*Last updated 6/27/17
Vera was incredible having ELEVEN beautiful and healthy standard F1 Teddy Bear Goldendoodles on May 3rd. We are over the moon with these sweeties…
Vera’s Teddy Bears will be ready to go home Sunday, July 2nd or July 9th if you sign up for Puppy Kindergarten.
The First Days
Vera appeared to be starting her labor Tuesday night. I mentioned to Jake that I thought the puppies would be arriving that night so he stayed up with her (my hero). She had her first puppy at 4am! She delivered 4 puppies very quickly and I took over around 7am. She had another 3 puppies and we thought for sure she was done! Then another few hours later she had a whole bunch more! We thought she may never stop! 11 puppies later we were astonished at how great Vera and all the little ones were doing! Whew! What a day!
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, especially with so many siblings fighting for their turn. 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 Vera.
Since she had 11 puppies, we divided them into two groups since competition for the milk can leave some stranded. Vera appreciates the smaller groups and doesn’t seem so overwhelmed. 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 such a good mama!
What can I do now?
I am the planner in our family and like to do things 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, their debut:
And some more cuteness just for fun!
5.14.17: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!! We got some special treats for our mama’s today and Vera loved the Turkey Berry Chew’s! Our sweet Teddy Bear Doodles are over one week old! We can’t believe it! Since there are so many babies, we continue to have them in separate groups during the day and rotate them every hour or so.
While they just beginning to open their eyes, you can tell they are getting more mobile. This week they continue to spend all their time sleeping, snuggling with their mama, and nursing. We are still giving goats milk to the smaller puppies but most of the time everyone is able to fight for their fair share. Vera is doing a great job of tending to them–and I still have to pull her along for walks.
I have now made a sign up available for Puppy Kindergarten. Puppy K is a class we provide to help transition your puppy to your home. They stay with us for one extra week and we do the first week of potty training and crate training. It is a nice stepping stone for your puppy as they are still in a familiar surrounding, with some of their siblings, but get put on a schedule and introduced to some basic things. You can read more about it and/or sign up on our Puppy Kindergarten Page. You still have some time to think about this option–but we do only open up 5 spots and we do usually fill up!
Here are their weekly pictures!
5.24.17: Over two weeks old!!! Making big strides and getting bigger! 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 cut their nails and stroked 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. Wyatt, our almost one year old, loved watching and kept saying “aww…” as I would clip their nails! Oh my stars….
They continue to spend all their time sleeping and eating mama’s milk. Since a couple of them are smaller and not growing as much as their siblings, Jake and I are continuing to bottle feed the littlest ones. We sometimes have them together as a group and at other times we separate them. Vera is one amazing mama and she is still reluctant to go for walks with us…I can’t believe she doesn’t want more of a break! But self care is so important when caring for babies, so we make sure she does it anyways 😉
We will also have some beautiful “Baa Baa” Transition blankets from Gooddogbeds company. We will rub the blanket on Vera so your puppy can take her sent home with you. If you would like to get one of these, just shoot me an e-mail and I will add $17.50 to the amount due at puppy pickup. You can also choose to send us your own–they have other amazing blankets and products including lush dog beds, dog cubbies, and pads. Check out their website for more info or e-mail me if you’d like one of the baa baas.
If you buy your own and mail it to us, please make sure it has your name on it! Here is a complete 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, along with a few other tips.
Weekly pictures! I can’t for the life of me find where I wrote down their weights! Ahh!! I do remember that silver was just over 14oz and red was almost 50oz! If/when I find them I will update their pictures to include this week’s weight.
Some more just for fun!
5.29.17:
Over three weeks old and getting bigger every day!!! This week they have started walking around, finding their voices, and have their eyes fully open! You can definitely see them starting to get their “teddy bear” looks! We are still bottle feeding the littlest ones to help them get enough calories. Vera is doing an amazing job but we still want to help her out. This is one of my favorite weeks because there is a new discovery for them everyday!
Mama Vera is starting to enjoy some small periods of time away from her puppies but is always eager to get back to them. She has been enjoying digging a hole in our hard and rolling around in it–I thought it was the puppies who were supposed to be doing that! 😉
I’ve gotten some e-mails requesting the transition blanket, just a reminder to let me know if you want one! Here is a complete 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, along with a few other tips.
Since the weather has be so beautiful and warm, we took the pups outside in the shade. A little video of the cuties:
Weekly pictures and weights:
And some other adorable pictures…
Our little helper loves the puppies…
6.4.17: Half way to home!!! These growing puppies have a big week ahead!
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. Vera is starting to spend more time away from them as they grow in independence. We are not having to bottle feed any longer as the puppies are eating dog food! It’s mixed with water and turned to mush but Life’s Abundance is packed with nutrition!
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.
It is so much fun getting to see their little personalities show! Here is a little video of one of my favorite things with raising puppies… a puppy pile!!! Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not just dreaming!
Individual photos:
6.11.17
Next week is matchup week!!! This week we will start the temperament tests and do videos of the puppies. Here is how the match up process will work: Between now and then Jake and I will perform 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.
After 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.
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, even 5.
Only one spot left for Puppy K! Be sure to sign up if you wanted your puppy to participate!
Whew! Now with all that in mind, here are the puppies and their pictures this week:
6.20.17
This week I have sad news to share. With a heavy heart we had to say goodbye to our tiny Silver Girl. As she was not gaining weight, Jake brought her into the vet. Our vet believes she was born with an undeveloped liver–a common defect in runts of larger litters. He was impressed she had lived so long but did not expect her to make it much longer. She passed soon after that at the vet. We are heartbroken as we loved her dearly. I know many of you also fell in love with her and so we wanted to share this video we made in her honor.
If you have any further questions or concerns about her or the other puppies, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me or call me.
While we continue to feel sad about losing Silver, we have had a crazy week! Jake left for Alaska for a week and my ballet classes had 4 shows! To add to insult my washing machine broke! Ahh!! Needless to say I called in reinforcements! It was so much fun having my parent’s up for a couple days and my sister came after. They helped care for the puppies and helped me with Wyatt. I was totally spoiled with yummy food and help around the house as well! I told Jake he may be out of a job! 😉
We may have had a little too much fun!!!! Here are the puppies playing outside and chasing after Wyatt in the wagon! haha!
Doing the temperament tests with the puppies was a blast and I loved getting to really see the small differences in their personalities.
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! If you are not signed up for Puppy K this is the time to order your vitamins and food so it can be there when your puppy comes home!
Each puppy has their own video with us preforming the tests on them. Please review the test 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!!
Here you go!
Black
Blue/White
Teal
Red
Purple
Gold
Yellow
Pink
Red/White
Green
Pictures:
6.27.17
The matchup process is complete! I am so impressed with how wonderfully it all went! 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.
Here are your sweeties almost ready to come home!
The Grace Between 
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