[I'm Elaine]

Thanks! I know exactly how you feel! We contact the breeder in Jan. Waited until October for ultrasound confirmation. Waited until November to confirm that there would be a puppy for us. And then end of Dec to bring her home. It was such a long wait, filled with a lot of anxious anticipation! But, I would do it all over again for another puppy like Summit! She really is an exceptional pup! The breeders did such an incredible job with this litter. They picked Summit for us as well, and she is exactly, everything we asked for and more!

The drive was surprisingly easy - just long with the frequent stops to allow her potty breaks. The only times she complained was when she needed to go out. She would just go potty, we'd put her back in the vehicle, and she'd go back to sleep again. I was definitely a bit stressed on the trip with making sure she got out enough, ate/drank enough, didn't get exposed to anything, was happy, and comfortable. I'm glad it went as well as it did. Between the overnight drive there and then back with her the next day... it took me a few days to recover. Thankfully, with every day she's been home since it's gotten a little bit easier! Puppy raising is a lot of work, but, the time invested in your puppy is so well worth it when they are grown and you have an amazing dog!

Yes, the wait is torture! We've been waiting since last December, finally found a good breeder in June and now we are on pins and needles waiting to see how many puppies will be born. Due date is tomorrow and I keep checking every hour to see if they are born yet! Ultrasound showed 5-7 puppies so I am crossing my fingers that there will be enough that one of them is ours! If not, another mama is due toward the end on the month and our breeder feels pretty confident that we'll have our puppy sometime in March. I hope mine will be as easy to learn potty skills as easy as Summit! She is absolutely adorable and I love her color!

 

[3Pebs3]

Yes, the wait is torture! We've been waiting since last December, finally found a good breeder in June and now we are on pins and needles waiting to see how many puppies will be born. Due date is tomorrow and I keep checking every hour to see if they are born yet! Ultrasound showed 5-7 puppies so I am crossing my fingers that there will be enough that one of them is ours! If not, another mama is due toward the end on the month and our breeder feels pretty confident that we'll have our puppy sometime in March. I hope mine will be as easy to learn potty skills as easy as Summit! She is absolutely adorable and I love her color!

Same thing happened to us. Two moms, around the same time. The pups from the first mom started going home around the time ours was born. The other litter was smaller, and the breeders thought Summit's litter might be better for an "agility home." So, we got a pup from the second litter. On Lucy's ultrasound the vet counted 6, and then there were 11 born! So, you never know?!

Ultimately, even though we had to wait a bit longer to bring Summit home, it was worth every second of the wait! If you found a good breeder, than you can trust that they will work with you to make sure you have the right fit for your home. Joanne and Laureen were so fantastic!

Excited for you to get your puppy and to follow your journey with him/her!

 

[3Pebs3]

Ooooh... perfect little black paw pads! Just love the ones of Summit with Rundle chewing their bones.

I too love puppy feet! They are just so velvety soft and perfect at this age!

 

[3Pebs3]

Summit is officially 2 months old!! She met my neighbours 2 goldens through the fence this morning. And Summit and her 6-month old were just dying to play together. Just one more week until Summit gets her second vaccines and her world can open up more!

 

[nolefan]

I'm LOVING all these photos, thank you for being so consistent with posting. Keep up the good work!!!

 

[3Pebs3]

I'm LOVING all these photos, thank you for being so consistent with posting. Keep up the good work!!!

Thanks so much! I actually did this with Rundle over her first year as well, and I am so thankful now as I am raising my second one that I have that thread to look back on.

 

[Sweet Girl]

She is so beautiful. Love her colouring.

 

[3Pebs3]

I've been finding that if I take Rundle and Summit for a little stroll in the field behind my house that tires them out enough that I can get some work time in. I took some photos yesterday, and I love this first one. It just looks as though Summit is in her element, doing exactly what she is supposed to do! I can't wait to be able to take her on her first real hikes in the spring. But, lots of exploration to be done around home in the meantime. We have been really lucky to have pretty temperate weather in Alberta, since bringing Summit home. I know the snow and real cold will come yet. But, it's nice that she will be a little bit older before she does.
This is the last week that Summit gets fed 4x a day, and then we drop it to 3x starting Sunday. I'm hoping that by nixing the late meal, she might not have to get up through the night to potty anymore. She's still rather consistently getting up once per night to go to the bathroom. And maybe that will just be how it is for awhile. Overall, she's doing super well with her sleeping. Going to bed around 10:30PM and up at 6:30AM. That's basically the same sleep pattern I follow. But, with the getting up once per night, and how busy she is through the day, I do find myself feeling quite tired with trying to balance regular life and puppy raising. Rundle also seems a little extra tired these days. When the puppy naps, she naps - and she's sometimes she's so zonked that she can't even be bothered to move closer to us to cuddle! Even with how tired I'm feeling I'm trying to enjoy each day now, because puppyhood is so fleeting. Every morning I wake up, I swear she is bigger than the day before!
Right now she's cuddled up with me on the couch taking a snooze. I'm really glad she's a cuddly golden too. I know they say that females are more independent than males, but, both my females so far have been super cuddly. And I love a good doggy snuggle! Unlikely that we will ever have males, so I hope we keep lucking out with all the snuggly females <3

 

[CAROLINA MOM]

All great pictures, love this one-
She's a beautiful little girl, can really see the changes in her with each picture you've posted.

