Dear Rosie

Dear Rosie,
It's never easy to say goodbye to family. I will look back on the two short years we had together as nothing short of life changing. As the hardest part of my life came to a climax, you came into my life. Roy and I had just moved back to Utah as I looked to begin my journey to become a teacher. I remember thinking that I would never have a chance like this to become a breeder. I excitedly looked searched for a future friend for Roy. I didn't have to look for long.
I can still see the picture of your beautiful sweet little face on my screen, and I remember knowing that I wanted to have you in my family. I drove a short distance to the home where you were living, with Roy close behind. We sat in your current owners home while Roy excitedly tried to say "hi", but you would not leave your master's side. I didn't realize it at the time, but this moment so well defined what my experience would be with you. It only took a moment and you were in the car coming home with me.

It took some time, but before long you Roy and I were family. The three of us shared the bed (even if it was a twin), and you were always happy to snuggle up next to me when it was cold. I loved that you would climb into the bed, and rest your head on my shoulder. Those first couple of months were a particularly rough time for me, and all along the way I had you for support. Your sweet face, peaceful smile, and wagging tale got me through some really rough times.

Then spring came along, and it was obvious that you were about to bring puppies into the world. I remember preparing our home for them, as you got bigger and bigger. You got HUGE! It became impossible for you to keep up with Roy when we would go play, but he always made sure you got to retrieve the ball from time to time. 

3:45 am May 23 2014- I woke up to a squeal in my room. I jumped out of bed and turned on the lights. Sure enough the first puppy was on his way. We called him Tank because he was so big compared to his siblings. I watched in awe as you delivered puppy after puppy. You knew exactly what to do. Each one was carefully cleaned, and set safely beside you before the next arrived. There were times when I thought you had to be done, after all you were barely a year old and were having your first litter. It wasn't until number 13 arrived that you stood up to admire your work. You were so proud, and so tired. The next 9 weeks you dealt with a lot, but handled it like only the best mom's could. Every puppy got the food they needed, and they were always clean. But even with all that love you still knew they needed to go to their new families. I will never understand how you were so well prepared, but I will always admire that were.

As the puppies left to live with their new families, you seemed to sigh with relief that you would be able to recover. You began to play just as hard as you ever had. You grew back your beautiful coat, and your energy sprang back. It was back to cuddling on the couch, and sleeping in my bed.

It wasn't long, until litter number 2 came. I will take the blame for not giving you much time to recover, but you never held it against me. Just as the first you raised the puppies with perfect love. There were more trials this time, but nothing would stop you from keep your puppies healthy. Once again they went to new homes with your sweet temperament, ready to become someone else's family.

Thankfully there were no more puppies for you, I made sure of that. I wanted you to have a long break, and to be able to enjoy being a dog. Months passed and you became a wonderful, happy, and loving dog instead of a puppy. You waited patiently for me to get home from work every day. You would be sitting in your cage waiting. The minute you saw me your tail would wag, and you would smother me with kisses as I took you out for a run. Even Roy couldn't keep up with you. You would beat him to the ball, but let him bring it back. It was like you were letting him join in the game, even though you could always beat him. When I prepared to throw the ball you would always stand completely still, not even blinking, as you waited for me to throw. Sometimes you even tried to cheat by waiting several feet away in the direction you expected me to throw. Your ears would perk up, and your smile would show until the ball went flying. Then like a dart you would take off. 

As you went into heat, I wanted to be extra certain you wouldn't have puppies. You went to stay with grandma and grandpa. I remember saying goodbye and loading you into the car. It was hard, but I knew they would take good care of you, and I knew you would take care of them. 

It wasn't long before both grandma and grandpa were making it clear that they loved having you around. Just like me, you loved them.

The call came today that you were sick. I could barely breath. Grandpa explained that you were not going to be able to recover. The hardest thing I have ever had to say was "let her go". In those three words I said goodbye to you. Mom put you on the phone one last time. I could see you lying in the vet clinic. I could see your ears perk up as you heard my voice. I could hear your breath and knew that your tail was wagging on the inside. I could feel the love you have for me.

Dearest Rosie, I love you. You have changed my life, and gotten me through some of the worst days I will ever experience. You are the best companion I could have asked for. I know I will see you again someday, but all the days between now and then will be a little less without you. Goodbye my friend.

