# Ziva's New Babies with Puppy Cam!



## DanaRuns

Just got home from the emergency vet. Ziva has puppies! 6 girls, 4 boys, and 1 angel who got stuck and didn't make it. But 10 healthy, screaming puppies.

This is their pedigree: Pedigree: Ace x Ziva

We have a 24/7 webcam up. You can find it BY CLICKING THIS LINK. If you lose the link, our website also has a page dedicated to the puppy cam, and although I'm not allowed to link to my website it doesn't take much to figure out what it is. We also have a Facebook page with the puppy cam in a pinned post, and you can watch and comment there.

If you watch the puppy cam, please post! The only way we know where it is being seen is by you posting. It is also streaming 24/7 to the Childrens Hospital of Orange County in California, and the Sloane-Kettering Cancer Hospital in New York.


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## Siandvm

I’m so very sorry about the one who didn’t make it, but so glad to see Ziva home and all the other thriving puppies.


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## cwag

Yay for Ziva! I am sorry you lost one, but the rest look like beautiful healthy puppies. I am enjoying the puppy cam already.


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## Altairss

Wow Ziva what a beautiful litter! They look so content on the cam. So sorry to hear about the little angel.


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## DanaRuns

Ziva began Stage One labor on Saturday. At 10:30pm yesterday (Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017) her water burst. At 11:30pm she started Stage 2 labor, with heavy contractions. The first puppy was born at 12:30am today. The 2nd puppy was born 10 minutes later. The 3rd pup was 55 minutes after that, and the 4th literally fell out 35 minutes after that.

Then we went almost 3 hours with periodic contractions, but no hard labor and no puppy. A finger up the wazoo and sure enough, a puppy was coming down the chute wrong. And we couldn't straighten it out.

So off to the emergency vet we went, and arrived at 4:30am. They couldn't straighten that pup out either, so Ziva had to have an emergency C-section. We lost the stuck pup. But all the others are doing great.

Last time, we had one small puppy that we had to tube feed. We called him Cappuccino. Well, we have another one. A little boy who weighs only 7 oz., and he's a little weak (not as weak as Capp was), and we are tube feeding him to get him strong. You may see that on the puppy cam. We do it every two hours.

Mama Ziva is exhausted, but she did great. And I'm typing this having been up for over 24 hours with no sleep. I haven't slept since Saturday night, and I didn't get a lot of sleep then. So if this post makes no sense, that's why. Lol!

I look forward to showing you all how we raise this litter. We rear them to be healthy, well-adjusted and courageous puppies, and we give them all the time and love we have.

Enjoy!


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## Ginams

What a busy few days you have had. I'm sorry about the loss of the one pup and am sending well wishes to the tiny boy. I look forward to watching this litter grow! You all do some amazing work!


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## Brinkleythegolden

Aw, Congratulations. I'm so sorry about the little angel. Omg- I just peeked at the cam-so precious!


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## CAROLINA MOM

Congratulations, they're beautiful, so very sorry for the little one that didn't make it.


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## KiwiD

Congratulations on a beautiful litter. So sorry you lost one. Will definitely be watching the puppy cam!


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## HaliaGoldens

Congratulations! What a beautiful litter. Watching the puppy cam is making me excited for our upcoming (hopefully) puppies. We have an ultrasound on Saturday to see if our girl is pregnant!


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## ClipsSu81

zomg the cuteness =) I can't take it!


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## rooroch

Fantastic. Sorry about the little angel but at least Mother and all the others are ok. Glad the vet could do a ceasar so quickly. I have book marked the web cam and look forward to watching it. Good luck feeding the little one. At least you all now know what is ahead of you!!
I am glad to see that I counted correctly 11 puppies!


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## rooroch

I have just been watching. Marvelous. Ziva is so calm and enjoys you coming into the box helping her out.


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## myluckypenny

Those puppies are so cute! Thank you for letting us watch again!


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## sophieanne

Congratulations on the beautiful puppies!!! Did Ziva pass out when she saw 10 instead of 3 little ones this time???? I was watching all weekend and once again Ziva's coaching team was and continues to be totally awesome!!! I'm so sorry for the one lost angel. Will you have families for all of them?? (gosh sorry, you just got them)


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## GoldenDude

It's a gorgeous litter. Many congratulations. I saw the puppy cam mentioned on your FB page so I clicked over there yesterday (I think it was) before any of the action had started. I thought she was due on Thanksgiving so when I happened to click by there this morning and saw the puppies I was like, "Whoa! There's a load of puppies there now!" 

I stopped by here to get the scoop! Sorry about your lost puppy. I know that must be sad. Sending good thoughts to the tiny puppy!


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## GoldenDude

I have to keep one of my family members from checking out the website for Ace's owners. The last time I let them see that website I had to argue for days about why he couldn't get an alpaca. Dogs I can do. One cat I can tolerate. Yes, we may live on 5 acres, but, no alpacas!


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## Gleepers

I just checked the puppy cam and saw them!! So cute. 
Sorry to hear about the lost baby and the emergency c section but glad everyone is doing well now. 
My guess was 11 when I counted spines.


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## nolefan

Love the cam  going to be a lot of fun to see them up and about 
So glad that you have things under the control


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## rosegold

Thank you for sharing the puppy cam with us! It is so wonderful that it is streaming to Memorial Sloan Kettering and the children's hospital. I am sure it will brighten the days of many patients, much more cheerful than the daily news on television. Ziva and the new litter look great, peaceful and thriving. So sorry to hear about the one that did not make it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Helo's Mom

Love the cam! I'll be watching the cuties grow. Congratulations!


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## LynnC

Congratulations to you and sweet mama Ziva. So sorry about the lost angel but hoping the rest all live long healthy lives


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## joro32000

Congratulations Ziva!
I couldn't bear watching you yesterday panting so heavily and I worried. Now you look so relaxed. And your humans are taking such a good care of you. Job well done.

The cam is great. Never seen a new born puppy in my life. They are so cute!


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## Pytheis

I was so excited to see that the puppies were finally born! I will be watching often from Colorado.


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## DanaRuns

joro32000 said:


> Congratulations Ziva!
> I couldn't bear watching you yesterday panting so heavily and I worried. Now you look so relaxed. And your humans are taking such a good care of you. Job well done.
> 
> The cam is great. Never seen a new born puppy in my life. They are so cute!


You think *you* couldn't bear watching her, I was beside myself with concern for her discomfort. Poor baby! But Ziva is so much happier now, though she's also exhausted. And she loves being a mama. She's a very good mother, which is great for us humans! LOL! 

Ziva is so tired she fell asleep while nursing. And then a puppy crawled up on her face and fell asleep. So cute!


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## Rundlemtn

Too adorable. I've logged in 3x today and am going in for a 4th viewing! So cute!!


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## rabernet

Congratulation Ziva and family! The puppy cam is great!


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## Neeko13

Congratulations on the litter...what cuties!! I was worried about Ziva s panting as well..sorry to hear about the lol angel that didn't make it..good luck w the other 10..hope the lil one gets the strength he needs....i'll be watching every day..who doesn't love watching puppies??


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## dlmrun2002

Great job by all in the Ziva pack. Hope everyone gets some rest to brace for the march of the Golden puppies. It's only 7 more then last time. 


dlm ny country


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## Macca

Congrats on a job well done by all! Ziva has a regular little puppy village going on there and she is the queen. What a beautiful mama. Thank you for opening up your home again to share this experience, something most of us would never get to see first hand. And sharing it with hospitalized patients is absolutely wonderful. I'm hoping my 5 year old granddaughter will get to peek in on it occasionally since I forwarded the link to my daughter. I wish for you a much less stressful night tonight!


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## DanaRuns

The adventurer of the group!


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## KKaren

They are so so cute, Thanks for the puppy cam.... it's a life saver when you are cube-bound .


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## Golden State Mom

Aww, they are so precious! I’m sorry for the pup you lost; that’s sad.

Ziva’s Such a good mom — no rest for the weary tonight. It’s hard to believe that such a seething mass of pups was inside her last night. I hope all of you are able to get some rest.

Think as for inviting us into your lives again.


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## Mel

So glad you got them all lined up nicely attached to the milkfountain. I was worried about the little one attached to Ziva´s tail.


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## rabernet

They are such little sausages already - it's hard to believe just 2 days ago, they were still "incubating".


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## DanaRuns

And then there were nine. We lost the little guy overnight. We had called him Peanut. He was only 7 oz., half the size of the others. His little organs must not have been formed right, for he couldn't seem to digest his food (and he couldn't nurse, we had to tube feed him). He's with the other angel, now. Breeding is not for the faint of heart.


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## CAROLINA MOM

I'm so sorry, very sad. 

Godspeed Peanut


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## cwag

I'm sorry. That's sad, but you did your best for him, focus on the rest.


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## Rundlemtn

I'm sorry for the loss of the 2 pups. Luckily there are 9 other beautifully thriving pups to fill both yours and our hearts <3


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## Brinkleythegolden

Aw, I'm so sorry you lost the little one-so sad..


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## joro32000

I am so sorry, I was just counting them at work and noticed only 9. Immediately checked the forum expecting bad news.


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## Ivyacres

so cute, sorry to hear about Peanut.


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## DanaRuns

Peanut was never meant for this world, but only for another, and now he found his way to where he belonged. And we still have 9 beautiful, super robust puppies who very definitely belong here. So I try to


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## puddles everywhere

What a beautiful litter... not a red one in the bunch :-( Dad's influence must be strong! I'm so sorry for the loss but really grateful mom and the rest of the brood are doing well. 

Thank again for allowing us into your home and showing so many how it's supposed to be done.


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## rooroch

These things happen for a reason unfortunately and he is now in the best place for him and his little sister. I also just noticed one was missing. The others have really filled out in just a few days and look fantastic.


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## DanaRuns

It's a little odd, raising a litter in front of the whole world. People can see the struggles and failures, like us tube feeding and trying to save the little boy we lost last night. Knowing that people are watching private or difficult moments, or mistakes we make, or struggles and failures, or tragedies, makes it more difficult. It opens us to harsh judgment and removes the wall of privacy needed for processing difficult events.

But at the same time we get a sense of community, of shared suffering and shared support, of shared love and shared experience. We gain the feeling of people all over the globe being on this grand journey into life with us, all of us along for the ride together. Best of all, we get to share the good things, the cute things, the victories, and the miracles, which multiplies their effects. And people who know little about breeding, or who have bought into the theory that breeders are evil, get to see what it's really like. They get to see the devotion, the hard work, the heartbreak, the miracles, and most of all the ocean of love that goes into each little life.

Sometimes we feel like goldfish in a fishbowl, but overall, it's a really good thing. And patients with serious diseases at two hospitals are getting to see a little cuteness, innocence and joy, which is good for them, too.


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## DanaRuns

rooroch said:


> I also just noticed one was missing. The others have really filled out in just a few days and look fantastic.


They are less than one day old! It's absolutely amazing. I look at them and marvel that they were all in Ziva's belly just yesterday. Amazing.


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## DanaRuns

Mama Ziva, in that blessed time before she had to worry about and care for a mountain of babies.


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## DanaRuns

Good news. Everyone has gained weight today! Often, puppies will lose weight right after they are born, but all nine of these puppies gained. Yah! Some gained more than 15% of their body weight in a single day. And here I thought I was the only one who could do that!


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## Brinkleythegolden

This is just so much fun to watch!


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## Siandvm

I’m very sorry to hear about little Peanut. Even when you know they face such challenges, it’s always hard. Thank you for all you did to give him every chance!


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## Neeko13

Im sorry to hear about lil Peanut.... RIP lil guy...all the rest look quite healthy!!


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## LynnC

I'm so so sorry for the loss of lil peanut . RIP lil Peanut.


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## rooroch

Putting on weight soon, especially such a big litter, is incredible. Shows Ziva is really healthy and in fantastic condition. I love watching the nest cam and you are doing a marvelous job.


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## Neeko13

They are adorable..question for you..how hot do you have to keep the room for the lil ones, and if it's hot, is that why mom pants a bit lately? Just curious, never had a litter myself..and w the lil ones moving out on their own, I'm assuming it's warm enough..thanks..and they sure do eat often!!! Lol..


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## cwag

So two questions from a total puppy novice. Is that twitching they do when they are asleep just a normal puppy thing? Is it the same puppy that is always a little separate from the group?


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## DanaRuns

Neeko13 said:


> They are adorable..question for you..how hot do you have to keep the room for the lil ones, and if it's hot, is that why mom pants a bit lately? Just curious, never had a litter myself..and w the lil ones moving out on their own, I'm assuming it's warm enough..thanks..and they sure do eat often!!! Lol..


We keep it around 77-79 degrees Fahrenheit for the puppies. It's important to keep new pups from getting cold, as they don't have the ability to regulate their body temperature yet. That's partly why she's panting. 

She also may be in a little pain from her surgery, though we have her on medication for that and they recover very quickly. But it has been only one day, so she may be in a bit of pain. She also delivered vaginally and had a puppy stuck in there, so that area is probably a little sore, too.

If the puppies are routinely huddled all together, and if they are complaining, then it's too cold. If they are all spread out, and are all near the edges of the whelping box, and are complaining, then it's too hot. We try to hit the sweet spot where some cuddle and some are fine away from the group.

Is that TMI?


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## DanaRuns

cwag said:


> So two questions from a total puppy novice. Is that twitching they do when they are asleep just a normal puppy thing? Is it the same puppy that is always a little separate from the group?


On twitching: Yes, it's absolutely normal and they all do it. It is their little muscles, brain, and nerves developing. As new nerves connect to muscle, and as their brains start to make a nervous system, they fire off a charge and twitch. It even happens in utero, and will continue to happen for the next few weeks as their nervous systems develop. That's actually a very good question.

On separation: No, I don't think it's the same puppy all the time. I just found two different ones in the last few minutes.


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## Macca

Do you mind sharing what kind of diet Ziva gets that helps to keep all those little tummies full, and that also keeps her coat so beautiful? Would her caloric intake while she's nursing be a lot more than when she was pregnant?


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## DanaRuns

Macca said:


> Do you mind sharing what kind of diet Ziva gets that helps to keep all those little tummies full, and that also keeps her coat so beautiful? Would her caloric intake while she's nursing be a lot more than when she was pregnant?


Right now, she gets pretty much as much as she will eat. After birthing, she actually looks pretty gaunt. She needs the calories. But we will cut down in the next day or two, as you shouldn't feed a new mom too much, So we feed her high calorie and high calcium food, with supplements fenugreek and calcium citrate for lactation and calming. She will continue to eat more than usual while she's nursing.

Her coat looks nice now, but four months from now it will be gone. Puppies have a way of taxing their mothers, just like human puppies.


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## SandyK

Congrats on the beautiful pups! Sorry you lost two. Zina is such a great mom and I love the picture of the puppy on her face...priceless!!:grin2:


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## DanaRuns

Passed out milk drunk.


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## DanaRuns

Red Boy passed out over mom's wrist, making it so she can't move. Cute...


