*Last updated 6/4/17
We are so excited Mercy had 7 gorgeous medium f1b puppies on April 17th. They will be ready to go home June 10th, or June 17th if you sign up for Puppy Kindergarten.
One thing that has stood out to us right away is how snuggly these little guys are! Here are just a few of some sweet moments we’ve captured.
The First Days
Mercy’s puppies were born in the middle of the night after Easter. We’ve nick-named them our “little bunnies.” Jake stayed up with Mercy all night until 7am so I could sleep (what a champ!) Then he slept and I stayed with her along with our 10 month old. He loved them!
The first 48 hours are the most critical time with puppies. Jake and I take are constantly watching after them and making sure everyone is able to latch and get their fair share of mama’s milk. If needed, we supplement a feeding with goats milk. We make sure they are all hydrated, at the right temperature, and get lots of bonding time with their mama.
In their first few days they have not opened their eyes yet and can’t walk. They crawl around quite impressively, however, and can get to mama’s milk. They also don’t bark or cry yet and instead make a sweet chirping noise. All of their time is spend eating or sleeping with Mercy.
Since she had 7 puppies, we divided them into two groups since competition for the milk can leave some stranded. But after the first 48, we combined them together. Mostly, Mercy is such a sweet mama and didn’t like having any of her babies away from her. She also does a good job of rotating them herself. She doesn’t like to go for walks quite yet, and when we take outside for potty breaks and to stretch her legs she is always running back to the door and wanting to be let in. She is the sweetest mama!
What can I do now?
I am the planner in our family and like to do things way ahead of time! If you are like me and are excited to get everything ready, check out our new puppy check list. For a complete list of recommended products, see our resources page.
Here are some other articles as we begin this process that I hope will be helpful:
10 Tips For First Time Puppy Parents
Mostly, this is the waiting and watching time. Each week I will post updates for you to enjoy! I will also include more instructions/recommendations as we get to them.
Which puppy is mine?
Many people are eager to know which puppy will be theirs. I know it can seem impossible right now to have to pick just one!
Here is how this process will work: Since they are still so little, it is hard to determine their personalities and coats. When the puppies are 5 1/2 to 6 weeks old we can see their personalities more and will preform a temperament test on each puppy. Then I will read through everyone’s application and pick out my top 2-3 puppies for each family. After watching the videos, I will ask you to do the same. Then I will call the first applicant and review our picks until they have picked out a puppy. I will repeat the process with the second applicant and so on until everyone is matched up.
DON’T WORRY! This is a smooth and simple process and it has gone wonderfully every time! My only caution is to not get your heart set on “one puppy.” Instead, I ask that you keep your heart open to all the puppies. And for now, just sit back and enjoy ALL their cuteness!
Finally, here they are!
4/24/17: I can’t believe these little guys are already one week old today!!! They grew SO much! Mercy is doing an amazing job and each of them are thriving. We are over the moon…
This week they still have their eyes closed and aren’t walking yet. They are getting louder chirps and are plenty mobile. Their days still consist of constant mama time sleeping and eating.
This week I have made Mercy’s Puppy Kindergarten Class available online. I only open up 5 spots per litter so if you know for sure you would like your puppy to participate, sign up asap! Here is the link for more information about the class and to sign up: Puppy K Information and Sign Up.
Here are their weekly updated pictures and weights!
I could take pictures of these guys all day.
5/1/17: Two weeks old today!!! We are so pleased with the growth and progress of our little bunnies! There is nothing better than fat happy puppies! As you can see in their pictures, they have started to open their eyes and are getting a lot more mobile. Though they aren’t walking quite yet, they are starting to take some bigger steps. This week, we will also cut their nails and stroke them from head to toe–so they are used to it. This makes grooming them when they are bigger much easier for you and the groomer. They continue to spend all their time sleeping and eating mama’s milk. Since they are all doing so well, they no longer need to have goat milk supplementation as they are each big enough to get their share!
Here are their individual pictures and weights:
5/8/17: Three weeks old and getting bigger every day!!! This week they have started walking around, finding their voices, and have their eyes fully open! I love this week because there is a new discovery for them everyday!
Mama Mercy is starting to enjoy some small periods of time away from her puppies but is always eager to get back to them.