Entering the best part

The puppies are now little dogs. By that I mean they enjoy things other than sleeping, and eating. Now when people visit they are quick to come say "hi", and sniff shoes (since that's all they can reach usually). They rough house with each other, and then sleep peacefully on the giant dog bed I bought for them. When I get home from work they meet me at the door with all 11 of their little faces looking up at me. There really isn't anything comparable to the welcome I get.
This is by far my favorite stage of the breeding process. Personalities are starting to develop and the pups always look like they're having fun.
With my last litter there was one puppy that showed this kind of energy even earlier then the rest, and for this reason she was first pick in the last litter. She was a deep red color, even as a puppy, which also helped her current owners decision.

"This is our sweet puppy, Laika. She is the coolest part of our family (next to my husband and our fish) and she has literally completed us. Laika has brought us several sleepless nights, motivation for long hikes and so much extra love into our lives. She is intelligent and receives a plethora of compliments from others (they are especially amazed at her deep red color, her shiny coat and her blonde feathering). Laika has a great temperament, can hike off-leash (even when she was just a few months old), and she is ALWAYS excited to go with us anywhere. Her quirks include: sitting on strangers' feet to force her friendliness, rests her right arm on the armrest in the car, plays with her vitamins, sleeps against the coldest wall in the apartment, and knows all her commands in Esperanto smile emoticon If you're crazy enough to say no to one of Roy & Rosie's adorable puppies, you're making a big mistake."

-Kari Nelson Grua

Community

Perhaps one of the unforeseen benefits of being a breeder is meeting the people that give homes to your puppies. I feel very fortunate that I am in regular contact (or have the ability to get into contact with) with all of my puppies owners. There are no words that can adequately explain the joy that comes from seeing the incredible happiness they bring to people. My puppies have become important part of their new families, and have provided the love to these families that only a dog can bring them.
I love seeing the pictures. I love hearing the stories. And I especially love hearing how these puppies bring happiness to everyone they meet. One of these people is Michelle Stanley. I remember getting the call from Michelle, asking about a puppy because her previous golden had just passed away. You will not find a more loving dog owner then Michelle.

"This is a picture of my sweet Ember. I'm so happy to have found this angel. She brings me so much joy and was wonderful company while my man was deployed. I've watched her from the moment he got home. She has been a wonderful comfort to him. I believe she helped him adjust to being back home tremendously. The group of people who have fur baby's from Roy and Rosie are great. I love seeing them grow up. I love golden retrievers. They are such loving dogs."

Michelle Stanley 

I look forward to meeting the future owners of this current litter. The puppies have just recently learned how to play together, and rough house. They may only wake up for 15-20 minutes at a time, but while they are awake they are wrestling, and boxing with each other. They practice growling, and barking. They walk as much as they can on their wobbly little legs. It is incredibly cute.

Where are they now?

It has been far to long since my last post. This is made even more clear by the size of the puppies. They are quickly getting to the point where I will have to introduce them  to a new place to sleep. They are beginning to walk on their wobbly little legs, and are not shy about vocalizing their frustration at their siblings. Most evenings I will wake up at some point to the ferocious growls of a 3 pound puppy.
Since some of you reading this may be considering getting a puppy I thought it might be helpful to hear from some of the current owners of my pups. I feel very fortunate that I am in regular contact with most of their owners, and the other ones are not hard to contact if I want to hear about how the puppies are doing.
I reached out to the Facebook group where we all share our experiences with these wonderful dogs and got the following reply from Sandi Pershing.

