HOW WE RAISE OUR PUPPIES We take breeding golden retrievers very seriously; beginning with the extremely careful selection of outstanding parents that are healthy and genuine examples of the breed and continuing into every aspect of puppy rearing and development. Every detail of laying a good foundation for our puppies is carefully thought out and purposeful. The first 8 weeks that a puppy spends with us following its birth are extremely important. Nutrition and environment are just as important as genetics in their influence on the future of any puppy - so we do everything possible to ensure that our puppies are given the best possible start in these areas. Puppies are born in the middle of our living room where they are surrounded by family life and receive lots of contstant love and attention. During the early stages I sleep (sort of) a few feet from the whelping box (I am so thankful for a comfortable sofa) so that I can carefully monitor both the mum and her puppies and make sure that everyone is receiving what they need. The puppies spend their early days here and become familiar with all the normal sights and sounds of a busy household. As the puppies begin to grow and become more mobile a second "extension" area is added to the whelping box. From about 3-4 weeks of age the puppies have access to this new area. Here they gain more surety with balance and coordination although a great deal of time is still spent sleeping. They learn how to interact and play with each other and begin to learn the basics of potty training. During this time we also provide lots of different toys and objects for the pups to manipulate and explore. We do not allow any formal visitors for the first 4 weeks of our puppies' new life as the immune system is still developing at this point and it is best not to take any risks with exposing them to disease. We also feel that visitors need to be limited during these first few weeks out of respect to the nursing and tending mum who has an important job to do. However socialization begins as soon as the puppies are born and they are handled multiple times daily, primarily by myself but then as the weeks unfold they are handled frequently (and lovingly) by people of all ages. I always have an abundance of volunteers who offer to come and spend time with the pups over and above the family time we spend with them !! We also incorporate specific handling exercises based on the U.S. Army's "BIO-SENSOR" program for dogs. These short but specific handling methods are proven to produce stronger, healthier, better adjusted dogs. Nutrition is also an important consideration for us in raising our puppies. Even before our puppies are born we ensure that the mother is kept on a very strict regimen for diet and exercise. She is fed a holistic diet which is supplemented with a product that closely resembles the early colostrum or mother's milk that a puppy receives. This supplement is proven to help build the immune system, assist in joint and bone growth, provide nutrients for brain development and simply offer great nutritional support in a number of other areas for the new lives that are growing inside her. In addition this supplement is fed to our puppies once they are able to eat solid food. Our puppies are also started on a holistic diet and we provide detailed feeding and nutrition information to any of our new puppy families so that proper nutrition can be continued even once our puppies leave our care. For the last few weeks of the puppies' time with us we continue the socialization process by introducing them to as many new sights and sounds as possible. The pups may go for short car rides to the veterinary clinic, stores, schools, the arena.... and also spend time exploring the big world outdoors. They spend more time with us in the kitchen where once again they are exposed to a whole new realm of smells and noises. The puppies have opportunity to explore the gardens, the grounds here, the lake (weather permitting) and learn all about the exciting things that are waiting for them beyond our four walls. We aim to provide a loving, stimulating and nourishing environment during these informative and crucial first 8 weeks in order to give each and every one of our Dreamkeeper puppies the best possible start in life. For questions or inquiries please feel free to contact myself, Christina anytime by phone or email. Please see our CONTACT page for information.