Some people have started to send us transition blankets! This is a great idea for helping your puppy transition smoothly into your home–we will rub the blanket on Mercy so they will be able to take her sent home. If you have sent us one already, please shoot me an e-mail letting me know what kind you bought–some of them didn’t have names. If you are going to buy one and send it to us, you can send it as a gift, which will include a card with your name on it. This will help us know which puppy it is going home with! Thanks!
Here is a list of the items I recommend for smoothing out the transition. It includes a link to my favorite transition blankets as well. All of these items are in our “recommended” list but it explains how/why it helps your puppy in its transition home.
Here is a little video of the sweeties:
Week 3 pictures and weights:
All of the snuggles…
And I just HAD to post this one of Red all sprawled out all over his sibs! Ha! So adorable!!!
5.15.17: A big 4 weeks old today!!! Half way to home!
I can’t believe how fast these guys are growing! And they just keep getting cuter! If you haven’t already done so, this is the time when I recommend taking a look at the New Puppy Check List and start getting everything you need.
This week we have added in straw to their play area as mama is no longer cleaning up after them. They have more access to the outside (except night time or if it is too cold out) now and can be indoor or outdoor. Mercy is starting to spend more time away from them as they grow in independence.
It is so much fun getting to see their little personalities show! Here is a little video of them playing outside for the first time!
Here are their pictures from this week, taken after we had been playing outside:
And some more just for fun!
5.25.17:
This week we have completed temperament tests and videos for each puppy. Here is how the match up process will work: Jake and I will performed a temperament test on each of the puppies. Please read that article so you know what tests we are doing and you can think about the kind of temperament you are looking for in a puppy.
Keep in mind that with Golden Doodles there will not be any extremes and you are going to find more similarities between each of the puppies than differences. In addition, your puppy’s personality will be a combination of it’s nature and your nurture. So having a good training foundation is key. You can read through our Biggest Mistakes Made When Housebreaking to help you avoid pitfalls.
Now that we have done the temperament test with each of the puppies, we will look through all the applications and pick our top 2-3 puppies for what you were looking for. Then we call the first people on our list. Together we talk about the puppies that stood out to them and the puppies that stood out to us for them. After going over the test results and talking it through they will pick which one they want. Once they are matched up, we will repeat the process with the second people on our list and so on until everyone is matched up.
Each puppy has their own video with us preforming the tests on them. You will notice we did not do the food test…they had mama’s milk right before! Please review the tests in order to see what behaviors the puppies exhibited to earn the results they got. Keep in mind, this is a guideline for you to use–not the final say on their personalities. As the shy personalities get comfortable/older you may see them not as shy. The independent behaviors may also decrease as a puppy bonds with their family. Basically, please see this as a helpful tool but do not put too much into it. We have spent the last 6 weeks with them and can tell you they are all sweethearts! We would love to keep any (or all–hehe!) of them!!
Often people are concerned with getting matched up with the “right puppy.” My advice is always to not worry about it! The process always feel very natural and organic. And remember–they are all super cute and it is hard to go wrong! The only problem I run into is when people have their mind set on ONE puppy and that puppy gets chosen. To avoid that, please keep an open mind and open heart to all of the puppies and narrow down your favorites to 3-4.
Only one spot left for Puppy K! Be sure to sign up if you wanted your puppy to participate!
Now begins the matchup process! I will start with the first person our list after a few days so everyone has time to review and think about the puppies. This process can take a while so please be patient if you don’t hear from me for a few days. Also, please keep in mind there are other families waiting for their puppy match up after you!
6/4/17: Matchup is complete! It is so exciting getting to know which puppy is yours! I really appreciated everyone’s patience and communication throughout the process.
If you haven’t already seen it, you should have an e-mail from me going over details for pickup day! Please let me know if you didn’t get it as it contains important information!
As pickup day rapidly approaches, now is the time to order your food and vitamins, if you haven’t already done so.
There is also only a few more days left to sign up for Puppy K if you want your puppy to participate!
Here are your sweeties almost ready to come home!
And the puppies in a bucket because I can’t stop myself…
We are going to soak up all the snuggles we can get during their last few days with us!!! So excited to meet everyone and excited for you all to meet your puppy!!!
The Grace Between 
Loving the pics! Thanks!
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