"This is a picture of Remington, the runt of Roy and Rosie's first litter. We love this guy so much, and can't imagine life without him. Michael is a great breeder who genuinely loves what he does. In addition to having an amazing puppy, we also now have an extended puppy family thanks to the community of owners who stay in great contact. Having a puppy from Roy and Rosie has only one downside...I want more."
-Sandi Pershing

Round 2

All night long I have been sleeping next to a panting dog all night long. I woke up with Rosie staring at me with a proud smile on her face, as if to say 'it's time'. I didn't want to think she was quite ready yet so I went about my normal morning routine. I honestly thought that puppies weren't going to show up until next week, but I must have been a little off with my timing. As the morning went on it became more and more clear that Rosie was ready to get this birthing over with. She started crawling into small spaces (what most breeders will call "nesting"), and panting more and more. Finally I got the picture and set up her welping area. It wasn't a moment to soon. I saw the first little girl's head poke out a few moments later and the birthing began.
Although I've done this before, I am still amazed at how Rosie handles the situation. She was calm during the whole thing, and each time a new puppy showed up, she took care of everything by herself. Each time a puppy tried to escape, Rosie would gently pick it up in her mouth and carry it back to the rest of its siblings. Between puppies she constantly cleans and dries off the other pups, and makes sure they are all accounted for. I guess this is something else that amazes me, not only does she take care of the birthing process all by herself, but she also makes sure all of the puppies are accounted for, clean, and dry.
I look forward to the next several weeks. As nice as it is to see the last litter in such loving, and excellent homes, I am excited to meet the future owners of these puppies, and allow them to change some lives.

Getting ready to say goodbye

As the day for the puppies departure comes closer, a lot of people have been asking me if it will be hard to see the puppies go. Overall I would say the answer is "no". That may sound heartless, but it doesn't mean that I won't miss them in some ways. I think it will be easy to see the puppies go mainly because I feel very comfortable with the owners that they are all going to. I feel lucky that I have had a chance to meet most of the future owners in person, and the rest I have been able to talk to about the living situation the puppy is going to. I have really enjoyed getting to know their future owners, and see the excitement in their faces as they consider names, and other things for their puppies. Kids are especially fun, because no one lights up like a child at the thought of getting a puppy.
There are, however, parts of saying goodbye that will be hard. The puppies are much more social nowadays, and love playing with people and their parents. If I'm lying on the couch, its not uncommon for a few of them to try (unsuccessfully) to get to me. Their little faces will appear right next to mine as their tails start to wag. You can almost hear them saying "Come on! Let's play, Mike!". I will miss staring into their little eyes, and cradling them in my arms  as they fall asleep. What can I say, I'm a sucker for puppies.
Puppy Attack!

Little dogs

Every time people come to visit the puppies, they ask me if I can tell the difference between the puppies. Despite not being great at telling the difference, I am starting to notice the inner dog come out of these puppies. As puppies most of these little guys weren't incredibly interested in people. Their day was consumed by eating and sleeping. Now the puppies are experimenting with wrestling, playing, and playing tag. It is no longer uncommon for me to be sitting on my couch and have one of the puppies come dashing out of the kitchen to tackle a sibling, or to attack the vacuum cleaner.
Another part of their transition into becoming dogs is their desire for attention. These puppies do not appreciate being ignored. If I am sitting on the couch and not playing with them they will try to jump on the couch with me or start nibbling on my toes (they sometimes nibble a little to hard). One of my favorite things is when I am lying down on the couch and one of them jumps up, puts their paws on the couch next to my face and stares at me with its adorable face.

The puppies have also begun to take much more interest in people. When their future owners come to visit, many of the puppies are quick to ham up the situation, and lay in their owners laps. I love seeing them bond with their future owners.

Time to Grow Up

Rosie is in full weaning mode. It is becoming more and more common to see Rosie walking around the house with a parade of puppies behind her. She will walk a few circles and then get on the couch, stretch, and then watch as the puppies try in vain to climb up to her. Rosie is ready to graduate the puppies from herself, and transition them to solid food. Considering the amount of time the puppies spend playing with solid food, or in the food dish, this doesn't seem like it should be a problem at all.
To me this is just one more way that Rosie is showing how awesome she is. It is incredible to me that she has such solid instincts on how to help these puppies grow and develop. She still lets them nurse a little bit, but she is also much more hesitant about constant nursing. She still plays with the puppies, and is watchful when they are being handled, which suggests that she still cares for them, but shes just done being a nursing mother.