 

[3Pebs3]

All great pictures, love this one-
She's a beautiful little girl, can really see the changes in her with each picture you've posted.

Thank you! I LOVED this shot too! Celebrated a little when I saw it on my camera

 

[granite7]

That is a fantastic update! For one, you have wonderful pictures of that beautiful pup! Secondly, so much of what you posted mirrors our experience.

How big is she now?

Cody is 14wks and about 22lbs. That makes him a little below average from what I can tell. He looks and feels lean. I’m feeding him four times a day still, because he is hungry all the time.

 

[3Pebs3]

That is a fantastic update! For one, you have wonderful pictures of that beautiful pup! Secondly, so much of what you posted mirrors our experience.

How big is she now?

Cody is 14wks and about 22lbs. That makes him a little below average from what I can tell. He looks and feels lean. I’m feeding him four times a day still, because he is hungry all the time.

Thanks so much! I haven't weighted Summit, as of yet. She will be 10wks old on Sunday, and has her appointment for her second vaccines the following day. I will find out her weight then. From my experience with Rundle, I'm not going to concern myself with weight that much. Rundle was the smallest of her litter, and was below average for a long time while she was growing. Now she weighs on average around 75lbs, which is large for a female! As long as Summit continues to grow, eat and look healthy (not over or underweight) that's really all I'm worried about.

 

[granite7]

From my experience with Rundle, I'm not going to concern myself with weight that much. Rundle was the smallest of her litter, and was below average for a long time while she was growing. Now she weighs on average around 75lbs, which is large for a female! As long as Summit continues to grow, eat and look healthy (not over or underweight) that's really all I'm worried about.

Yes, that is a good approach. I’m pleased with the little guy’s progress and I was curious from the 3x/4x feeding perspective. He is serious about mealtime!

Your Rundle sounds a bit like my Bella. I have slowly been cutting her food back and trying to lose a couple pounds. She is just burly! 23” and 78 pounds. I would like to see her in the low 70s for sure.

 

[3Pebs3]

Yes, that is a good approach. I’m pleased with the little guy’s progress and I was curious from the 3x/4x feeding perspective. He is serious about mealtime!

Your Rundle sounds a bit like my Bella. I have slowly been cutting her food back and trying to lose a couple pounds. She is just burly! 23” and 78 pounds. I would like to see her in the low 70s for sure.

Yes, Rundle might be slightly heavy on the heavy side, but, not much. She's tall, and structurally solid. I'm opting to delay cutting back on her food too much because she is and will continue to be a lot more active now with playing with the puppy. She is also seeing the vet on Monday, so I'm curious to see what they say about her weight as we did cut her back after her last appointment.

It's funny, only in the last few days has Summit shown vigour when it comes to meal time. Before that we really had to get her to focus on eating - hand feeding meals, because all she wanted to do is play, play, play. Now, when I get the bowl "it's on." It's actually nice to see that golden appetite kick in!

 

[I'm Elaine]

She is absolutely adorable! I love the pictures, and it sounds like she has settled right in with Rundle! I can't wait to be joining in the fun times in March!

 

[Rex the Rat]

This picture is precious!!

 

[3Pebs3]

This picture is precious!!

Thanks so much! She's a sweetheart for sure!

 

[3Pebs3]

Summit went to the vet today for her second set of vaccines. It's terrible with the current restrictions having to sent our dogs/puppies in without going in with them. I think she did well though, but, her appointment was a bit overshadowed by Rundle who also was seeing the vet today. Rundle has a lump on her leg. After a consult with the vet we decided that she will undergo a minor surgery tomorrow to remove it, and send it off to the pathologist. Thankfully all of the dogs are sleepy from their appointment, because it's no water or food for Rundle until after her surgery tomorrow morning. She might be a little extra grumpy with the pup in the morning, but, thankfully it's only a couple of hours until she is off to the vet for her procedure. The vet says we have to keep them separate while Rundle recovers from her anesthesia, but, they should be fine to be reunited by the evening. Thank goodness! Because Summit is so attached to her big sister. I think she'd be pretty upset to have to be separated very long.

We do know that Summit is in good health, and weighs a nice 16.4lbs. A great weight for a 10wk old female. And I'm so excited to be able to take her to more places, and to introduce her to neighborhood friends. The fun has just begun!

'

10 weeks

5.5 weeks, 7.5 weeks, 8 weeks and 10 weeks

Causing trouble

Waiting for big sister to come downstairs

 

[CAROLINA MOM]

The pictures of Summit and Rundle just keep getting better.
Don't have a favorite this time, they're all great.

Hope Rundle's surgery goes well and the results are good.

 

[3Pebs3]

The pictures of Summit and Rundle just keep getting better.
Don't have a favorite this time, they're all great.

Hope Rundle's surgery goes well and the results are good.

Thank you, and thank you! I hope so too!