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## Siandvm

Both of those pictures remind me of when my (human) boys were babies — they would do the same thing. Guess all babies are basically the same, in the end.


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## wrampling

Im loving this here in UK, amazing


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## DanaRuns

This is the puppies' Day 3. Training begins today.

Today we begin two sensory stimulation efforts: Neonate sense stimulation (somatosensory and kinesthetic), and Early Scent Introduction.

Neonate brains are going through massive changes. It's growing bigger inside and undergoing an amazing transformation in electrochemical development. 

So between Days 3-16 we introduce puppies to positional and sensory stimuli as well as new scents every day including items they will encounter daily in their lives as well as those geared toward original purpose (e.g., game birds, cats, rabbits, and yes, tennis balls). We will try to do some of this on camera.

We've also had a weird little problem develop: Ziva decided she did not want to drink from the water bowl anymore, but only wanted to drink from the "magic well." We couldn't have that, but she just wouldn't drink from anything else, and we need to keep her well hydrated. The solution was to mix some beef or chicken broth into the water, and that made it interesting enough to her to drink from the water bowl again. Very weird things happen to new mothers, sometimes!


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## Brinkleythegolden

DanaRuns said:


> Passed out milk drunk.


Hahahahaha! I love this pic(and your caption!)


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## Gleepers

Enjoying checking in now and then. 
Thank you so much for sharing the journey.


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## Neeko13

Thanks for the info Dana....love watching them!!!!


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## Sandy22

I could watch those pups and beautiful Ziva all day long! Thanks so much for sharing.


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## Brinkleythegolden

Sandy22 said:


> I could watch those pups and beautiful Ziva all day long! Thanks so much for sharing.


I must confess-I've been watching them at work more than I should....:grin2:


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## HeidiHo

They have grown so much in just a few days! Ziva is so beautiful - I swear she knows we are all watching because I've seen her smile right at the camera! So adorable -


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## Sandy22

Brinkleythegolden said:


> I must confess-I've been watching them at work more than I should....:grin2:


I know! Watching them is so much more fun than the other ways I find to procrastinate.


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## Jessie'sGirl

Enjoying the nest cam, and your very interesting commentary. Fun and educational!


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## Rundlemtn

Wow! I can't get over how strong they look, and how much they are moving around already. The development at this stage is amazing!


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## DanaRuns

3Pebs3 said:


> Wow! I can't get over how strong they look, and how much they are moving around already. The development at this stage is amazing!


I know, I think so too. I'm pretty amazed. And it's cool that you noticed. You have an eye. And the vet who did the c-section was surprised. Immediately after being born they were energetic and moving. She said they were the most robust neonate puppies she'd ever seen. I can't wait to watch these babies grow.


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## cwag

I keep the window open at work and home. It is so fun and relaxing to watch. Ziva is such a great mom. She seems so patient, watchful, and diligent in keeping them clean. I love that little red collar boy! Thanks again for sharing them with us.


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## Colorado Bella

Thank you so much for sharing. My new little golden was born a couple days before this litter so it has been great watching yours. So sorry about the loss of your two little angels. Also, watching from Colorado. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DanaRuns

cwag said:


> I keep the window open at work and home. It is so fun and relaxing to watch. Ziva is such a great mom. She seems so patient, watchful, and diligent in keeping them clean. I love that little red collar boy! Thanks again for sharing them with us.


Speaking of Red Boy, I just caught him dreaming. Turn up the sound.


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## Sandy22

DanaRuns said:


> Speaking of Red Boy, I just caught him dreaming. Turn up the sound.
> 
> So cute! Finley (dog) was sitting next to me when I watched the video and he certainly took notice when that little guy got vocal.


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## DanaRuns

Sandy22 said:


> So cute! Finley (dog) was sitting next to me when I watched the video and he certainly took notice when that little guy got vocal.


I posted this on my Facebook wall too, and several Golden owners told me they experienced the same thing with their dogs. One -- who posts here and used to be a moderator -- said her dog was running around looking for the puppy! Lol!


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## cwag

That is too cute!


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## Sandy22

DanaRuns said:


> I posted this on my Facebook wall too, and several Golden owners told me they experienced the same thing with their dogs. One -- who posts here and used to be a moderator -- said her dog was running around looking for the puppy! Lol!


'n

The funny thing is that Fin has no experience with new born pups, except when he was one. He just wanted to be close to sweet little red collar. The way he reacted to the noise was almost primal.


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## rooroch

Great video. One wonders what they are dreaming about. They have not had much in the way of living memories yet.
I agree with another poster that these pups look very strong and are moving around a lot for their age. You are going to have fun when they really start exploring their world!
Thanks again for the nest cam - it is such fun and brings back so many memories of when I bred my Bassets.


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## Brinkleythegolden

That was adorable!


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## Siandvm

Ziva and the pups look great — much to be thankful for! Those pups are certainly strong and adventurous for their age. I can’t wait to see whether they continue to be as precocious as they seem to be now.


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## DanaRuns

A little work with the puppies.


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## Brinkleythegolden

Thank you for sharing! Very interesting!


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## Macca

Thanks for that lesson, very fun and informative. So neat to see their reactions to the rosemary; an indication of how responsive those little noses are at just a few days old.


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## DanaRuns

What amazed me was how strong their reactions were to the truffle oil. They HATED it, for the most part. They jerked their little heads away. Tomorrow I think we're going to do tennis balls. Then after that, game bird wings.


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## balijade

Just got on the forum. My daughter reminded me that puppy cam was gonna be on soon. Come to find out they came early so had to catch up on the news. Sad to hear Ziva lost two. Thanks for sharing. Will be glued to the puppy cam like last time.


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## Golden State Mom

So interesting to see the puppy stimulation. Please keep posting these! It’s great education, and a treat for us puppy-junkies


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## Helo's Mom

The camera is not working for me today. I hope it will be up again soon!


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## Rundlemtn

Yup, no camera for me either. Hope everything is OK!


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## DanaRuns

Sorry! "Technical difficulties." Please stand by. We will return to your regular programming as soon as possible.


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## DanaRuns

Aaaaaaaand, we're back!


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## Siandvm

I see Ziva has a boo boo bandage back on the arm where she was shaved for her IV for the section. Is she ok?


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## DanaRuns

Siandvm said:


> I see Ziva has a boo boo bandage back on the arm where she was shaved for her IV for the section. Is she ok?


Yup. She had an adventure. A number of little things going on. First, she had a low red blood cell count from her surgery. Not unusual. With 9 puppies, she also became slightly hypocalcemic, but the calcium that was given to counteract that bound the phosphorous and her phosphorous level crashed. That's why the bandage. She had an IV to replace the phosphorous. Also, she ran out of milk, and didn't have enough to feed all her puppies. She is taking fenugreek now, and we are upping her food intake, to help with milk production. We might do an ocytocin nasal spray if she still needs a boost, but I'd rather not. So, we are supplementing the pups now, making sure they continue to gain the right amount of weight each day.


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## Siandvm

Thanks for the update! Those darn calcium/phosphorus ratios! I’m glad her little (mis)adventure has turned out ok. 9 robust puppies is a lot to support. Hopefully with her electrolytes under better control, her supplementation, and your helping the puppies along, she can up her milk production. Well done Team Ziva!


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## DanaRuns

The puppy buyers are getting excited! I am told that one of Ziva's puppies is going to be named Magic, and another one will be named Beethoven. And one puppy buyer is a famous Hollywood producer who always has Golden Retrievers in his TV shows, so maybe another one will become an actor. What was theoretical a week ago is becoming very real, and I love it.


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## Catgondek

Oh my goodness, I am awake before they are today! What a lovely thing to see each day with my coffee ... thank you for posting this!


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## cwag

I'm so glad the puppy cam is back, I was really missing my "puppy fix." I can imagine the new families are beside themselves with excitement!


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## Sandy22

Yay, they're back! Coffee and puppies-best start to the day, ever. Hope Ziva's feeling better.


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## DanaRuns

Ziva is definitely feeling better!

Anyone watching at 3:00-3:30am California time last night got to watch Theresa sitting in the whelping box with Ziva, bottle feeding the puppies. Ziva isn't producing enough milk (though we are trying to change that), so we have to supplement. And I hear the pups went nuts for Theresa and swarmed all around her. They have learned that her smell means food! 

By the way, the pups had their best weight gain over the last 24 hours that they have ever had in their short lives, with us supplementing. You just have to find the right balance!

Look at the fat, contented puppies!


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## Macca

That's really good to hear. I'm sorry I didn't witness that bottle feeding; must have been neat to see. You'd mentioned fenugreek before for Ziva to increase milk production. Have often heard of that for human moms, I guess I never thought about it for canine moms too. The last photo you posted with their full tummies is so sweet. It's also interesting as their difference in coat color is so evident there when they are all grouped together.


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## DanaRuns

Bottle feeding by Theresa about to begin on puppy cam.


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## Ginams

They look great! It’s amazing to see just how quickly they grow when checking in day to day.


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## Brinkleythegolden

They’re soooooo cute!


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## rooroch

They look great. Nest cam working on macbook but not on ipad!! Strange.


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## Jnoel21

Congrats on your litter! I am sorry to hear that one didn’t make it. Ziva is absolutely beautiful and I’m sure her pups will be too. I love that you guys are broadcasting it to the children’s hospital, that is such a wonderful idea. Good luck!


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## DanaRuns

Okay, I'm getting lots of complaints that Ziva doesn't seem right. She's sitting, hanging her head, and panting while nursing, they observe. Surely something must be wrong. Surely we're not watching or we would do something.

Folks, she is fine. Yes, she sits while nursing. Sometimes they do that, more as the puppies age. 

Yes she pants. It's very warm in here for the puppies. Ziva and the humans are hot because the room is kept warm for the pups, who cannot control their body temperature yet. Also, she is uncomfortable. You would be, too, if you were nursing 9 children with their claws and constant assault of you, right after having surgery.

Yes she hangs her head because she's tired sitting up. I see her and say, "Why don't you just lie down?" She never listens to me, though. 

Yes we are watching. Someone is with the puppies every second of every day. They don't get left alone with Ziva in the box for even one second. In the video you can see my or Theresa's leg if we are sitting on the chair right next to the whelping box. If we're not in that, we're on the inflatable bed/sofa that is just out of camera range (on purpose). We never, ever let the puppies out of our sight for even one second. Ever. Even in the middle of the night we are there and watching.

Everything is fine and normal. So no need to worry, and no need to PM, email, message or post at me about it. The puppies are good, and Ziva is good.

Thanks!


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## joro32000

Guys, you are doing just amazing job with Ziva and puppies, exposing yourself to all the criticism, probably well-meant advises that you don’t need. So many people are watching you at different times of the day, in different time zones and make assumptions. Yes, Ziva looks uncomfortable, panting heavily at times, many times now I see her leaving the pen, probably to get some deserved rest, her beautiful coat on one side is almost gone. However, this is all the price of motherhood (anybody videotaped a human mother in the first week after labour, not a pretty picture when I looked at my sister’s 3 pregnancies). Yet I always see 1 leg or 1 painted toe close by, carefully watching the pups. Thank you for letting us watch Ziva and the puppies. It never occurred to me to think that Ziva or the puppies have been neglected even for a short period of time.


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## YettyVetty

joro32000 said:


> Guys, you are doing just amazing job with Ziva and puppies, exposing yourself to all the criticism, probably well-meant advises that you don’t need. So many people are watching you at different times of the day, in different time zones and make assumptions. Yes, Ziva looks uncomfortable, panting heavily at times, many times now I see her leaving the pen, probably to get some deserved rest, her beautiful coat on one side is almost gone. However, this is all the price of motherhood (anybody videotaped a human mother in the first week after labour, not a pretty picture when I looked at my sister’s 3 pregnancies). Yet I always see 1 leg or 1 painted toe close by, carefully watching the pups. Thank you for letting us watch Ziva and the puppies. It never occurred to me to think that Ziva or the puppies have been neglected even for a short period of time.




Well said.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## dlmrun2002

How's Khallessi taking all this in? I hope she doesn't feel like the redheaded step child. Oh wait... she is kinda redheaded  

dlm ny country


----------



## mylissyk

DanaRuns said:


> The puppy buyers are getting excited! I am told that one of Ziva's puppies is going to be named Magic, and another one will be named Beethoven. And one puppy buyer is a famous Hollywood producer who always has Golden Retrievers in his TV shows, so maybe another one will become an actor. What was theoretical a week ago is becoming very real, and I love it.


That is so cool!


----------



## DanaRuns

dlmrun2002 said:


> How's Khallessi taking all this in? I hope she doesn't feel like the redheaded step child. Oh wait... she is kinda redheaded
> 
> dlm ny country


All the other dogs are feeling left out, stressed and depressed. We try to spend a little time with them each day, but it's not very much.


----------



## DanaRuns

Sunday Pupdate: All puppy exams done, all pups weighed, cuddling is complete, early neurological stimulation done, early scent introduction finished, and 162 toenails clipped. Otherwise known as just another day with neonate puppies. Also, mom's temperature taken, breasts examined, stools examined, gums examined, and post-op medication and supplements given. She's a good mom, and she's healthy now. This is what we do each and every day, in addition to spending every minute 24/7 watching the puppies. (I rescued two today from being laid on by their mother.)

I REALLY like this litter so far. They are super robust, very mobile, and some are already struggling to their feet. Not even a week old yet!


----------



## ArchersMom

I'm glad the pups are doing so well  it's great what you're doing with the webcam. I hadn't even considered that people would be judgmental and I already thought you were brave. I'd probably forget the camera in a sleepless stupor and walk around in my underwear. I discovered today through k9data that Ziva and Archer are related. Her dad is his grandsire. Made this beautiful litter feel even more special for me.


----------



## Gleepers

If I had to nurse 9 living things at once I’d be hanging my head and panting too

Glad to hear Momma and babies are all doing great. It’s been a lot of fun checking in on them


----------



## Sandy22

Gleepers said:


> If I had to nurse 9 living things at once I’d be hanging my head and panting too


My thoughts, exactly! Every time I check the puppy cam, if Ziva is in the box, there are at least three puppies latched on, and others are searching for her. Not that I'm an expert, but I think she looks great.

I'm amazed at how mobile the pups are. I love the way they scoot around until it just becomes too much, and it's time for a nap.

Thanks for all you are doing for these amazing creatures.


----------



## Rundlemtn

These 3, melting my heart this morning :laugh:


----------



## Ginams

I feel like they grew overnight! They look great and are getting around so well. Ziva looks good as well!


----------



## DaisyMom

Thank you so much for sharing the puppy cam. The neuro stimulation video was fascinating. 

I can see someone’s limb or shadow whenever I check in, no matter the hour, and am surprised that anyone would criticize if they saw the work you’re doing to care for Ziva and her litter.


----------



## DanaRuns

This is the pups' 1-week birthday!  This morning, Theresa took some photos of the puppies with the balls of yarn from which their "collars" came. Here they are.