Learning to have fun

As the puppies get older, its becoming clear that they are discovering how to play and have fun with each other. The first sign of this came mid last week when one of the puppies began learning to run. At first he would start by the door, and do a series of awkward hops across the room towards his siblings. As the week went on, the hops became more like strides, and soon it became a common occurrence to see puppies scampering around my living room. They aren't quick, by any means, but they do have fun doing it.
As they play, it becomes easy to see some of the puppies personalities coming out. Some are always picking fights, some are always sleeping. Some love to nap, and some only love to nap by the toilet (thats a discussion for another time). Despite their different interests though, they all love playing with mom and dad. The pups love climbing on their parents, or chewing on their ears. Roy has become quite accustomed to being disturbed while sleeping. The puppies will get right in his face and start barking at him. Its impossible to adequately describe how adorable it is to watch. 

Goldens are the best

I have always loved dogs. Ever since I was a kid I've loved meeting them, playing with them, and owning them. Big dogs have always had a special place in my heart, because they seem to have sweeter dispositions, and overall are more fun. Honestly, hugging a 180 Ib Newfoundland was one of the best experiences of my life (not to say my life hasn't been great, hugging a Newfoundland was just that good).
With all of that in mind- I have always been the most fond of Golden Retrievers. To me they are the perfect dog, and everything I would ever want in a dog. For those of you that may be considering getting a golden for the first time, be aware that they are incredibly friendly. They love people, and are known for wanting to please their owners. They train easily, and are relatively smart. I say relatively, because some smart dogs are known for getting into trouble, but goldens seem to toe the line of just smart enough to train easily, but not so smart that they are always in trouble. Goldens are also known for being incredibly loyal. They love their owners, and will do anything for them. Lastly, and one of my favorites is they are incredibly expressive dogs. They smile when they're happy (which is most of the time) but they also let you know when they're sad or depressed. I can tell how my goldens are doing ,at a glance.

There's something about the food bowl

The puppies personalities are becoming much more distinct. Turbo (these are not final names) likes to explore and go wherever his little legs can take him. Tank likes to nap anywhere, and loves being held on his back. Runt is a fighter, that never backs down even though he's the smallest of the group. Some of them enjoy speaking to me in a form of barks, growls, or whines. Some of them love to swim in the water bowl while mom is trying to drink, and some love nothing more than playing with mom and dads food. For the most part all of these activities are immediately followed by a nice long nap.
My favorite moment is when they've just finished doing something they love and they begin to sway on their feet. After a few seconds their head begins to sag, and the slip down onto the floor completely out of it.
Everyday is a new adventure for these guys, and even as I write this a couple of the puppies are experimenting with running, and jumping. There is never a dull moment with puppies.

Puppy Play Time

Yes the title is a little cheesy- but I couldn't help it. If you could see the puppies right now you would know exactly what I mean. They are becoming incredibly active, and moving faster every day. If I want Rosie to have a moments rest I have to close the door to their room or they will find her wherever she goes in the house.
When they aren't feeding the puppies have learned how to have fun. They love digging in mom and dad's food dish, swimming in the water dish, wrestling with each other, and seeing who can growl the fiercest. The growling contests are the most adorable thing in the world to witness. Usually both puppies will sit down facing each other and begin growling/howling until they both get to tired to continue, and take a nap. I should say that none of these activities last long before its nap time again.
A play time activity I didn't mention above is exploring. The puppies are mobile enough now that they can get just about anywhere, ground level, that they want. They have gotten behind couches, under dressers, and into shoes in their attempt to become masters of their domain. It is such a delight to be around these little creatures all day long. There is always something new to see, and something new to experience.

The Great Outdoors

One lucky puppy got to experience the outside world for the first time. With eyes open, and trembling legs he did his best to climb over the small mounds of earth, and navigate through the relatively tall grass. He never made it very far, but it was obvious that he was curious about where he was. Of course his very overactive dad was coming over to check on him every minute or two which didn't help things. Roy tends to nudge the puppies a little to excitedly, which usually knocks them on their sides. His mother Rosie was more then happy to lay in the cool grass with her eyes on him, to make sure nothing happened. It was a lovely little family outing.
Now that the puppies are becoming better on their feet (though far from being steady) they are much more eager to explore. If the gate to their room isn't up they will readily venture into the kitchen, squeaking the whole time, as though to tell the whole house "Look at me!" Their legs my still wobble a little bit, but they will not be deterred from their exploring.
I know this post is short but enjoy the pictures taken by Derek Reinhardt.

