possible. Mama’s milk is best, so I will be praying that Mia keeps her milk.
That’s all for tonight! Thanks for reading!
The last of Mia’s munchkins has gone off to his new home! On Saturday, my cousin Sonya and I drove Hampton a few hours to meet his new family. We found out the hard way that he can hold his bladder exactly three and a half hours. My wonderful cousin who had been holding him on her lap was very forgiving about having a large wet spot on her dress. 😦 Ironically, we had just left the highway and pulled into a parking space in order to let him out of the car, but he just couldn’t wait, I guess.
Other than that, we had a uneventful drive. We met at a beautiful park; and because we got there early, we had some time to let Hampton play and do a photoshoot.
I made sure I spent a lot of time holding him. I am definitely going to miss this sweet little guy!
Hampton had just relieved himself before this picture, so Sonya decided it would be safe to hold him again. 😉
And here he is sporting a handsome sweater and giving kisses to his new master. 🙂 Enjoy your forever home, Hammie!
It’s been over a week since I posted an update about the puppies, so it’s time to update you on the past little bit. Hammie and Brandi have both been doing very well and growing so much! They are eight weeks old now and ready to head off to their new homes.
Lately we have been trying to expose them to new people, places, and things. Last week, I took them to the school where I work. I took them to the Kindergarten classroom where they got to play in a circle of wiggling, squealing Kindergarten students. Hammie thoroughly enjoyed it and did his best to be near the loudest children, while Brandi was a little bit cautious and preferred to sit on the laps of the calmer and gentler children.
One afternoon a family in our neighborhood came to play with the puppies. Both the children and the puppies loved it!
In the past two weeks, these little guys have really begun to enjoy the outdoors. There is nothing quite as good as a rowdy romp in the yard!
There are also a lot of great things to chew on outside. I find this much better than when they steal my socks and shoes!
I also tried to get a few good portraits of them, but “eight weeks old” and “good portraits” typically don’t coincide.
These pictures above were taken on one of the last days that the puppies were together. On Saturday, little Miss Brandi left for her new home! It was exciting to see her welcomed into a new family, but it was also a little sad for me to see her go. One thing that made it easier to hand her off was that I know she will be dearly loved by her new family!
That was the very last time I got to hold my little Brandi!
Welcome to your forever home!
This is what we do all day.
(Note about the pink slipper picture: I do try to discourage shoe-chewing, but sometimes it’s too cute to not take a picture first!)
Because Miniature Goldendoodles are a relatively new breed, you may find yourself having a lot of questions about them. I compiled a list of a few common questions and answers that I hope will give you a better understanding of these amazing dogs!
Q: What does F1 and F1b mean?
A: Many times, Goldendoodles (Miniature and Standard) are listed as F1 or F1b. This simply is to show what generation the dog or puppy is. An F1 is a first generation cross of a Golden Retriever and Poodle. An F1b is a first generation Goldendoodle back-crossed with another Poodle. For more information regarding the differences between the generations, click here.
Q: How big will my Mini Goldendoodle puppy be as an adult?
A: This is a difficult question to answer. Unlike pure bred dogs that have an expected adult weight range, Miniature Goldendoodles tend to surprise. The important thing to understand is that there is no way to guarantee what combination of Retriever/Poodle genes a puppy will get. There can be a lot of variation of looks, size, and color even in one litter! The best way to estimate adult size is to look at the weights of the parents. Most likely, the puppy’s size will fall somewhere in between their parents’ sizes. Also, the puppy’s overall looks can give you a hint of which parent breed genes are more dominant.
For example, these two siblings are very different. Their mama is 18 inches tall at the shoulder and 30 pounds. Their dad is about 12 inches tall and 11 pounds.
The female puppy has much curlier hair and is quite a bit smaller than the male. She definitely carries stronger Miniature Poodle genes. I would estimate her adult size to be around 14-15 inches and 15-20 pounds.
The male has the broader head and snout of a Golden Retriever and is stockier than the female. He will most likely be much closer to or even the same size as his mother, because he seems to carry more dominant Golden Retriever genes. My guess is he will grow to be 16-18 inches tall and 20-25 pounds.
Q. Will my Miniature Goldendoodle shed?
A. The best way to tell if a Goldendoodle will shed is by looking at their hair. If they have curly hair like a Poodle, they will not shed. If their hair is wavy or only loosely curled, then they will probably shed a little. Most Goldendoodles are much lighter shedders than Golden Retrievers, but they are not all guaranteed to be shed-free.
Q. What will my Miniature Goldendoodle’s temperament be like?
A. Both Golden Retrievers and Miniature Poodles are friendly and intelligent dogs. They are both very social and easy to train. Golden Retrievers tend to be more gentle than the high-strung Poodles, so Miniature Goldendoodles can have either or both of those traits. Whatever combination of genes a puppy gets, Miniature Goldendoodles are adaptable to nearly any kind of family. They are great with children and other animals, but they can also be happy in a quieter home.
Q. What are the grooming requirements for this breed?
A. These dogs do require quite a bit of grooming and maintenance. Frequent brushing is necessary to keep their fur clean and free from mats and tangles. They will need regular trimming around their ears and paws and haircuts to keep their overall look at whatever length you desire.
Q. What is a Miniature Goldendoodle’s energy level?
A. These are active and excitable dogs, but their energy needs are not as intense as some breeds. They will need regular play time and walks, and they enjoy spending time outdoors swimming and exploring. As long as they are given time to run and play, they can also be well-suited to apartment life.
If you have any other questions, leave a comment, and I will do my best to answer!
The world is expanding. New tastes, new smells, new places. There is now solid food to try to eat, water to drink, corners to explore, and a wide sampling of things to chew. They know there is a lot of space outside their pen, and they are learning ways to escape and explore. They wrestle, bark, growl, run, and jump with their little tails wagging furiously the entire time.
Mia’s little munchkins are growing up.
Now, when I try to take pictures, I often end up with results like this:
As you can tell, they are fully mobile and always in motion. You can see the blue and white rope in these pictures. I went to the bother of buying soft, new toys for the puppies to play with. Instead, they found their mother’s old, dirty rope, and this has since become their favorite play thing. Go figure.
Since candid photos no longer produce quality results, my husband and I staged a photo shoot in a basket in an attempt to keep them contained and possibly still for a moment or two. It turned out fairly well!
There is a pile of clean laundry to be folded, and I’m trying to forget about the dirty laundry that’s piling up in the hamper. I have good intentions of getting my housework done… but I just keep getting distracted.
The past two weeks have been very exciting! It’s been amazing to watch these tiny, helpless puppies grow and develop. In this past week and a half, they have opened their eyes, begun to walk, and begun to play with each other. The more they grow, the more their personalities show.
I am starting to see wagging tails and hear little puppy barks. Now, Mia is doing more than just feeding her babies, she is teaching them to play. As she lays on her side, the puppies crawl over her and bite her ears. She playfully nips them and rolls them away. Today, during one of their first adventures outside, Mia brought them toys to play with like a stick and a Frisbee, although they are bit too small to play with those things yet.
It was interesting to observe the puppies on their first times outside and away from the familiar smells of their nest. Zoe is our brave and curious one. She was the first one to walk; and when she is in a new place, she is the first to wander and explore. Hammie is a bit more cautious. For the first few minutes, he is quite content to sit right next to mama and observe a new environment from a place of safety.
{Zoe looking brave}
{Hammie cuddling close to mom}
It is becoming much more fun (and difficult!) to take pictures of these two. They get cuter every day, and I am loving every minute of it! 🙂
Kristen's Happy Tails 