Look at the inner corners of the eyes of Pink Girl and Dark Blue Girl. They are showing the beginning signs of starting to open.


----------



## cwag

Sheesh, I may have to quit looking because I want one so badly and Rukie is not quite 7 months old.


----------



## rooroch

Lovely photos with yarn, thanks


----------



## DanaRuns

cwag said:


> Sheesh, I may have to quit looking because I want one so badly and Rukie is not quite 7 months old.


I know that was said in jest, but this is a good opportunity to state that all the puppies are spoken for. We are not looking to sell any of them. I say this because the mod team has taken a few of my posts as "advertising" for puppy sales. I'm not. The pups are sold. We had more than 100 applications for them before they were even born, and more continue coming every day.

The above should serve as a lesson in puppy buying. Even as fairly new breeders, without any advertising or soliciting or a big network for referrals, we still received more than 10 applications for every puppy born, before they were even on the ground. Those looking for "Puppy Now" from a reputable breeder -- particularly a Christmas puppy -- are likely to be sorely disappointed. It's best to plan well in advance.


----------



## sophieanne

Dana, Theresa and Ziva - the three of you are doing a fantastic job (just like last time). Is it just me or do these puppies appear bigger and growing a lot faster than the Capp, Latte and Mocha .
When does Miss Khaleesi get to meet her new siblings????? I'm glad they all are spoken for, I've had a few cries over my situation but I really wanted what is best for those gorgeous babies!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

OMG-they're so darling! I just want to smooch all of them!!!


----------



## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> Dana, Theresa and Ziva - the three of you are doing a fantastic job (just like last time). Is it just me or do these puppies appear bigger and growing a lot faster than the Capp, Latte and Mocha .


They are definitely growing fast! The pups have doubled their weight in their first week of life. They are voracious eaters, and I feel sorry for Ziva!  I'd have to look at our logs to see how it compares to the last litter. Generally, newborn pups should gain 8-12% each day of their first week. This litter is right on target.



> When does Miss Khaleesi get to meet her new siblings?????


Probably 2 more weeks before she gets to hang with them.

When our other bitch, Isabelle, or our little boy, Dave, try to come into the puppy room, Ziva gets very unhappy (Gibbs is completely uninterested in the pups so hasn't tried to come in). Ziva actually put Dave on the ground one time, with the message, "No! I don't want you in here!" She was gentle, but very firm, with Dave's entire neck in her mouth and pinned to the ground. She won't let Isabelle in, either.

However, she seems to tolerate Khaleesi coming in. We haven't pushed it, and at this young age we prefer no other dogs in the room so as not to stress out mom. Stress in the dam travels to the puppies, so we try to keep her calm and happy. So we haven't waited to see what would happen if Khaleesi really wanted to hang out in the puppy room. But Khaleesi is the only one that Ziva will even let into the room. 

I think Ziva remembers that Khaleesi is her puppy. That's the only explanation I can come up with for why she is more tolerant of Khaleesi (an out-of-control puppy) than she is of the other (adult, calmer) dogs. I swear, dogs are more amazing than we give them credit for.


----------



## DanaRuns

Breffast times!


----------



## DanaRuns

Well, that was weird...


----------



## Rundlemtn

DanaRuns said:


> Well, that was weird...


What was? 

P.S. I love that Ziva might recognize Khaleesi as hers still!


----------



## DanaRuns

3Pebs3 said:


> What was?


The photo I uploaded posted sideways. At least, that's how it looks to me.


----------



## Neeko13

I think you have to resize it, smaller, and it will go back to Portrait mode... Cute!!!!!


----------



## Nate83

Watched today at 353pm eat. Love how they are grouped up on the upper left hand side and there is one in the middle just flailing around. They are cute.


----------



## Helo's Mom

These puppies are so fat and adorable!! They are growing so fast!! I love them.


----------



## DanaRuns

Y'all keep missing the bottle feedings, I guess. Today Theresa bottle fed them all on the puppy cam. It was pretty cute.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Man, I missed it again!


----------



## DanaRuns

Brinkleythegolden said:


> Man, I missed it again!


More bottle feeding going on right now.


----------



## Macca

Just got to see some bottle feeding, so sweet, and done with such TLC. When bottle feeding a puppy, how do you know when they've had enough at any particular feeding? It didn't quite seem like they lost interest or turned away from the bottle like a little human would.


----------



## DanaRuns

Macca said:


> Just got to see some bottle feeding, so sweet, and done with such TLC. When bottle feeding a puppy, how do you know when they've had enough at any particular feeding? It didn't quite seem like they lost interest or turned away from the bottle like a little human would.


They do, though. They spit the nipple out when they're done. We're just supplementing them, as mom is nursing them pretty well most of the time. So we'll top them off if mom doesn't seem into it at the time. And they will actually tell us if they are full. The last feeding, only two puppies wanted any, and not that muchl


----------



## Nate83

What and how much food does the mom eat.


----------



## DanaRuns

Nate83 said:


> What and how much food does the mom eat.


Right now she's eating 8-9 cups a day of ProPlan Chicken and Rice Puppy food. Many reasons why.


----------



## Golden State Mom

Oh my goodness, they are so big! Although I’ve been watching religiously, it has been a couple of days since I’ve seen them with one of you two for perspective. They are growing fast!

Ad Ziva’s such a good girl, look at her, not too comfy, with her head on the railing, and all the piggies lined up for a drink. And the yanking: ouchies! Motherhood is not for the faint of heart! 

Thanks for sharing both your journey, and so much information along the way. I know it’s not easy having the world watching every moment...


----------



## Nate83

8-9 cups yikes. Well she has so many mouths to feed.


----------



## DanaRuns

Nate83 said:


> 8-9 cups yikes. Well she has so many mouths to feed.


Figure her normal 4 cups per day, plus 1/2 cup for each puppy.


----------



## Nate83

Was watching her with my wife, she cringed at how many pups attacked her for food lol.


----------



## DanaRuns

The puppy cam is turning up all over the place!


----------



## Ginams

That's awesome! My 12 year old son loves checking in each evening when we get home. I sneak peeks at work throughout the day.



DanaRuns said:


> The puppy cam is turning up all over the place!


----------



## sophieanne

Just been watching since 3 a.m. Those little babies can be quite lively. Do Theresa and Ziva get any sleep during the day/night? I bet Ziva is very happy she has such incredible help. They really are growing fast, it's wonderful watching them. I still think a kitchen closed at midnight sign might be in order .


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Aww-you can see where their little eyes are starting to open!:--heart:


----------



## LynnC

OMG. Dana I think you did one of your magic tricks, they’re huge :surprise: Also, do I only see 8? Maybe one’s hiding from the camera 0


----------



## Nate83

Ziva is ok with that other dog going into her welp bed?


----------



## Nate83

That is the craziest thing I have seen, the removable mat is probably the best invention I have seen in a while.


----------



## DanaRuns

Nate83 said:


> Ziva is ok with that other dog going into her welp bed?


What she doesn't know won't hurt her.  Ziva is outside right now, while we weigh puppies and change bedding. Meanwhile, Uncle Dave LOVES the puppies.


----------



## Nate83

What would ziva do if she was there?


----------



## LynnC

LynnC said:


> OMG. Dana I think you did one of your magic tricks, they’re huge :surprise: Also, do I only see 8? Maybe one’s hiding from the camera 0


There he is . All 9 snuggled together 000000000


----------



## DanaRuns

Nate83 said:


> What would ziva do if she was there?


With Dave, she's watchful but not aggressive. With Isabelle, she absolutely wants to keep Isabelle out. Oddly, with Khaleesi -- a 10-month old puppy who is Ziva's daughter -- she's pretty tolerant. I would have thought the crazy 10-month old puppy would be the one she'd want to keep out most. Perhaps she is still conscious that Khaleesi is her puppy, and feels the connection between her and her current puppies. Gibbs has shown zero interest in the puppies.


----------



## Nate83

Why does she pick who is allowed and not allowed?


----------



## DanaRuns

Nate83 said:


> Why does she pick who is allowed and not allowed?


You got me. She has her own reasons.


----------



## Nate83

423pm. That little guy is going to town getting it while it is good lol


----------



## mylissyk

I watched last night for a bit, and then tuned in just now, and OMGOSH! They have doubled in size overnight. lol


----------



## Macca

Am I imagining it or does one of the roly-poly puppies have its eyes open? They're so much fun to watch!


----------



## sophieanne

I was going to ask the same question. I swear I saw an open eye today.


----------



## DanaRuns

Their eyes are beginning to open. Just on the inner corners. In a few days, these pups will have eyesight. And then mom's really in trouble!


----------



## Red Dogs

I having been watching these babies since the beginning and just wanted to say thank you so much for allowing me into your home to view these beautiful pups grow. I love love watching Ziva being such a wonderful mom. She looks exactly like my Tessa who I lost to cancer in July. it's nice to hear the squeaks from them all. (as well as the Christmas tunes) I hope we get to see them right till 8 weeks! I'm getting puppy fever!
Thank you again for sharing... I will be watching.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Oh boy, they are getting sturdier on their feet. All heck is going to break loose soon!


----------



## sophieanne

They are looking big, healthy and ready for trouble (and loving!). Could I get the name of their cleaning service??? I want cozy, new warm blankets every day


----------



## Sandy22

I've been away for a couple of days with spotty internet, so I couldn't check in. I can't believe how much bigger they are!


----------



## joro32000

Wow, this was a real treat watching them smelling a pigeon or maybe a duck wing. I haven't watched them for a week, I swear they grew double in size, some of them are already walking rather than crawling. 

When you showed them the wing, some were really sniffing it and others were less interested. Is this how you tell which puppy would be a better fit as a hunting dog and which would be best for a home pet? 

Again, thank you so much for keeping this camera rolling. It is so much fun watching them and also it is a great educational value.


----------



## DanaRuns

joro32000 said:


> Wow, this was a real treat watching them smelling a pigeon or maybe a duck wing. I haven't watched them for a week, I swear they grew double in size, some of them are already walking rather than crawling.
> 
> When you showed them the wing, some were really sniffing it and others were less interested. Is this how you tell which puppy would be a better fit as a hunting dog and which would be best for a home pet?
> 
> Again, thank you so much for keeping this camera rolling. It is so much fun watching them and also it is a great educational value.


It was a pheasant wing. Glad you enjoyed watching it. I had a blast doing it! 

At this point, we cannot do any evaluation on how birdy or otherwise predisposed to hunt and field work a particular puppy is. Their little brains and nervous systems aren't even completely hooked up yet, and their brains actually respond very, very slowly due to a lack of myelination of the nerves at this young age, and thus responses aren't indicative of anything. All we can tell at this point is whether they like a smell, dislike it, or are disinterested in it (which could be because those nerves aren't hooked up yet). And that may change over the weeks ahead.

The exercise is meant merely to stimulate the nervous system, to promote myelination, and to give them new experiences. Since they are in the transitional stage between neonates and real puppies, it's very important to their brain development to give them a constant stream of new experiences. Once their eyes and ears are completely open and functioning (that process has already started), we will switch their experiences to objects and activities. For now, smell and physical orientation stress are about all they can do. But by the end of next week, that will change completely and you'll see all sorts of neat stuff going on.

Thanks for watching!


----------



## joro32000

DanaRuns said:


> It was a pheasant wing. Glad you enjoyed watching it. I had a blast doing it!
> 
> At this point, we cannot do any evaluation on how birdy or otherwise predisposed to hunt and field work a particular puppy is. Their little brains and nervous systems aren't even completely hooked up yet, and their brains actually respond very, very slowly due to a lack of myelination of the nerves at this young age, and thus responses aren't indicative of anything. All we can tell at this point is whether they like a smell, dislike it, or are disinterested in it. And that may change over the weeks ahead.
> 
> The exercise is meant merely to stimulate the nervous system, to promote myelination, and to give them new experiences. Since they are in the transitional stage between neonates and real puppies, it's very important to their brain development to give them a constant stream of new experiences. Once their eyes and ears are completely open and functioning (that process has already started), we will switch their experiences to objects and activities. For now, smell and physical orientation stress are about all they can do. But by the end of next week, that will change completely and you'll see all sorts of neat stuff going on.
> 
> Thanks for watching!


Thank you so much for explanation. I always hear it is the best if the breeder decides which puppy goes to which house. I didn't realize it is way too early to decide on anything :smile2:


----------



## WharzTippy

I am quite late to post to this wonderful event. I followed the last Ziva puppy sega along with puppy cam. I wasn't yet a member, yet so I couldn't post. No I will enjoy this one all the more I cant't thank you enough for taking so much time not only sharing but educating us to all the little known time consuming work involved with a liI was glad to have a very good trainer back in the early eighties that told me it wasn't a good idea to breed my Sheltie. She kindly told me if she needed a C-section I would have a hard road ahead, not to mention possibly loose her. I was very naive concerning anything at all breeding in those days.

I truly can't imagine a Moderator or anyone moderately reading this forum and having the slightest thought that you were soliciting for future puppy buyers! I only takes a short while on most dog forums to realize puppies from serious, honest knowledgeable breeders have puppies sold more than a year in advance. Well so much for that. I truly am enjoying and learning. I found out I could never have the personality to breed. I worried about re-homing an inexpensive tropical fish whitch out grew my aquarium. It takes a very special person to do this the best way. 
Shari


----------



## DanaRuns

Thanks Shari! I'm glad you enjoyed the last puppy cam and are now watching this one. 

I have zero trouble sending puppies to their forever homes. For one thing, I never think of the puppies as belonging to me. I consider that I am merely a custodian of other people's dogs, and I have the weighty responsibility to take really good care of them for those other people. And frankly, a litter completely turns life upside down and makes everything more difficult. So I'm actually thrilled when people come get their puppies and take them to their lives, on big, life-long adventures. With me, the pups are just getting ready to go on those adventures. So I'm very excited when they get to actually embark on them.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Aww-look at those little peepers that are open! So cute!


----------



## danoon58

I have been watching the puppies and Ms. Ziva from the start but not had time to post. They are truly remarkable. They are getting so big!

I can't imagine going through surgery and having all those mouths and little paws rooting around on me! How is Ziva recovering? She is such a good dog mommy!


----------



## joannabelle54

Beautiful pups, congratulations!


----------



## cwag

Dana,
Just curious are you going to keep one from this litter?


----------



## sophieanne

Wow! They are getting big and it was so wonderful to see open eyes! I bet they all said 3 things...1) Wow, I have lots of siblings 2) Wow, my mommy is beautiful!!!! 3) Now we can see the wonderful people who are helping mom look after us!!! They just seem to be growing up so fast this time!