Seeing the world for the first time

What do you suppose it's like to see the world for the first time. Over the last few days the puppies eyes have begun to gradually open. Its become clear for awhile that they were trying, because you could see their little eyes moving behind their closed eyelids. As people have held the puppies they let out little shouts of excitement when they see the first glimpse of color poke out from underneath the puppies lids. I can't help but think it must be an overwhelming experience for the little guys. All of a sudden an entirely new sense is available to them. Color is now a thing!
Along with this newly developed sense, the puppies are beginning to explore more. This is particularly adorable to watch since their legs are still developing the strength to walk. They will hoist themselves up as best as they can on all four paws and try to scoot around the room investigating every corner they can get to. Sometimes I will be working at my computer and one will randomly crawl up against my foot and start licking it.
I think its fascinating that even now I can see small differences in the puppies. Some will always cuddle with their siblings when they sleep. Some will always be wandering around. And some are quite content to sleep alone. I like to think that I am beginning to see the individuality of each puppy begin to develop.

Puppy Poses

How early do puppies start taking after their parents? I only ask because its hard to imagine, after these past few days, that the puppies aren't already reflecting their parents a little bit. The last few days have revealed some personality traits of the puppies, some of which seem to be a lot like their parents. One of these in particular is their apparent love of sleeping in precarious positions. You'll see what I mean when in the pictures that follow.
The puppies are getting a lot bigger with every day that passes. They are becoming the typical big-bellied, roly-poly puppies most people expect when they think of young golden retrievers. They have also started poking their heads out of their enclosure, and occasionally even slipping out to crawl around on the floor a little bit. It is a huge relief to me to see them so active, and vocal. I think, as a first time breeder, that I am a little overly cautious with the puppies, and worry more than most breeders would. What can I say, I love those little guys.
Roy has also become a much more attentive father over the last few days. He regularly walks into the enclosure with the puppies, and licks them, as though trying to help Rosie keep them clean. He also enjoys sleeping right outside of the cage when he naps, as though standing guard over his children. I love watching him interact with his puppies.

Roy appreciates the new pillow i got :)

Mommy and Daddy

As the time for Rosie's delivery approached my mind ran over several scenarios about how my dogs would react to the arrival of these new dogs in the house. When I first got Rosie, Roy wasn't incredibly pleased. He was curious at first, but it seemed that the longer I had her the more jealous he got. They would rough house, but Roy would be a little rougher then I think was necessary. I do remember, however, one day when Rosie had apparently had enough. She began pinning Roy (who was much larger than her) and winning many of the tussles. After those earlier fights, the two became very close, and have since been inseparable.
Now back to their impression of the puppies. Rosie seems to beam with pride about her puppies. When she sits in her cage with them she grins from ear to ear, and absolutely glows. When she does leave her puppies for a small time she moves around as if dancing. With all of this in mind, the minute she hears the slightest peep or whine from her pups she is back in that room with them. Its amazing to see how attentive she is to them.
Roy seems very interested, and curious about the puppies. Many people have asked if I believe that he knows the puppies are his, and I do. Roy will regularly leave whatever room he's in and check on mom and pups. In several instances Roy will lie right outside of the cage looking at the puppies. If Rosie isn't in the room he may even step into the cage to sniff, and occasionally lick the puppies. Its like he's trying to help with the puppies but doesn't quite know what to do. In one instance I was holding a puppy and Roy came over to me, and ever so gently sniffed and licked the puppy in my hands. Roy and Rosie are big softies, and they love their pups.

