Spring Puppies

Noli and Miles are having puppies! This will be Noli’s first litter. She is half sister’s with Naia and Savvy is her mom. So if you have loved puppies from our other girls, these are related and have the same genetics.

This pretty girls is sweet, attentive, loves scratches and pets and her bed. She is a good retriever and excellent walking on a leash.

Miles is his same old playful, silly self. They both loved their Easter baskets and have a newfound love for apples. They even know the word “apple” and perk up if you say it.

Both dogs are midsized, so we expect medium-build puppies.

The litter is due around April 21, which puts puppies ready to go home around the 2nd weekend of June. We are expecting a mixture of black and yellow pups. So exciting!

Contact us if you have any questions or would like to reserve one.

Not Just A Dog

Puppies are cute and cuddly and make for great photo ops. But of course we all know, they grow into so much more.

Savvy is Ben’s best pal and also goes to work with Rich as a therapy dog for the students he works with, when she is not busy with puppies.

She also makes a great hiking partner and farm dog, enjoying the exertion, sticking close when she can be off-leash.

Our dogs are also hunt retrievers who enjoy retrieving upland game and waterfowl. They don’t mind the cold when retrieveing dozens of ducks and geese.

They like to run free on the farm but also stick close during outdoor projects.

Miles got his first taste of a pheasant hunt last winter. He did a great job on some tricky retrieves and was steady in between.

A Lab can be a best friend, a hunting retriever, AND a therapy dog, because attentiveness, intelligence, and eagerness to please are the underlying foundation of all three.

In addition, our dogs, and Labs in general are great with kids.

If its time to find a new best friend (or hunting partner, therapy dog, emotional support animal, or hiking partner), let us know! We still have a few available.

Eyes Open!

Savvy’s puppies will be 3 weeks old on Tuesday. Their eyes have been gradually opening this week. Now the changes begin to happen quickly. They are trying out their legs, walking and toppling. Their ears have opened so now they are begining to react to sounds.

Their ears will start to catch up in size and they will begin to play with each other. Already, they are starting to lick rather than just root around for their mama, testing out their world, much like a baby putting everything in their mouth. And now they will be easier to photograph.

Meanwhile, Miles (dad) does not know he is a Father now, and is every bit the happy-go-lucky pup who plays with sticks, chases falling leaves, and finds warm sunny spots for taking naps.

In our world, everyone has final exams and papers and projects this week, and once we get past that, we will have time for more cute puppy pictures!

Fat Little Sweeties

Look at those sweet pawprints! You can see the pigments coming in starting in the foot pads.

This may not be her most flattering angle, but at 5 days old sleepy and fat is exactly where little Pavlova is supposed to be. (By the way, have you seen the animated children’s show Bluey? This litter is named after a Bluey theme.)

Its crazy how much these puppies are going to change in the next two weeks. Right now sleep, eat, grow is the only agenda. Sleep, eat, grow, be adorable.

Counting our 11 little blessings over here at Red River Retrievers! Contact us if you have questions or would like to reserve one!

Pedigree Prom Night

Christmas Puppy

If you were hoping to adopt a puppy as a Christmas present for your children or someone else, and were disapppointed to find out our puppies will not be ready to go to their new homes until January, you might be interested in the “Puppy Adoption Gift Package.”

The gift package is available to anyone who currently has or soon makes a reservation for a puppy. It includes a reservation certificate, photo of the puppies you will choose from, a collar, a toy, and treats. Please order by Monday 12/19 so that we can have it delivered in time for Christmas. The cost of $25 includes priority shipping.

Watching Christmas movies and holding puppies is a pretty fun way to spend an evening. Hope yours is just as sweet and cozy!

Savvy’s Puppies!

Savvy’s puppies are here!  Sired by Choco, there were 7: 1 yellow male (spoken for), 3 black males, and 3 black females.

She kept us up all night at the beginning of her labor, but when she finally started having puppies, they came steadily and were all born within a few hours.

All the puppies are healthy and strong, and mama is doing well. Contact us if you are interested in reserving a puppy or have any questions.

Early Puppies!

Naia is in labor! This first-time mama started labor yesterday, a little earlier than we expected. Then she relaxed and went to bed like usual, only to wake up at 3 am in full-swing active labor.

Early labor is noted by absent appetite, anxiety, panting, and nesting behaviors. Active labor involves more intense panting, anxiety behaviors like pacing, frequent restroom breaks, and trembling. First time moms are always so nervous. They don’t understand what is happening yet. Just like us human moms.

Naia had her first puppy around 5:30am. And within 7 minutes 2 more pups arrived! It was pandemonium there for a few minutes with them arriving on eachother’s “heels” (tails?) like that. She didn’t love the birthing pool at first and only condeded to use it when we put the first three puppies in it and her girl climbed in too.

We were surprised when the second puppy was chocolate! We were not even expecting the level of possibility to cross our fingers and hope. Even 19 years in, there is always something unexpected.

Naia has settled well into mothering and the puppies keep arriving. We will post again when we know the final count. (Btw, the first chocolate is reserved, so the likelihood of available chocolate puppies is still low.)

They are healthy and medium-sized so far, and we are naming them after Harry Potter characters for now. Don’t worry there are no Voldemorts or Dobbys.

Late for Halloween

Miles just keeps us in stitches! He found an elbow joint for a pipe out in our yard and wanted to retrieve it (over and over). On the last throw, he brought it back like this. He seems to be disguised as an elephant! Silly boy!

Naia and Savvy are starting some nesting behaviors, relaxing in their beds more, being a little more secluded. Countdown has commenced!

Double Puppies!

We couldn’t guarantee that Savvy was bred, but after a few weeks, we do see she is getting a little thick around her waistline. I was waiting until I felt 99.9% sure… and now I do.

We are planning on 2 litters of puppies! Savvy’s puppies will arrive around a week after Naia’s, so end of November.

By the way, Naia is really showing! Only about 3 weeks to go until puppies.