----------



## PattyMcN123!

Hi I'm new to this forum and have posted a few times and am excited to hopefully get a golden puppy early in the summer. I hope I don't sound stupid but I would love to watch the cam, do you have to be invited or is it ok for everyone to watch, and if so how to I find it. Thanks in advance,
Blue Skies,
Patty


----------



## CAROLINA MOM

PattyMcN123! said:


> Hi I'm new to this forum and have posted a few times and am excited to hopefully get a golden puppy early in the summer. I hope I don't sound stupid but I would love to watch the cam, do you have to be invited or is it ok for everyone to watch, and if so how to I find it. Thanks in advance,
> Blue Skies,
> Patty


Just click on this link, you may want to bookmark it so you can check in to watch anytime, it's up 24/7.


https://video.nest.com/live/Dg0iPZIIFM


----------



## DanaRuns

danoon58 said:


> I have been watching the puppies and Ms. Ziva from the start but not had time to post. They are truly remarkable. They are getting so big!
> 
> I can't imagine going through surgery and having all those mouths and little paws rooting around on me! How is Ziva recovering? She is such a good dog mommy!


Ziva seems just fine, now, two weeks after her surgery. She seemed pain free very early, and we discontinued her pain meds after just two days.

In the next week or so, however, she will be taxed. As the puppies transition from neonates to weaned puppies, that time before weaning is very hard on mom. We are feeding her 10 cups of food at day plus supplements, and still she is beginning to look gaunt and haggard. The third week is a tough time for dams, but she's healthy and happy and doing well.

Thanks for asking about her. Everyone thinks of the pups, but not mama.


----------



## DanaRuns

cwag said:


> Dana,
> Just curious are you going to keep one from this litter?


Yes. Oh god, yes. We are keeping pick girl.

Personally, I think we have enough dogs right now. But Theresa wants to keep one from this litter, so... <sigh>


----------



## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> Wow! They are getting big and it was so wonderful to see open eyes! I bet they all said 3 things...1) Wow, I have lots of siblings 2) Wow, my mommy is beautiful!!!! 3) Now we can see the wonderful people who are helping mom look after us!!! They just seem to be growing up so fast this time!


Hahaha!  

Their eyes are open, but they can't see much, yet. They are VERY myopic, and have trouble even seeing big things right in front of them. But they are becoming aware of their siblings, for the first time, which has more to do with brain development than eyesight. Their ears are still closed, but by the end of this week they should be hearing. They are also up on their feet and trying to take a few tentative steps. They couldn't pass a sobriety test, though. LOL!


----------



## DanaRuns

Ace x Ziva puppies on Day 15. They are two weeks old today.


----------



## cwag

Funny, in the video it looks like Ziva is actually counting the puppies.


----------



## DanaRuns

cwag said:


> Funny, in the video it looks like Ziva is actually counting the puppies.


She does count them! And when we lost the one pup, she knew, and kept searching for him and looking at me like, "Well? Where the heck is my puppy!?"


----------



## joro32000

DanaRuns said:


> Yes. Oh god, yes. We are keeping pick girl.
> 
> Personally, I think we have enough dogs right now. But Theresa wants to keep one from this litter, so... <sigh>


When will you decide which of the 6 girls to keep? Do you already have any preferences? And how do you tell who is the one to keep? Just curious. To me they all look like keepers, I couldn't decide.


----------



## DanaRuns

joro32000 said:


> When will you decide which of the 6 girls to keep? Do you already have any preferences? And how do you tell who is the one to keep? Just curious. To me they all look like keepers, I couldn't decide.


So, between 7 and 8 weeks of age, the puppies supposedly have the structure that they will have as adults. The week after, they begin to fall apart. Before, they are not formed enough. So there's that one-week window when we can get an idea of what they will look like as adults. It's not perfect. Sometimes they fool you. But it's the best opportunity, and you really can't miss that window by more than a few days.

At that time, we bring in other people for a litter evaluation. We bring in the sire's owners, our handlers, and knowledgeable breeder friends, and together we'll put the puppies up on a table, stack them, and evaluate their structural strengths and weaknesses. We bring others in because we want a third party eye, both to confirm our own thoughts and in case we are "kennel blind" as to faults a puppy has. We will look at them on the table, gait them around on a leash, and all together talk about them and evaluate each puppy's strengths and weaknesses as a group (though, truth be told, some people's opinions are worth more than others').

Also at 7 weeks old you can do meaningful temperament testing, and we will do that. Plus, between 3 weeks old and 8 weeks we will watch them and evaluate who, if anyone, seems to have that indefinable "it" quality that makes for a great show dog. 

With luck, the best structure, best gait, best temperament and the "it" factor will all reside in the same puppy. And if so, that's the one we keep. If not, we have to weigh attributes and find the best overall show prospect.

Sound complicated?  

I am very mercenary about it. I do not fall in love with any of the puppies until ours is chosen. After we choose our puppy, _then_ I will fall in love with her. Not before. At this age, I barely notice them. I look only at the color of their collar or yarn so I can weigh them, supplement them, and do record keeping. I don't think of them as individuals yet.


----------



## joro32000

DanaRuns said:


> So, between 7 and 8 weeks of age, the puppies supposedly have the structure that they will have as adults. The week after, they begin to fall apart. Before, they are not formed enough. So there's that one-week window when we can get an idea of what they will look like as adults. It's not perfect. Sometimes they fool you. But it's the best opportunity, and you really can't miss that window by more than a few days.
> 
> At that time, we bring in other people for a litter evaluation. We bring in the sire's owners, our handlers, and knowledgeable breeder friends, and together we'll put the puppies up on a table, stack them, and evaluate their structural strengths and weaknesses. We bring others in because we want a third party eye, both to confirm our own thoughts and in case we are "kennel blind" as to faults a puppy has. We will look at them on the table, gait them around on a leash, and all together talk about them and evaluate each puppy's strengths and weaknesses as a group (though, truth be told, some people's opinions are worth more than others').
> 
> Also at 7 weeks old you can do meaningful temperament testing, and we will do that. Plus, between 3 weeks old and 8 weeks we will watch them and evaluate who, if anyone, seems to have that indefinable "it" quality that makes for a great show dog.
> 
> With luck, the best structure, best gait, best temperament and the "it" factor will all reside in the same puppy. And if so, that's the one we keep. If not, we have to weigh attributes and find the best overall show prospect.
> 
> Sound complicated?
> 
> I am very mercenary about it. I do not fall in love with any of the puppies until ours is chosen. After we choose our puppy, _then_ I will fall in love with her. Not before. At this age, I barely notice them. I look only at the color of their collar or yarn so I can weigh them, supplement them, and do record keeping. I don't think of them as individuals yet.


Thank you! i need to reread your post about 3 times more to make more sense of it. The selection process looks very complicated, I thought you go by heart or guts feelings, but I guess experienced breeders have some additional criteria. Thank you for the info and as usual very much appreciated.


----------



## Nate83

How you don't fall in love with the puppies is something I couldn't due. I have a very soft heart for animals. I would fall in love but i would be able to give them up because they are going to great homes.


----------



## Nate83

Does Ziva ever sleep LOL. She is always in the go.


----------



## DanaRuns

joro32000 said:


> Thank you! i need to reread your post about 3 times more to make more sense of it. The selection process looks very complicated, I thought you go by heart or guts feelings, but I guess experienced breeders have some additional criteria. Thank you for the info and as usual very much appreciated.


Four years ago today, we did the same evaluation with the litter Ziva came from that we will do with Ziva's current litter. Here is Ziva up on the table with us taking a look at her and taking pictures. It was from this evaluation that we chose Ziva. A pretty goo decision, if you ask me. It has been quite an adventure, though. Lol!


----------



## sophieanne

Baby Ziva..so beautiful!!! You made a wonderful choice. Those pups are very lively this morning....I think Ziva might want to hide under a blanket for a little while


----------



## Nate83

Her belly LOL


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

I just saw some bitey-face going on! Hehehehe!


----------



## rooroch

My goodness! I have just been watching the Christmas decorations on and in the puppy’s box. Fantastic and very pretty. Thank you.


----------



## Macca

Yes, Santa's in the whelping box! Nice eye catching decor for the pups and us humans observing them. I love seeing them toddle around and their collars make them look less like newborns.

Have you had any feedback from the hospitals that are linked to the puppy cam?


----------



## DanaRuns

Macca said:


> Have you had any feedback from the hospitals that are linked to the puppy cam?


The one in California has sent us a screen shot of the puppy cam playing in the hospital. Nothing from the New York hospital.


----------



## DanaRuns

rooroch said:


> My goodness! I have just been watching the Christmas decorations on and in the puppy’s box. Fantastic and very pretty. Thank you.


Yeah!  It looks great during the day. Here it is tonight.


----------



## sophieanne

What a cozy, christmasy place to be. I love the reindeer stuffies with them..my gosh puppies are bigger than the reindeer! When will they start eating food? (I don't want to miss watching one of the feeding times)


----------



## Ginams

Peeked in just before cleaning time. It is amazing to see how much better they get around just over the past few days. Ziva looked very interested in whatever was going on with the laptop just before the bedding change :smile2:.


----------



## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> When will they start eating food? (I don't want to miss watching one of the feeding times)


One more week. I expect they will bathe in it, sleep in it, etc., before really figuring it out. Cute to see.


----------



## sophieanne

I have to say, I love this litter..they are beautiful and all look great. I remember how Boomer stood out in the first litter (big, strong and silly). All 9 of these pups look healthy and happy and strong. You and Theresa are helping Ziva do a fantastic job!!!! P.S. - I bet Ziva cheered about 1 more week till weaning to solid food


----------



## Nate83

In a 24 hr period how many is spent sleeping for them?


----------



## rooroch

I just enjoyed watching you realise that the camera had moved!! Ziva’s face as she watched you move it was lovely. I also saw some bottle feeding earlier for the first time. They drink well and the burping afterwards made me laugh. Very important part of the process. Thanks.


----------



## DanaRuns

Nate83 said:


> In a 24 hr period how many is spent sleeping for them?


23.999. The rest is spent pooping.


----------



## DanaRuns

The puppy cam is playing everywhere. Here is a high school physics class that watches it every day. On this day they texted Theresa and had her do things with the puppies to interact with the school kids. It was neat.


----------



## sophieanne

Wow! That is really neat. Those puppies are adding joy, happiness and education all over; very impressive! You may need to get 9 little pairs of sunglasses for the Christmas time stars


----------



## danoon58

I keep seeing about the California wildfires - are they close to you?

The puppies are absolutely gorgeous! I love how mobile they are becoming. Do you have nicknames for them like last time?


----------



## puddles everywhere

They are all so precious!!!! I want the one with the red collar  He/she's trying to play but keeps falling over. His or her ears are getting darker and who knows, might turn to have just a little deeper color like mom.

Ziva is such a good mommy and certainly has her hands full with this litter. The 1st litter of 3 was a good warm up for this group.


----------



## danoon58

Ziva is such a good mommy and certainly has her hands full with this litter. The 1st litter of 3 was a good warm up for this group.[/QUOTE said:


> I think when Ziva was having this many pups she was thinking......hmmmm, seems like a LOT of puppies!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Boy they certainly were more vocal today!


----------



## sophieanne

I agree with Brinkley, I looked in when one of them was singing along with the music coming from Theresa's phone. It was sooo adorable!


----------



## DanaRuns

danoon58 said:


> I keep seeing about the California wildfires - are they close to you?
> 
> The puppies are absolutely gorgeous! I love how mobile they are becoming. Do you have nicknames for them like last time?


The fires are all around us, but not near us. Knock on wood! 

We don't really have nicknames, so much. Based on their collars, we do have Pink Lady and Aquaman. The red one is El Jeffe. But that's about it, this time. Feel free to contribute your own nicknames!


----------



## DanaRuns

Okay, check this out.  Blue Girl hears the Xmas music and decides to sing along. So cute! 

At this age she can't quite figure out where the sound is coming from until she literally stumbles onto it. Then listen to her go!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

I was watching when this happened-it was so darn cute!


----------



## dlmrun2002

That is an awesome capture of the pup singing.

My first thought as a sound engineer is that the pup DID find the sound source. Human frequency response is 
20hz -20khz. Mature dogs can hear much higher frequencies that human can't hear. I am not sure of the puppies frequency range at this point in their age.
Low frequency sound is non-directional but travels much further then high frequencies. It appears the sound was coming from a cellphone which wouldn't have any low frequency info. It is possible the pup was reacting to either the sound in general or possible some high frequency sound we can't hear but the pup heard. Those high frequencies can bother mature dog hearing. Maybe push the cell phone back 5 feet. Now that I think about it I am curious to the puppies frequency range at this age.

dlm ny country


----------



## DanaRuns

dlmrun2002 said:


> That is an awesome capture of the pup singing.
> 
> My first thought as a sound engineer is that the pup DID find the sound source. Human frequency response is
> 20hz -20khz. Mature dogs can hear much higher frequencies that human can't hear. I am not sure of the puppies frequency range at this point in their age.
> Low frequency sound is non-directional but travels much further then high frequencies. It appears the sound was coming from a cellphone which wouldn't have any low frequency info. It is possible the pup was reacting to either the sound in general or possible some high frequency sound we can't hear but the pup heard. Those high frequencies can bother mature dog hearing. Maybe push the cell phone back 5 feet. Now that I think about it I am curious to the puppies frequency range at this age.
> 
> dlm ny country


Hmmm, very good question. I don't know the answer about what frequency range they can hear at 3 weeks old. I know they have very little ability to distinguish sound direction at this age, but don't know if that means they are hearing only at the lower end. However, I doubt she's reacting to high frequencies beyond human hearing. From what I recall, the iPhone speaker's frequency range is about 160-16,000 Hz, with huge drop-offs at either end, well within the range of human hearing, even at my advanced age.

I think she was reacting to the sound and trying to make sense of it. She wasn't bothered by it, but sought it out and stayed right there with it. Hm, it's not a howl, but sounds kind of like it. It's not a predator, but it also doesn't sound like a dog. Very confusing. Best to sing along.


----------



## rooroch

My thought was that the sound (which was quite high) bothered her. The sounds she made was the same as a puppy upset by something new. I got that sound from pups I put on grass outside when they were just 3 weeks old. Too early for them to accept the bright sun light and strange feeling of being outside.
I think the suggestion of putting the phone a bit further away until they are 1 or 2 weeks older might be a good idea.
No criticism intended. I think you are both and Ziva of course are doing a fantastic job.


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## DanaRuns

I disagree. But whatever.


----------



## sophieanne

Ziva's 9 puppies are beautiful/handsome, healthy, happy and could not be receiving better care (in fact, 24 hr care that most don't get). Dana and Theresa are the best and would never do anything not in the best interest of the pups. I was watching when the singing happened and the little girl did not appear scared or upset; she found the source of the music (which wasn't the first time it was on) and sang along. It actually brought back a memory to me when my first golden was a little pup. I was singing (big mistake). My girl looked at me and started howling. That was an upset dog. D &T don't need me defending what they do, I just had to say something because I admire both of them for the care and attention they provide the pups and everything they do for them is always in the pup's best interest. We're here as welcomed spectators, not to provide advise to those who don't need it. This is not meant to be critical, just a comment.


----------



## Nate83

Here is a rather simple and very direct way to deal with it... If you are not a breeder then do not tell someone who is a breeder what they are doing wrong, chances are you are the one who is wrong.


----------



## DanaRuns

I don't mind the opinions. I just disagree.