Here's Roy

Roy was a birthday present in 2013. My father was a veterinarian in Ohio at the time, and had a client that was a golden retriever breeder. Every time this breeder brought in a litter of puppies, my mother and I would go to see them. It was always the highlight of my day. The puppies would always come in recently bathed, and incredibly well socialized. I can't begin to say how well I feel this breeder treated her puppies. Her reputation was so good that she basically never had any puppies available by the time she came in to have them given their shots. This time however, was a little different. When she brought in her puppies (which were all deep red, just as I wanted) my mother asked if any were available and it turned out that some were. After determining the price could easily be split between me and my parents as a birthday present we bought Roy.
As I said in an earlier post I have always wanted a golden retriever, and his name has always been Roy in my mind. As I went about deciding which puppy I would take, it became very clear that one puppy over all the others was warming up to me. When I would sit on the ground, the others would come and sniff me, but this little guy would crawl into my lap and try to lick my face. He had to be Roy, and it turned out he was. I compare it to wands in Harry Potter- the dog chose the owner.
Roy is a lap dog, and not just with me. He loves everyone he meets, and isn't shy about making friends. He loves climbing into people's laps, and persuading them to pet him. To me this is what every dog should do, but its obviously personal preference.
Roy is my friend. He knows when I'm having a bad day, and exactly how to cheer me up. He knows when it's time to play, and when it's time to calm down. I hope that he passes every one of his qualities onto his puppies.

A Rosie Dozen

There have been a few times throughout this experience that I have spoken to soon and yesterday saw the majority of those moments. At the end of yesterdays post I said we had 9 puppies. Well shortly after that Rosie produced another 3, bringing the total to a whopping 12 puppies. Wow- what else can I say!?
As I saw Rosie with her puppies I got a little nervous for her (okay maybe really nervous). She is a first time mom, and I can't even begin to imagine what that's like. Add to that, the idea of being a mom to 12 puppies, and being a nervous is justified. However, these last 24 hours have been incredibly comforting on that front.
Rosie is a very attentive mother that does not like to be separated from her puppies any longer then necessary. From time to time I will need to move the puppies from their enclosure, to either inspect them, clean their space, or just to hold them. The whole time I have them Rosie will look at me nervously, as though to ask me to give them back. Then when she feels I've had them long enough she will, ever so gently, pick each puppy up and move it back into the cage with her.
Rosie also makes sure that her puppies are all clean, and eating. She will often reposition puppies to make sure they are all getting a chance to suckle, so the bigger puppies can't bully the little ones to much. She also spends the majority of her time licking each puppy.
Seeing these dogs together is beyond heartwarming. Rosie constantly has a big grin on her face when she's with her puppies, and it is clear she is happy despite the massive ordeal she just went through. When she is sleeping with the puppies, it is adorable how they all cuddle up with mama, and with each other. The enclosure is pretty crowded, but this big family makes it work.

Day 1.

Wow, the miracle of life is much more incredible when you witness it first hand.

This morning around 3:45 am I was woken up by a shrill squeak in Rosie's cage. Without a second thought I jumped out of bed and fumbled for the light switch. When the light came on it took me a second to realize there was a little squirming ball of fur in the cage with Rosie. The little guy was carrying on just as I would hope.

Not wanting to experience this phenomenon alone, I quickly woke up my roommate, and the two of us watched as Rosie did her thing. It was truly amazing to watch this dog go into mother mode. She removed each puppy from its sack, and then vigorously cleaned them. Puppy after puppy, she never slowed down, as though she had infinite energy. In the few longer pauses that she had she would look at me with a big grin on her face, while daddy (Roy) waited in the other room, rather impatiently.

As the minutes went by, there came a longer than usual pause when I thought Rosie may have been done. I inspected the puppies, and gave Rosie a chance to walk around a little bit. She came to me first and licked my face, then went to my roommate, then went to Roy and gave him a big kiss. It was adorable to see how excited they both were. I think they both feel really proud of themselves about what just happened.

However, they weren't quite done and Rosie produced 2 more puppies, bringing the total up to 9 on her first litter. She is glowing. She is cuddled up with them, and enjoying a little downtime after the massive ordeal she just went through. It is astonishing to see how her instinct can kick in to take care of so many new lives.

Roy and Rosie.

My name is Michael Center, and I am a dog enthusiast, to say the least. As a dog lover, I have always been particularly fond of golden retrievers.

A little over a year ago, I received Roy as a birthday present. I had always wanted a dog of my own, and I had picked out the name Roy when I was 9 years old (don't ask why--it's just a name I really like). Roy was 8 weeks old when I got him, and I haven't been separated from him for more than 3 days since then.

I received Rosie in September of 2013 when she was about 3 1/2 months old. Just like Roy, I have never been away from Rosie for more than 3 days.

They are both registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). I love my dogs and they love me.

Roy

 Rosie

 The Happy Couple