----------



## rooroch

I did not mean to cause upset. I bred dogs for over 20 years, although I no longer do, so have some experience. I think they are doing a fantastic job and should have kept my thoughts to myself. Will do in the future. Sorry.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Full on bitey face today! I cannot believe how quickly they change-so cute!


----------



## balijade

They look so different today compared to yesterday. Cute overload just makes me wanna have a puppy!


----------



## HallY’all

I’m loving the puppy cam, I can’t stop watching! What is the cookie sheet for?


----------



## HeidiHo

I was wondering the same thing about the cookie sheet - the pups seem to love to lay on it!:laugh:


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## DanaRuns

rooroch said:


> I did not mean to cause upset. I bred dogs for over 20 years, although I no longer do, so have some experience. I think they are doing a fantastic job and should have kept my thoughts to myself. Will do in the future. Sorry.


No upset caused here. I just disagree with your assessment. You absolutely do not need to edit yourself. It's all good.


----------



## DanaRuns

HallY’all said:


> I’m loving the puppy cam, I can’t stop watching! What is the cookie sheet for?


Good question.

The cookie sheet is for two things: Mostly, it is for puppies to lie on if they are hot. And if a pup is screaming and I want to find out if it's because the puppy is hot (they scream because they are hungry, or hot -- oddly, they do not scream when cold -- or "lost," or just generally unhappy), I'll pick up the pup and put it on the cookie sheet. If it calms down, I know it was hot and will adjust the temperature.

Also, it's just another surface for them to experience and have to deal with.


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## DanaRuns

Tonight you'll see a change in the puppy cam. Tonight the puppies' territory gets expanded, and they will have a small play area and a great big potty box (though if we can't find the right parts, they will have an interim potty box that isn't that big). Stay tuned!


----------



## joro32000

Whom are the mystery strangers coming into the puppy box? On Saturday there was a blond woman (not you Dana) sitting with the puppies, checking them out. On Sunday around the same time there was a blond man sitting there. Is this the time puppies need to be exposed to all sort of humankind: men with mustaches, umbrellas, hats and beards? Puppies look better and chunkier every single week, great show!. I do not see Ziva in the box any more, even during the night she is not much around. Is she done with motherhood and prefers some well-deserved peace?


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

I saw her in there twice just this morning. It's so cute to see the puppies swarm to her.


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## Wendy427

I just love the puppy piles!


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## Nate83

They are getting big and active.


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## danoon58

They are so big! Looking more like little dogs and less like lumps of fur. I love the tiny pads on their feet!


----------



## HeidiHo

They are so adorable - especially when Ziva comes into the whelping box! Love to see how much they've grown. About how much do they weigh at this point?


----------



## danoon58

Ziva is such a good mommy! So tolerant of all of them.


----------



## Neeko13

Oh boy.....Id love to have that job right now!!!!! Puppies!!!!!!1 :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## Ginams

Feeding time! I can't believe how much they look like puppies now.  They are so fun to watch. Ziva is always so good, too.


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## Rundlemtn

DanaRuns said:


> Tonight you'll see a change in the puppy cam. Tonight the puppies' territory gets expanded, and they will have a small play area and a great big potty box (though if we can't find the right parts, they will have an interim potty box that isn't that big). Stay tuned!


What happened to the expansion?


----------



## DanaRuns

3Pebs3 said:


> What happened to the expansion?


"...if we can get the right parts." We were not able to get the parts. But we will be doing something today in the short run, because these puppies are ready for more space.


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## sophieanne

They are such adorable little dogs (puppies!). When is meet the rest of the dog family day?


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## LynnC

My 1 1/2 YO granddaughter loves watching the puppies ❤ She keeps saying “puppy”, then we count them.


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## DanaRuns

LynnC said:


> My 1 1/2 YO granddaughter loves watching the puppies ❤ She keeps saying “puppy”, then we count them.


That's AWESOME! May I share the photo?


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## LynnC

DanaRuns said:


> That's AWESOME! May I share the photo?


Of course . She was even saying “shhhhhh sleeping”.


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## DanaRuns

LynnC said:


> Of course . She was even saying “shhhhhh sleeping”.


Thank you! That photo is the cutest thing EVAH!     So adorable! And I love the "puppy, puppy" counting and the "shhh sleeping." _SWOON!_


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## laurenC

These babes are just delicious <3


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## DanaRuns

Their first playpen and potty box. Two of them have used the potty box already. Two others missed it entirely.


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## DanaRuns

One of them is sleeping with its face in the potty box right now. Wish I had my camera.


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## sophieanne

I was just watching the pups...they are so cute!!!! Funny, the playspace seemed so much bigger when there were only the 3 amigos   . They look like they love their new space!!!!


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## balijade

DanaRuns said:


> One of them is sleeping with its face in the potty box right now. Wish I had my camera.


I took a screenshot of it! Too cute! I remembered when Cappy or Boomer would actually fall asleep in the litter box.


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## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> I was just watching the pups...they are so cute!!!! Funny, the playspace seemed so much bigger when there were only the 3 amigos   . They look like they love their new space!!!!


The space gets bigger. There are two more steps after this. This is just the first step.


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## DanaRuns

Pink girl is milk drunk and passed out with her goat.


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## sophieanne

Just saw Theresa doing a great clean up of the new area. I hope the pups leave a little special something in her Xmas stocking! They are soooo well taken care of, it's so nice to watch!
P.S. - was also watching the pups as they were going up/down the stairs. One giant step for puppies!!!!! (like landing on the moon!)


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## sophieanne

Gosh..the puppies are lively this morning. I see Ziva keeping an eye on them. Is it her choice to be outside their space instead of in the middle of the action?


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## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> Gosh..the puppies are lively this morning. I see Ziva keeping an eye on them. Is it her choice to be outside their space instead of in the middle of the action?


It is definitely her choice. We would prefer she be in there. She's pretty much done with them. Feeds them briefly a few times a day and then she's gone. We may start weaning them soon.


----------



## Cpc1972

They are so cute. It’s crazy how fast puppies grow in a short amount of time.


----------



## Gleepers

I may be in love with the little white collar pup. 
Probably going to be the difficult one. (I always fall for the difficult one)


----------



## DanaRuns

Two bottle feedings today, so far, and a guest who spent an hour in the puppy pen with the puppies made for some fun video. That, and our little dog Dave also spent some time with the puppies. If you weren't watching the puppy cam, you missed some fun.

Tomorrow (sunday) we're going to try feeding them their first gruel. It's a little early to start weaning them, but Ziva has pretty much had it with them, and she barely feeds them anymore. We are having to bottle feed so much that we've decided to try weaning them now. If it goes as usual, the first gruel adventure will see them wearing more of it than they eat.  Stop by tomorrow and check it out, if you want. We will have one more bottle feeding tonight, too.


----------



## DanaRuns

Pink girl stylin' in her new hat, with Theresa.


----------



## sophieanne

Awww..just watching Theresa bottle feeding the pups. They adore her!! What a big task with 9 of them. She was vacuuming a few minutes ago, one of the pups was absolutely brave and jumped in to check out what Theresa was doing and kept checking out the vacuume..that is awesome! At 11 my girl dog is still afraid of the vacuume. You are both doing a wonderful job getting them use to sounds, scents and touch! It's great to watch them progressing.


----------



## Gleepers

I was just watching too. So darn cute. Those pups deffinatly know who has the food these days. 
Bummer that Mom isn’t into it anymore, but with that many mouths to feed I can’t say I blame her.


----------



## joro32000

And I was also watching the feeding show. Better entertainment than watching Oscar winning movie. One by one they fall asleep immediately after the belly is full. I guess Theresa doesn't have to look at the color of the collar, she just looks around who else is not asleep. They quickly learn who is the new mamma, they swarmed around Theresa, not so much around Ziva.


----------



## eml298

Just saw this for the first time and it's beautiful that you broadcast to the Children's Hospitals! Puppies are adorable - brings me back a couple months to when I started visiting Finn at my breeder's home. How fun it must be to see them 24/7, especially for their future families - I'd have had a hard time ever leaving the site were I one!


----------



## DanaRuns

They took to their first gruel wonderfully! After just a second, they all got it. And while many of them stood in it while eating, it wasn't too bad a mess. White girl was the only one who was a little unsure of the process, but I guess she got enough, because when I went to supplement her with formula bottle feeding, she only drank about a 1/2 ounce before deciding she was full. It was actually pretty fun!

Also, we had our first outing outside today. Yay puppies! An exciting day! 











You can hear how windy it was. VERY windy! I think that made them a little chilled, so it was a pretty short excursion. Next time, more time!


----------



## sophieanne

I wondered where the pups went today!!! It looks like a good time was had by all despite that wind. They sure are growing fast. Tiny little dogs with cute stubby legs and tails and absolutely loveable faces! Theresa looks like she was enjoying puppy hugs and kisses!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

That was so fun!! I swear they double in size every day!


----------



## cwag

Brinkleythegolden said:


> That was so fun!! I swear they double in size every day!


I was thinking that too. Their gruel must have magic growth powder in it.


----------



## DanaRuns

Today's gruel adventure.


----------



## DanaRuns

I have no idea why the photos posted sideways.


----------



## DanaRuns

By the way, for those who followed the last litter and remember little Cappuccino, the puppy with the really rough start, here he is last night. He has grown into a fine, very energetic, handsome young man of 11 months.


----------



## sophieanne

Wow and wow! Feeding time looks like loads of fun!!! (except for those on cleaning duty).
Wow - Cap/Tanner is one handsome fellow!!!! Thanks for sharing that was us!!!! I was wondering how he was doing. Did Khaleesi and Ziva recognize him???


----------



## CAROLINA MOM

DanaRuns said:


> I have no idea why the photos posted sideways.


Are these cell phone pics? If so, when taking a picture, turn your phone horizontally instead of taking the pic with the phone vertically.


----------



## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> Wow and wow! Feeding time looks like loads of fun!!! (except for those on cleaning duty).
> Wow - Cap/Tanner is one handsome fellow!!!! Thanks for sharing that was us!!!! I was wondering how he was doing. Did Khaleesi and Ziva recognize him???


Khaleesi and Ziva didn't see him. We went to Tanner's house last night, and that's where the photo was taken. We were invited to their Hanukkah celebration, so we went to see Tanner, eat some good food, meet some nice people, and I performed some magic for them. And in-between, we hung out with Tanner. I suspect the family thought we came over just to see him! Lol!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

He sure is handsome! I was watching the gruel feeding-that was quite the adventure! One little one actually left the food bowl, went in the potty box and pooped and then went back to eating--pretty smart!


----------



## sophieanne

Thanks for the note about your visit with Cap/Tanner..i hope you had a wonderful time out, little break from the pups . Did Tanner recognize you? Did your magic trips go well? I hope you had a wonderful visit!


----------



## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> Thanks for the note about your visit with Cap/Tanner..i hope you had a wonderful time out, little break from the pups . Did Tanner recognize you? Did your magic trips go well? I hope you had a wonderful visit!


Yes, he did recognize me! It was so cool! He smelled me and then just went *COMPLETELY FREAK-OUT NUTS!!!* It was such an astounding and intense emotional reaction from him that it made me cry. We hadn't seen him since he was 11 weeks old. And yet he knew...


----------



## dlmrun2002

I guess his nose is working well. He has a "scent" picture of you. That is how he remembers. I'm sure he missed you too and wanted to thank you also for taking care of him and giving him a great "puppyhood". 

dlm ny country


----------



## sophieanne

I think there will always be a bond with him. He knows who looked after him and helped him when he was just a little pup and received all the care and attention that helped him grow into the wonderful dog he is today . The thought of your reunion brings tears of joy to my eyes.


----------



## Wendy427

11:45am e.s.t. - YAY puppy mash! Love the 6-bowl feeders!


----------



## danoon58

The puppies (and Momma) seem to LOVE the new feeders! They are so very cute. 

I cried when you said that Capp remembered you! That's beautiful. I always wondered if the dogs would remember the breeder. What you did for him was great.


----------



## puddles everywhere

I finally caught then when they were awake! They are too precious and getting so big. They will be going to their new families soon and will miss my daily check in. 
Thank you so much for sharing.


----------



## Rundlemtn

Oh my - that black collared puppy <3 swoon!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

There's one that's a little troublemaker-biting everyone and trying to incite stuff-what a stinker!


----------



## SandyK

So cool that Tanner remembered you!!:grin2:


----------



## Altairss

Everyone up and playing just what I needed this morning


----------



## thicks

OMG.. I was watching this at not to long ago and they were all so small.. Checked back today and WOW.. they grew so fast.. So awesome..


----------



## Sandy22

Lots of activity this afternoon. Puppy bitey face and towel tug of war. They look like they are having so much fun! I can't believe how big they are getting. I will miss watching them when they go home to their new families, but I'm sure you will be happy to have a little less responsibility.


----------



## Deborus12

Oh, I love watching you clip their little toenails! Where can I get the clippers you are using? I haven't seen those at my local pet stores or at least I can't remember seeing them. They look very non-slip and easy to use.


----------



## DanaRuns

Deborus12 said:


> Oh, I love watching you clip their little toenails! Where can I get the clippers you are using? I haven't seen those at my local pet stores or at least I can't remember seeing them. They look very non-slip and easy to use.


They are baby nail clippers.


----------



## CashStringer

I don't know if the puppy cam is the best thing in the world or the worst thing! It's giving me MAJOR puppy fever! I showed it to my husband and before I could even say anything his response was "Don't even think about it!" In all fairness, we do have our hands full with our two boys ... Thank you for sharing!


----------



## balijade

Puppies are sooo cute. Envying Theresa right now who gets to play with them (but not earlier when she was cleaning up...lol)


----------



## wsaunders1014

Lol glad to see they aren't afraid of the vaccuum.

Do they ever spend time with their mother again? Or do you separate them at a certain age?


----------



## sophieanne

I saw Ziva (mom) with them last night and this morning. I know her time is limited but she does go in to see/feed them.


----------



## Nate83

Why would her time be limited?


----------



## dlmrun2002

Am I the only one who counts the puppies every time I check in on the Puppy Cam? 
That should be for Ziva and her pack.


dlm ny country


----------



## sophieanne

Sorry I didn't write that properly...Ziva's time isn't limited...I meant she goes in for short visits. *Smacking my hand for wrong choice of words*


----------



## DanaRuns

wsaunders1014 said:


> Lol glad to see they aren't afraid of the vaccuum.
> 
> Do they ever spend time with their mother again? Or do you separate them at a certain age?


We don't keep them apart, but Ziva doesn't spend much time with them anymore. We do make her stay in there overnight, though.


----------



## Red Dogs

I have learned so much watching these puppies grow thank you, this really is a full time job! This might seem like a dumb question but I noticed the puppies like to sleep in there potty box. I was always thought dogs don't like to sleep where they go to the bathroom, is that just a puppy thing?
Also those puppies have a witching hour, I couldn't sleep the other night and logged in around 2am and they were going nuts so funny to watch jumping and biting each other hopping around so cute. I noticed Ziva sleeping on her blanket, she jumped in to see what was going on and decided just too overwhelming for her and jumped right out although I think they really wanted to eat. I don't know which colour but one puppy stretched up trying to push the barrier over just a hoot to watch! So wish I could hold and smell those little babies.
Merry Christmas to you and all the pupsters and thank you again.


----------



## sbnev

Thank you so much for the webcam! There ought to be a warning label that watching puppies is addicting They are all so beautiful!


----------



## DanaRuns

The great Christmas Even puppy adventure. Outside without an enclosure for the first time.


----------



## sophieanne

They look like they had a wonderful time outdoors!!! Now the majority of them are sleeping in 1 litter box..PUPPIES!!!!! Go figure.
Was one of the pups hiding outside..I only counted 8??


----------



## rooroch

Lovely watching them move. You are going to have fun deciding which one to keep!!


----------



## wsaunders1014

DanaRuns said:


> We don't keep them apart, but Ziva doesn't spend much time with them anymore. We do make her stay in there overnight, though.


Is that to help ease the transition of giving them away?


----------



## DanaRuns

wsaunders1014 said:


> Is that to help ease the transition of giving them away?


LOL! No, it's because they have sharp little teeth and they swarm her for food whenever she comes near them. It is normal for the mothers to spend less and less time with them as they get older.


----------



## sophieanne

Merry Christmas Dana, Theresa, Ziva, Uncle Dave, Isabelle, Gibbs, Khaleese and adorable puppies!!!!! I hope you all have a wonderful day!


----------



## joro32000

I have been watching the puppies for the last 3 weeks or so and I can’t imagine selling them for just 2500$. The amount of work Theresa puts every day is already worth $$$$. Every time I look at the cam she bends over either vacuuming, feeding them, collecting items for a laundry and then repeat the same thing over and over again each day. Naively I thought mum will take care of the puppies (I have seen it at my great grandparents place half century ago mutts had nests in the barn raising puppies). Now, adding the work involved for a daily care + vet bills+ pedigree certificates, stud fees and show titles I can’t see the pup could cost less than 5K if the breeder is not for profit and then add some extra for these who treat it as a taxable income.


----------



## DanaRuns

joro32000 said:


> I have been watching the puppies for the last 3 weeks or so and I can’t imagine selling them for just 2500$. The amount of work Theresa puts every day is already worth $$$$. Every time I look at the cam she bends over either vacuuming, feeding them, collecting items for a laundry and then repeat the same thing over and over again each day. Naively I thought mum will take care of the puppies (I have seen it at my great grandparents place half century ago mutts had nests in the barn raising puppies). Now, adding the work involved for a daily care + vet bills+ pedigree certificates, stud fees and show titles I can’t see the pup could cost less than 5K if the breeder is not for profit and then add some extra for these who treat it as a taxable income.


It's not so much about the money as it is finding the right homes for the puppies. We made these little lives, and we owe it to them to make the best lives we can for them. And while we need to charge enough to recoup some of our expenses, we don't want to price good homes out of the market. This is about the love of Golden Retrievers. It is not about being a business, or making a profit, or charging as much as we can. We turned down someone who offered us $7,500 for a puppy.


----------



## DanaRuns

Ace x Ziva puppies, birth to Christmas.


----------



## sophieanne

What a wonderful keepsake!!! I didn't know whether to smile or cry, so I did both!!!
Thanks for sharing them with all of us.


----------



## rooroch

That video was lovely. Thanks


----------



## Ginams

There is quite the party going on in their new, expanded area. I needed a joyful puppy fix today.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Aww, how sweet!


----------



## myluckypenny

Hah so I was watching when you were measuring the litter pans and was laughing out loud at how the puppies were swarming you! They are so adorable!


----------



## DanaRuns

So, now we have a Puppy Play Castle (an adventure box) assembled and in there. We will switch out the things dangling in there from time to time. We have some paint cans that they absolutely love because they make such wonderful sounds, but then we can't sleep at night, so we're holding off on those. But we have plastic chains, tennis balls, paint rollers and cups at the moment. And they can climb over, under and inside it. Right now, they are having a blast exploring their new toy. 

Check it out. Here's a screenshot that shows the Play Castle at the top of the photo, with three puppies checking it out (and a puppy pooping in the lower right, grrrr!).


----------



## DanaRuns

myluckypenny said:


> Hah so I was watching when you were measuring the litter pans and was laughing out loud at how the puppies were swarming you! They are so adorable!


They just love to "help."   

I was measuring to install a surround around the potty boxes, with a higher lip, because they were scattering the pellets everywhere. I'm hoping a couple extra inches in height will keep more of the stuff where it belongs. And because it's wood, they wanted to immediately chew it, so I sprayed it all with Bitter Apple to discourage them. I don't know if it will work. Pee will soak right into the wood, so if they pee on it too much, I may have to throw it out. But Theresa got tired of cleaning up the pellets five times per day, so we're giving this a try, for now.


----------



## DanaRuns

One of the puppies fell asleep with her face in the water dish. So cute. She needs a snorkel!


----------



## sophieanne

I really enjoy watching them in their bigger space with all the fun toys!
It's funny watching them sleep in their litter boxes or watching the little one who needs a snorkel in the water bowl. They are definitely little handfuls now...so sweet!
In a couple weeks, it'll be just a pleasant memory!!! I bet the new families are all getting excited!!!


----------



## DanaRuns

3 minutes of puppy Zen. This is the litter outside today.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Wow-who wound them up this morning?


----------



## Neeko13

Its funny, everytime I count, I only count 8...and again today, and then, over in the corner under the toy apparatus, I see a lil foot moving!!!! Lol...it's like doing Where's Waldo?????:grin2::grin2::grin2::grin2::grin2:


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Neeko13 said:


> Its funny, everytime I count, I only count 8...and again today, and then, over in the corner under the toy apparatus, I see a lil foot moving!!!! Lol...it's like doing Where's Waldo?????:grin2::grin2::grin2::grin2::grin2:


Bwahaha! That's funny!


----------



## sophieanne

3 minutes of puppy zen was fantastic. My dog went crazy watching the pups and listening to the squeaky ball being thrown outside the penned in area. Those pups seem to love the outdoors!


----------



## sophieanne

They are so lively and full of energy today!!! Every time I was up and about I had to peak in. They really add joy to my day! Happy New Years weekend!!!!


----------



## Cpc1972

Lol. Bless the puppy who just missed inside of the potty box. I think it’s amazing they even know to use it at such a young age.


----------



## Sandy22

It's 7:30 pm pacific time and eight of them are sleeping in their potty box. Oh how I will miss their silliness!


----------



## sophieanne

Wow..watching them early this morning, approx. 6 AM.....a barrel of golden fun.
I watched Ziva go in and then two minutes later...help Theresa get me out!!! Then watched the pups get excited and jump all over the gate looking for T. I understand Ziva - 9 pairs of razor teeth coming after you. They look bigger each an every day,


----------



## LynnC

Watching them all cuddled together just makes me think how much they’re probably going to miss one another once they go to their forever homes. Gives me a new appreciation for how traumatic it must be for our little puppies on Gotcha Day and no wonder so many of them have difficulties those first few days .


----------



## wsaunders1014

Just heads up, not sure if its important, but the mom is in there eating puppy poop while the pups are out somewhere.


----------



## DanaRuns

wsaunders1014 said:


> Just heads up, not sure if its important, but the mom is in there eating puppy poop while the pups are out somewhere.


Mom is actually supposed to eat the poop. That's what they do. I wish she'd do it more. Once they are weaned, the moms pretty much stop eating it, and these puppies are 90% weaned. In fact, starting tomorrow, they won't get any of mama's milk, and will be 100% on puppy food, so I would be (pleasantly) surprised if she eats any more.

When you were watching, we had all the puppies at the vet for a vet check. All are healthy and beautiful, weighing between 7.5 and 9.5 lbs. The reason we went is they have some diarrhea, but all the tests were negative. (That's not a lot of comfort, though, as tests for Giardia and Coccidia often show false negatives.) We came away with medicine and a plan to firm that poop back up. Dealing with 9 puppies with diarrhea is no fun, at all!

Tomorrow (I think), we're going to move them downstairs, into the kitchen area, so they can be with us, hear all the noises, interact with the other dogs (and cats), and have easy access to outside. We're tired of carrying puppies, two at a time, up and down stairs every time they go outside. So the camera will be offline while we make the change. FYI.


----------



## DanaRuns

LynnC said:


> Watching them all cuddled together just makes me think how much they’re probably going to miss one another once they go to their forever homes. Gives me a new appreciation for how traumatic it must be for our little puppies on Gotcha Day and no wonder so many of them have difficulties those first few days .


I dunno. I hope these puppies aren't going to miss each other too much. We are trying to socialize them, get them crate trained, and get them excited about having new experiences, so that when they go to their real homes they fit right in. The goal is to make the transition NOT traumatic, but exciting.

Here's hoping we do it right.


----------



## DanaRuns

Oh god. Theresa just had a terrible incident. She was mauled by a pack of wild dogs. Thankfully she survived.


----------



## wsaunders1014

DanaRuns said:


> Mom is actually supposed to eat the poop. That's what they do. I wish she'd do it more. Once they are weaned, the moms pretty much stop eating it, and these puppies are 90% weaned. In fact, starting tomorrow, they won't get any of mama's milk, and will be 100% on puppy food, so I would be (pleasantly) surprised if she eats any more.


I did not know that, why do they do that?


----------



## rooroch

Mother dogs eat the poop to keep the puppies bed clean. In the wild there are no humans to clean up and wash the sheets!! Love the video. I used to have fun doing that with my puppies too.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

DanaRuns said:


> Oh god. Theresa just had a terrible incident. She was mauled by a pack of wild dogs. Thankfully she survived!
> https://youtu.be/piMBmiNLGlc


???how awful!


----------



## cwag

DanaRuns said:


> Oh god. Theresa just had a terrible incident. She was mauled by a pack of wild dogs. Thankfully she survived.
> 
> https://youtu.be/piMBmiNLGlc


I see Ziva outside the pen wagging her tail. Probably thinking I'm glad they are mauling Theresa and not me!


----------



## sophieanne

Theresa is one brave soul   . Those puppies looked like they loved every minute of the attack and absolutely adore her.


----------



## DanaRuns

For 2018, the puppies have moved into a new apartment. They are now down in the kitchen area.


----------



## Sandy22

Great new space. They really like that tupperware container. I wonder if the pups are outside now (8:20 am pacific time)? They aren't in their space, but there is a cute little guy that seems to be looking out the window. Happy New Year!


----------



## DanaRuns

Sandy22 said:


> Great new space. They really like that tupperware container. I wonder if the pups are outside now (8:20 am pacific time)? They aren't in their space, but there is a cute little guy that seems to be looking out the window. Happy New Year!


Yup, they were outside. Everyone is back home now, though. That was our rescue terrier mix, Dave, who was looking out the window. He didn't want to come out when everyone went, but when we were all outside suddenly he wanted out. Dogs!


----------



## sophieanne

Nice new apartment! I see Uncle Dave and others looking in on the pups. Going outside definitely looks like it will be easier for all involved. Happy New Years!!!!
P.S. - are they 6 weeks old today?


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Nice digs!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Omg, they have quadrupled in size!


----------



## myluckypenny

Dana, are you keeping one out of this litter? Are most of the puppies staying in the area or do you have some going farther away? They are so adorable!


----------



## cwag

Wow, they have literally been bouncing off the walls this morning. Then they become a whirling tornado of puppies. It's been a great mood enhancer on a crappy day at work. Are you starting to see individual personalities emerging?


----------



## Siandvm

I tuned in to see the whirling tornado of puppies and...they are all completely zonked, lol.


----------



## sophieanne

Those little monkeyshines  - Theresa vacuumes, scrubs, cleans the litter boxes, etc. and what do they do? Jump right back into the litter boxes for their nap. It would drive me whacky if they weren't so darn cute


----------



## DanaRuns

myluckypenny said:


> Dana, are you keeping one out of this litter? Are most of the puppies staying in the area or do you have some going farther away? They are so adorable!


Hi! Yes, we are keeping a girl. We will find out which one next weekend when we do our litter evaluation. One is going to Oregon, one is going to Arizona, and the rest are staying in California (all over the state).


----------



## DanaRuns

One of the puppies, outside today. They are getting pretty stinkin' cute!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

They are adorable! They're so fun to watch!


----------



## DanaRuns

Puppies today. Chasing each other. Mama Ziva saying, "No more boobie juice!" and then the puppies yelling, "Get her!" and giving chase. And finally, the puppies love playing with Uncle Dave.


----------



## KKaren

Oh that looks like such a fun afternoon. We in the east coast are freezing and it looks so idyllic to see your beautiful puppies running about. Love the pictures.


----------



## Helo's Mom

They are so cute. I'm going to miss the puppy cam. I think we only have 1 more week? The new mommies and daddies are so lucky!!


----------



## Nate83

How is the puppy evaluation done?


----------



## sophieanne

Those are absolutely wonderful pictures of the pups..running and playing with Ziva and Uncle Dave! They grow sooooo fast! They all look sooooo happy!


----------



## DanaRuns

Helo's Mom said:


> They are so cute. I'm going to miss the puppy cam. I think we only have 1 more week? The new mommies and daddies are so lucky!!


TWO more weeks. We are keeping them to 9 weeks old.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Yay, an extra week of puppies!


----------



## DanaRuns

Nate83 said:


> How is the puppy evaluation done?


Well, it's quite a process. First, Theresa and I go through two days of temperament testing for the pups. (It takes two days to do them all.)

Then, we do structure and gait analysis. Next Friday we are taking all the puppies to a place where our handlers will be, and we will invite some other knowledgeable dog people, such as the owners of the sire and some local breeders and handlers. Everyone then stands/sits around as we put each puppy on a grooming table, one at a time, and stack them like they get stacked in dog shows. 










It's quite an adventure stacking 8-week old puppies!  Then we evaluate their structure.

We look at their heads, their bites (even though they have puppy teeth), their top lines, their front and rear sets, the angles of their limbs...










...the amount of loin relative to rib cage, their prosternum, the dimensions of length relative to height, the amount of leg they have, their shoulder laybacks, tightness of elbows to body, tail set, hocks, pigment, eye shape and color, ear placement and size, whether the boys have both their testicles, etc. Lots of very subtle things that take years of experience to be able to see. And not everyone always agrees on what we see.

As a group, we comment on each puppy's structural strengths and weaknesses, and we photograph each puppy. 

Then we get each puppy one at a time on a loose lead and get them to trot out and back, and then around in a circle, to analyze each puppy's gait. We look for foot placement and timing, smoothness of gait, reach and drive, feet low to the ground...










...proper convergence, no crabbing or sidewinding, and hopefully maintaining their top line and proper head placement, etc.

We also look for "showiness," that indefinable something that they either have or don't have.

With a lot of luck, one female puppy will have the best (for us) temperament, the structure closest to the breed standard, the best gait, and will be the "showiest." If that happens all in one pup -- which is rare -- that's the puppy Theresa and I will keep. Otherwise, we have to evaluate relative strengths and weaknesses. We also look for other puppies with those qualities, and we decide which is the "pick" male and pick female, for show homes. The female we keep, the pick male (or perhaps second pick female) will go to another show home.

After that, the evaluation group dissipates, and then Theresa and I decide which puppies are best suited for the various homes. We have a TV producer who lives in a Bel Air mansion and his pups have their own staff (and he always has Goldens in his shows), we have a young gay couple in San Francisco, a family with kids who live in the country, a performance home (obedience, scent, agility), and a single lady whose puppy will be a constant companion, among others. Theresa and I take all the information we've developed and evaluate which puppies are best suited to which homes.

Sorry you asked? Lol!


----------



## rooroch

Thanks for all that detailed information. I would love to be a "fly on the wall" during these evaluations. My litter's father's breeder drove 10 hours from Germany to help evaluate one litter. We had his first litter (10 puppies - 4 show champions). It is fantastic when breeders come together to help check out puppies. I hope all goes well and you find your perfect choice. They all look so beautiful it will be a hard decision.


----------



## sophieanne

Rub a dub...WAIT
There's 9 pups in a Crate    
It must be training time....are they barking or anything? I see one of them (maybe more) trying to jump up and out (good luck little pup!)...


----------



## Ginams

I just tuned in to quite the frenzy. Boy are they excited about their visitors. It was kind of like watching them going turbo speed!


----------



## sophieanne

We saw lots of visitors today..was one of them Tanner's mom??? (I've seen her on the Tanner/Amber site). Is Tanner going to get a new brother or sister???


----------



## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> We saw lots of visitors today..was one of them Tanner's mom??? (I've seen her on the Tanner/Amber site). Is Tanner going to get a new brother or sister???


Yes! As a matter of fact, Tanner's whole family was here! Good eye.


----------



## Nate83

DanaRuns said:


> Well, it's quite a process. First, Theresa and I go through two days of temperament testing for the pups. (It takes two days to do them all.)
> 
> Then, we do structure and gait analysis. Next Friday we are taking all the puppies to a place where our handlers will be, and we will invite some other knowledgeable dog people, such as the owners of the sire and some local breeders and handlers. Everyone then stands/sits around as we put each puppy on a grooming table, one at a time, and stack them like they get stacked in dog shows.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's quite an adventure stacking 8-week old puppies!  Then we evaluate their structure.
> 
> We look at their heads, their bites (even though they have puppy teeth), their top lines, their front and rear sets, the angles of their limbs...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...the amount of loin relative to rib cage, their prosternum, the dimensions of length relative to height, the amount of leg they have, their shoulder laybacks, tightness of elbows to body, tail set, hocks, pigment, eye shape and color, ear placement and size, whether the boys have both their testicles, etc. Lots of very subtle things that take years of experience to be able to see. And not everyone always agrees on what we see.
> 
> As a group, we comment on each puppy's structural strengths and weaknesses, and we photograph each puppy.
> 
> Then we get each puppy one at a time on a loose lead and get them to trot out and back, and then around in a circle, to analyze each puppy's gait. We look for foot placement and timing, smoothness of gait, reach and drive, feet low to the ground...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...proper convergence, no crabbing or sidewinding, and hopefully maintaining their top line and proper head placement, etc.
> 
> We also look for "showiness," that indefinable something that they either have or don't have.
> 
> With a lot of luck, one female puppy will have the best (for us) temperament, the structure closest to the breed standard, the best gait, and will be the "showiest." If that happens all in one pup -- which is rare -- that's the puppy Theresa and I will keep. Otherwise, we have to evaluate relative strengths and weaknesses. We also look for other puppies with those qualities, and we decide which is the "pick" male and pick female, for show homes. The female we keep, the pick male (or perhaps second pick female) will go to another show home.
> 
> After that, the evaluation group dissipates, and then Theresa and I decide which puppies are best suited for the various homes. We have a TV producer who lives in a Bel Air mansion and his pups have their own staff (and he always has Goldens in his shows), we have a young gay couple in San Francisco, a family with kids who live in the country, a performance home (obedience, scent, agility), and a single lady whose puppy will be a constant companion, among others. Theresa and I take all the information we've developed and evaluate which puppies are best suited to which homes.
> 
> Sorry you asked? Lol!


Not at all sorry, I will be getting a show(performance) male from a breeder Prism recommended me to here name is Mary Ann Revell, the Pedigree is Pedigree: Boss to Duchess . She does evaluation as well so i wanted a idea of what the process is like.


----------



## HallY’all

Do you start any training before they go home? If so, at what age?


----------



## sophieanne

Is it party day? Are the puppies throwing a party for big sister Khaleesi's 1st birthday???


----------



## DanaRuns

HallY’all said:


> Do you start any training before they go home? If so, at what age?


No obedience training, not with 9 puppies. The only training we do before they go home is potty training and crate training.


----------



## sophieanne

I just looked in and saw lots of dinner bowls . I'm sure they all jump from bowl to bowl, but that's a small part of training too.
I saw one of them close up beside Ziva yesterday, wow, they're small yet they are big.
When do they go for evaluation day?


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Man, there sure seem to be a couple of instigators, chewing on other's necks and such. Stinkers!


----------



## DanaRuns

sophieanne said:


> I just looked in and saw lots of dinner bowls .
> When do they go for evaluation day?


Tomorrow afternoon. So if you see the puppy pen empty for a few hours, that's why.


----------



## sophieanne

Thanks for the info....I have to brace myself for the start of puppy withdrawal


----------



## wsaunders1014

What's involved with temperment testing?


----------



## DanaRuns

wsaunders1014 said:


> What's involved with temperment testing?


Way too much to lay out in one post. During the testing, the tester and observers can evaluate up to 33 temperament traits of puppies between 7.5- and 10-weeks old. The shorter APET created for breeders who sell only to pet homes and who do not want a long test, consists of 19 exercises and takes 12-15 minutes per pup. The Full APET’s 23 exercises takes 30-45 minutes per puppy and further evaluates its stamina, focus and other traits most important to working and competition puppies.

Each of the 33 temperament traits are evaluated on a 1-10 scale with clear descriptions for both end points and the middle. Traits are identified by whether they are stable or tweakable so breeders, owners and trainers can match on stable traits and develop the tweakable ones.

It takes two days of testing for 9 puppies.

Here's the advertising page on the APET temperament testing: Puppy Temperament Test | Match Puppies to Owners | Avidog


----------



## Nate83

You should post a video of one of the pups getting evaluated.


----------



## DanaRuns

Well, we had the evaluation. It was really difficult. All the puppies are so consistent, and so nice, which is really odd since this was a bit of an outcross. To get such consistency in an outcross is unusual.

Of the three boys, two could have been the pick. Of the six girls, three or four could have been the pick. So, we had to make some arbitrary choices. As far as show prospects go, we settled on Aqua Man for the boy pick, and Sweet Georgia Brown for the girl pick. We are considering keeping both of them, because as absolutely awesome as Brown Girl was, Aqua Boy has the potential to be really special.

We went back and forth on them, with one being the consensus pick, then upon further comparison another would eek out the win. And after going back and forth for two hours, everyone but me settled on Aqua. I was still on Brown. The thing that got it for Aqua was his head and his forechest. Dude has a gorgeous head and a keel like a sailing ship. But others had things just as nice, so we frankly could have picked almost any one.

I am VERY happy with how they turned out. Ace turns out to be a fantastic sire, and this paring was everything we hoped it would be. I'm super excited!


----------



## DanaRuns

Nate83 said:


> You should post a video of one of the pups getting evaluated.


I might have, if I had read your post before leaving. But on the other hand, it's a deliberative process, and we want everyone to feel like they can say anything, and having video running would probably interfere with that. Sorry!


----------



## sophieanne

Wow!!!!! Sounds like it was a great and challenging evaluation. That was comment I made way back, they all seemed to be similar in size and look (gorgeous) and I could totally understand how hard it would be to decide. I say keep all 9   
I just peeked in on them, they all look exhausted and ready for a good night's sleep!
Sweet dreams little pups!


----------



## rooroch

I thought it would be difficult to make your final pick. They all look so evenly good when watching videos of them running outside. I am so glad you found one of each to run on and hope that your choices do really well in the future. It will be fun to follow their progress. Incredible how an outcross litter can be so even in looks and conformation. Genetics are such an interesting subject.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

What exactly is an outcross litter? Just curious. I don’t know how you can choose just one..


----------



## DanaRuns

Puppy conundrum. Keep the best girl for our breeding program? Or the best show pup in the litter, a boy? Or...both?

Keep just the boy? I do love the boys, and this boy looks wonderful. But we can't breed him to our own, and he can't whelp litters.

Keep just the girl? She's a lovely bitch, great temperament, and she'll likely do well in the show ring. But there's something about that boy...

Keep both? That would be great, but it puts us over our self-imposed dog limit. At some point, you have too many dogs. This might be that point.

Ugh. Tough decision.


----------



## Nate83

I say keep the boy, if you have a feeling go with your gut. when you breed him you can ask for the best of the litter right? if so do that. just my suggestion.


----------



## cwag

That is a tough decision. I wouldn't have any idea what to do. A go with your heart or head choice.


----------



## Rundlemtn

If it were me, and my breeding program, it would be the girl. Just the girl. When I was picking Rundle, there was a boy I quite like from the litter too. I never regretted bringing Rundle home instead of him. Needs and what is right for your household needs to trump wants and desires. But, only you guys know what you can handle.


----------



## rooroch

I would keep both. Is there a way you could find a good home for him later where the people would let you show him? I know in the US things are more difficult to organize. I did this with quite a few of my boys and it worked really well.
As he is out of an outcross can he not be used on any of your girls?


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

I'd keep them both!


----------



## LynnC

Keep them both! Don’t overthink it. Really, in the big picture whats 1 more dog??? ?


----------



## DanaRuns

This is Aqua Man.



















This is Brown Girl.


----------



## sophieanne

Aqua man is one incredibly handsome boy!!!! They seem so much bigger when on the table for examination. I can see why you're so taken by him. I vote Yes that he's the one you keep (of course I'll vote yes again if you post your girl choice next). Face it, I'm taken by all of them!


----------



## DanaRuns

Brown Girl is the one we are keeping.


----------



## Rundlemtn

DanaRuns said:


> Brown Girl is the one we are keeping.


Congrats! She's lovely! Can't wait to learn her name!


----------



## DanaRuns

3Pebs3 said:


> Congrats! She's lovely! Can't wait to learn her name!


Her name is Esquire's Sea 2 Shining Sea. Call name "America."


----------



## rooroch

He is beautiful and could be a real star. What a difficult decision. I would keep him. She is lovely too. What a fantastic litter. Whatever you chose to do will be the right thing for your family.


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

She’s beautiful! He’s a handsome little dude, too! How the heck do you not keep both?


----------



## rosegold

DanaRuns said:


> Brown Girl is the one we are keeping.




Congratulations! She is lovely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sophieanne

Yay!!!!! Welcome to your new family America. She is beautiful. Now Khaleesi can be chased by the little one (what goes around, comes around  )
Curious - are Ziva and Gibbs related in any way?
I know you've shown pics of his reunion with a litter of pups. Is he more of a show dog?


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

It's a big dog party at Dana and Teresa's house!


----------



## Nicoleandjake

I'm sure there's a reason, but incase you didn't know, the camera is aimed at nothing at the moment  puppy withdrawals.....


----------



## Nate83

Can you explain what you saw in the two pups that made you like them. Also even at that young age you can see the male is bulkier than the female, crazy how at a young age so different.


----------



## DanaRuns

Nicoleandjake said:


> I'm sure there's a reason, but incase you didn't know, the camera is aimed at nothing at the moment  puppy withdrawals.....


Taken care of. Thanks.


----------



## DanaRuns

FYI, two puppies go home tomorrow. Red boy, now named Woody, and Blue girl, now named Lola, will be going to their forever home tomorrow at 1pm PST on Monday. However, if you watch Fuller House, you may see them again sometime.

The remaining puppies will go home next weekend, some Saturday and some Sunday. That will leave two of them, Brown girl who we are keeping and whose name is America, and Aqua Man.

A week from today, when all but Aqua has gone to their homes, the camera will go off permanently. So get your puppy fixes while you can. And we have really enjoyed everyone's posts and participation. Thank you!


----------



## Brinkleythegolden

Puppy withdrawal.....


----------



## Nate83

If you didn't live so far away and if I didn't already put a down payment on a show quality puppy i would take you up on that offer.


----------



## sophieanne

Tears of happiness for their new homes!
Tears of sadness - going to miss the little ones!
Thanks so much for sharing them with us!!!!!!!
(Helped bring joy into some hard days!)


----------



## wsaunders1014

DanaRuns said:


> A week from today, when all but Aqua has gone to their homes, the camera will go off permanently. So get your puppy fixes while you can. And we have really enjoyed everyone's posts and participation. Thank you!


Thank you so much for opening your home to the camera and letting us all in on the process. I've learned a lot, and have enjoyed the puppy stream immensely. I keep it on all day at work! Love watching them romp around.


----------



## cwag

Thank you so much for letting us into your home to watch the puppies. It was very educational and I have a better understanding of Rukie from watching the puppy behaviors. It was also very therapeutic and so relaxing to watch them. I will miss them alot. Maybe you could record it next time and when they go home you could just replay it for us so we don't have to do without our puppy fix!


----------



## Nate83

Some quick things that i find amazing, first they alrdy have the idea of where to poop, the other thing is whenever you come in they go spastic, it is funny beyond funny.


----------



## rooroch

It will make a big change for you when they go.


----------



## sophieanne

That puppy space is soooooooo big now that Woody and Lola have gone to their new home. It looks like you and Theresa had lots of fun getting to them when it was time to go to their forever home  Time has just gone so fast, it just seems like yesterday Ziva had them. Hope you all have a good rest of this week together


----------



## KiwiD

There is one pup who seems to having a hard time pooping. Been watching for about the last half hour and he or she just continually is in the position to go but nothing comes out. I know you can’t have eyes on them 24/7 so just wanted to let you know

Edit - the pup was checked on right after I posted!

The pen already looks so empty with the two gone, will miss watching them once they’ve all gone home.


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## sophieanne

Wish we could hear the going away stories but know that's not possible. Thanks for sharing the last 8/9 weeks with all of us.


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## Sandy22

sophieanne said:


> Wish we could hear the going away stories but know that's not possible. Thanks for sharing the last 8/9 weeks with all of us.


Me too! I've so enjoyed watching these pups grow. Thank you for sharing this with us. I'm really going to miss my puppy fixes!


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## Brinkleythegolden

I know, I just peeked in-I really am going to miss them!


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## sophieanne

Enjoy your last night together, adorable pups! Your forever families are coming to get you over the next 2 days. Maybe there will be a reunion in the future????


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## Wendy427

WOW they’re rowdy this morning! Pulling each other by the tail LOL


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## CAROLINA MOM

Wendy427 said:


> WOW they’re rowdy this morning! Pulling each other by the tail LOL


I just peeked, they certainly are full of it this morning, they're fun to watch.


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## dlmrun2002

I'm going to miss this brood. Thank you Dana and Theresa for all you have done. A job beyond compare. A special to wish to all the puppies loping a well worn path of treats, love and uncountable tail wags.

dlm ny country


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## Helo's Mom

I just watched one of the puppies (I think it was a lavendar collar but hard to tell) eat a lot of the black stuffing. Might want to keep a close eye on that one.


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## Neeko13

They are very active indeed....I'm not sure that's healthy for them to all be pulling all the stuffing out of that bed.. hope no one eats it!!!


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## joro32000

Not my pups, not my life, but I feel so sad puppies are going away today. For the last 2 months I kept watching them whenever I could, a few minutes here and there at work and they became part of my life. Seeing them so joyful together, I can imagine the first few days in their new homes will be tough for them. 

Thank you Dana for allowing us into your kitchen. It was a wonderful experience. I was just watching the puppies when Theresa put the sticky on a wall. A few tears rolled down my cheeks.


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## KKaren

Thank you Dana, All the best as they make their way in their new homes. Just taking a few last views of these fluffy happy little ones.


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## Brinkleythegolden

Thank you, Dana and Theresa! It was so wonderful of you to let us watch these babies!


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## danoon58

Thank you Dana and Theresa! It has been a wonderful time to (once again) watch the development of Ziva's litter. I was both sad to see the puppy cam come down and happy for the beautiful puppies to be going to their forever homes. 

Having watched their bond and interaction I can certainly understand why it is so hard for puppies to go from being one of a "group" to being alone in their new home.

I'm sure it's a pain at times having all of us in your home so to speak - but we do appreciate it!


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## SKT

Thank you so much Theresa & Dana for turning on the camera and allowing everyone to see these beautiful puppies grow. It’s been an education and a joy watching them. I’m sad the camera has been turned off (for me) but happy for the new owners.


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## DanaRuns

Thanks everyone. Sorry I didn't respond for the last week.

Anyway, thank you all for spending your time with us over the last two months. It was frankly a pretty exhausting whelp and litter. Ziva has earned some time off, for sure. All the puppies have fantastic forever homes. All you have to do is look at the smiles to know that they are in loving homes.

Two of them (red boy and blue girl), now named Woody and Lola, live with a TV producer in a mansion in the Hollywood hills, which is the old Sharon Tate estate (though the house was knocked down after she was murdered by Charles Manson and family).










He loves them like crazy, and they will be on the TV show Fuller House, I am told. Not as regulars, but if there's a scene at a vet's office or that calls for animals, they will be there.

One of them (pink girl) is now named Magic. She went to an amazing dog home where she will be competing in obedience, scent work and agility. She has an incredible owner and will have a great doggy life.










Purple girl (now Maddie) was the last to go. She went home with her two dads to the San Francisco Bay Area. She will be spending a lot of her time with one of her dads on the Google campus, where they encourage people to bring their dogs to work.










White girl (now Tula) went to an amazing family in Tucson, AZ. The whole family came out to meet her. Some drove, and some flew. They are 100% uniformly great people, and had even sent Christmas presents for all the puppies when they were little.










Black boy (now Jagger) went with a lady who had recently lost her previous Golden, and Jagger is now the light of her life. OMG is he getting so much attention! He's going to run that household. Lol!










Purple girl (now Wrigley, or Captain Wrigley according to the kids who drew a whole comic book about her) went to a family in Eugene, Oregon. They have a lot of space and a super loving family, and Wrigley is going to keep them all busy.










Aqua man is still nameless and homeless. We had a show home for him, but discovered some canine disease in that home and so it fell through. He's lying here next to me in my office today as I type this. I am so tempted to keep him. He's going to be a really impressive boy. But two puppies is too much, and we still have 119 pet home applicants who will take him. We can always repeat the breeding if we want to.










And Brown girl (now America) is our new puppy that Theresa and I are keeping. She has the sweetest disposition ever, and I'm already completely in love with her. She will be a show dog, traveling the country and competing along with her half-sister, Khaleesi, who was Espresso from Ziva's last litter. She also may be a great little dock diver. 










This litter was quite an adventure. We had 130 applications and all the puppies were sold before they were born. We were up all night with Ziva as she tried to whelp this big litter of 11 puppies, but one got stuck in the birth canal and neither we nor the vet could turn him around. We lost that puppy, and Ziva ended up delivering 4 puppies at home and the rest by emergency C-section. Another puppy, little Orange boy, was very small and his innards not formed well, and he died less than 24 hours after birth, though we worked really hard, through the day and night, trying to save him. But nature has a way of weeding them out.

The rest of the litter was incredibly robust. So strong. So consistent throughout. Since this was an outcross, we thought we would get a lot of variation, but the consistency was amazing. Still can't tell America and Aquaman apart without looking at their genitals. Great fun, some trying moments, and a little heartache with this litter.

Sending these puppies home was a little sad. I cried for a few of them. But it is also a big relief, and it feels right. They were never ours to keep, it was just our responsibility to keep them safe for their real families, and we did our very best to give them healthy, happy, bullteproof puppies. The house is very quiet now. It's a time for reflection, even for Ziva it seems, who had a pretty hard time whelping and raising this robust and extremely demanding litter. Her body is in need of a long period of recovery, and she will get it.

I probably won't be around much for a while. But I wanted to stop in to say thank you to each of you, and wind things up. The puppy cam will return when new souls arrive to grace our lives again.


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## Brinkleythegolden

We are sure going to miss them! I for one am going through serious puppy withdrawal!


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## Sandy22

I'm having puppy cam withdrawals too!


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## sophieanne

Me too - puppy withdrawal!!! Thanks so much for the updates on where they are...it's nice to know the final chapter - puppies go home!!!!!
Until next time..have fun with all your dogs!!! and enjoy now that you're down to the 2 (puppies that is)!!!


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## rooroch

I agree. Thank you for all the information you have given throughout the whelping and rearing of this beautiful litter. Enjoy your and Ziva's well earned rest and hopefully we will see more photos in the future.


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## Ginams

Thank you, again and again, for allowing us along for the journey. Your wrap up of the pups' new homes and your feelings through it all is such great insight. The information you have shared, both with the current litter and Ziva's previous litter, have helped me learn so much. Watching these pups develop and seeing the hard work and dedication you, your partner and Ziva put into them was an honor.


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## Gleepers

Thank you for the puppy cam. 
Really enjoyed following along. 
I’m going to miss those little furry bundles


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## Red Dogs

I also want to say thank you so much for allowing me on this journey. I have had 3 goldens and had no idea the journey that goes into having and raising a litter, I have never had the opportunity to experience that and have learned sooo much. I now have an understanding why they are mouthy, why they cry in the middle of the night and so much more. I really miss logging on to watch them, I cried when I read about all the wonderful forever homes they went to. I realized how attached I became to them just from afar. I am so happy for them all, they are all beautiful pups and you should be so proud of the awesome job you have done. If I didn't have a dog recovering from TPOL surgery I would snap up Aqua man for sure, he is gorgeous. Looking forward to the next litter to watch!


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## DanaRuns

Just dropping in to give an update. In January when I last posted, we were trying to figure out what to do with the puppy we had dubbed "Aqua Man." Well, we ended up keeping him. He's now 7 months old. He's a wonderful, loving, courageous puppy, and I'm so glad he stayed with us. His name is "Deuce" (Esquire's Two Aces Up My Sleeve BPISS). Here's a photo of him today.










So far, he's just the kind of dog we were trying to breed.


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## cwag

Wow! He is so handsome and fit looking.


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## sophieanne

Dana, He is absolutely handsome..wow! Time really flies. Hope you'll drop by again sometime!


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## rabernet

He's handsome! Glad you decided to keep him!


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## Brinkleythegolden

What a handsome guy!


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## myluckypenny

He is gorgeous, seriously stunning! Glad you kept him so he can reach his full potential!


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## danoon58

He is seriously gorgeous! How is the rest of the group doing?


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## DanaRuns

DanaRuns said:


> Just dropping in to give an update. In January when I last posted, we were trying to figure out what to do with the puppy we had dubbed "Aqua Man." Well, we ended up keeping him. He's now 7 months old. He's a wonderful, loving, courageous puppy, and I'm so glad he stayed with us. His name is "Deuce" (Esquire's Two Aces Up My Sleeve BPISS). Here's a photo of him today.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So far, he's just the kind of dog we were trying to breed.


Just an update for this old thread...

"Deuce" Esquire's Two Aces Up My Sleeve (Ace x Ziva), "Aqua Man" from this litter, and pictured above, is growing up into a handsome and lovable boy. Here he is from a recent show in Phoenix, AZ, where at 13-14 mos. old he won his first championship points, getting both his majors in back-to-back shows. 


















And he's still a baby. I'm so proud of him. I loved this litter so much, and am thrilled that we got to keep this boy. This is the boy we were trying to place in a show home when the home we had for him became unacceptable to us. We ended up keeping him ourselves, and I'm so thrilled that we did. 

He's the real deal. I can't wait to watch him grow up, and to see him a year or two from now. 

:--heart:


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## cwag

He's magnificent! Thanks for the update


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## Lincgold

Congratulations! So sorry you lost one. The link doesn’t work, however. Good luck with your new babies


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## Lincgold

The live cam isn’t working on Facebook either


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## Lincgold

Oh boy, I didn’t realize this was an old post. Haha... I really need to check those post dates. Sorry


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## DanaRuns

Lincgold said:


> Oh boy, I didn’t realize this was an old post. Haha... I really need to check those post dates. Sorry


LOL! Yeah, this thread is more than a year old. Sorry to drag it back up. I just stopped in to give an update on one of the puppies from this litter.


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## mylissyk

He's a gorgeous boy, congratulations on the majors.


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## rooroch

He is absolutely beautiful. So glad you kept him.


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## CAROLINA MOM

> Just an update for this old thread...
> 
> "Deuce" Esquire's Two Aces Up My Sleeve (Ace x Ziva), "Aqua Man" from this litter, and pictured above, is growing up into a handsome and lovable boy. Here he is from a recent show in Phoenix, AZ, where at 13-14 mos. old he won his first championship points, getting both his majors in back-to-back shows.


Congratulations, he's a good looking boy.


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## Neeko13

He sure is a gorgeous boy....


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## sophieanne

Wow...what a handsome boy..of course all Ziva's pups turned out to be incredibly handsome and beautiful. I'm glad you got to keep him...i remember you writing what a special pairing these two came from. I'm glad things turned out so well.


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## DanaRuns

Just an update for this old thread...

"Deuce" Esquire's Two Aces Up My Sleeve (Ace x Ziva), "Aqua Man" from this litter, pictured below, is now a champion show dog. Pedigree: CH Esquire's Two Aces Up My Sleeve BPISS BOSS BBBE He is 18 months old, and has grown up to be the most loving, charming, happy and beautiful boy we've ever had. We call him Mr. Perfect. He is the one we've been waiting for, and I just love him to pieces. So thrilled with all the puppies from this litter. 














































That is all.  We now return this thread to the depths of hell from which it was raised...


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## DanaRuns

I'm dredging up this old thread because someone sent me the below video, not knowing that it features dogs Theresa and I bred from our Ace x Ziva litter. This is Woody and Lola from this litter, littermates to my boy Deuce, which we sold to the producer of Full House and Fuller House. Lo and behold, he made this video for petsmart charities, and it features the two puppies we sold him, all grown up now. I think they have a good life.

I thought you might like to see it if you followed this thread. Enjoy.


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## cwag

Yep, that looks like a good life. I love the diving to the bottom of the pool for a tennis ball! They are, not surprisingly, gorgeous dogs.


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## DaisyMom

Thanks! Red boy was my fave from that litter. Looks like the pups are living the good life and are wonderful examples of the breed. That song will be in my head for a while.


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## jdavisryan

If that’s a “a dog’s life” then sign me up! Cute video, beautiful dogs.


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## Emmdenn

They sure do live the life! Such a sweet video 💕


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## Wendy427

What an awesome life! Love the massage table shot! 😁


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## Sweet Girl

I think they have a better life than I do. 
I kind of want that pool. 
Great video.


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## DanaRuns

Sorry to dredge this thread up from the dust bin of history.

I thought I'd just document one of the pups from this litter. It's little Aqua boy, whose name is now Deuce. He's 3.5 years old now, all grown up, and this boy has become my heart dog. At first, I wasn't even going to keep him. Three years ago I wrote:



DanaRuns said:


> Aqua man is still nameless and homeless. We had a show home for him, but discovered some canine disease in that home and so it fell through. He's lying here next to me in my office today as I type this. I am so tempted to keep him. He's going to be a really impressive boy. But two puppies is too much, and we still have 119 pet home applicants who will take him. We can always repeat the breeding if we want to.


Well, we kept two puppies, and Aqua was one of them. Here's how he started out in life:

Here he is only a day or two old, he's the one by himself, going on walkabout.









And here he is shortly after that.









And here he is today:

















So he went from puppy without a home to a Grand Champion show dog and the most loved dog in the house. I think that's a pretty awesome journey. 

That's all. I might post more pictures of "Aqua Man" as he ages, and if I get photos of the other pups from this litter, I might post those, too. I loved this litter so much. And I am so very thankful for all the people here who followed this litter through their first 8 weeks of life. I treasure the shared experience.

Okay, keep scrolling. Nuthin' to see here. Move along!


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## mylissyk

Nothing to see but the most stunning boy. So glad you kept him!


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## rosegold

I remember your puppy cam! And didn’t put two and two together that Deuce was from that litter. Magnificent boy.


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## Ginams

He’s magnificent!


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## Deborus12

What a great story and beautiful boy !


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## Dunmar

I came running thinking a new cam was up.
Aquaman is beautiful


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## FurdogDad

That's a great story....kind of an underdog to Wonderdog thing....he's a magnificent dog


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## Lovin'Goldens

It's amazing to see how they grow, from cute to handsome!


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## DanaRuns

Sorry to dredge up this old thread again.

I'm just doing it to bookend the journey for Deuce (aqua man). We weren't even going to keep Deuce, but the home we had for him fell through, so we reluctantly kept him. He became our show dog from that litter. And as of today, he has earned his GCH (and perhaps his GCHB, which I'll find out later), went all over the country including showing at Westminster, and today I was told he made it into the GRCA Top 20. He qualified at the end of June by being the #15 Golden nationwide All Breeds in just 3 months of showing (April - June). A sweet and unlikely journey for a homeless puppy.

Here he is at Westminster, just to have an attention photo. 










Now he's home swimming in the pool, lounging around, getting belly rubs, and living the deeply loved pet dog life he was meant to have. 

That's all. This thread can now sink back into the mud of history, whence it came.


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## buckeyegoldenmom

WOW!! He is Beautiful!! Congratulations!!


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