Update From The Olympic Village...

The young Olympians have had quite a bit of socialization recently, and weather all manner of publicity and meet-and-greets with great ease. They come rushing out with tails wagging when new people come in (or we come in with the supper dish!) (Don't forget you can click on the images to view them in a larger format!)

Lola's Golden Babies at Play

The pups are beginning to become more active and enjoy gentle tussling with each other...but only when Mom is not around!

Video Meet 'n' Greet

Socialization is a key focus of our puppies' training here at Golden Gate Labradoodles, and, over-achievers that they are, "the Olympians" are showstoppers in autograph signings and photo-ops with their fans.

Raising the Bar

At 4 weeks, the young Olympians face a new challenge:  their first encounter "with solid" food. Using new equipment such as a feeding tray can be confusing to pups who have only nursed from their mother thus far, but, as we would expect, the pups have their game-faces on and are motivated to succeed.  Their first meal is a "protein shake" of puppy kibble, goats milk, yogurt, and liver water, seasoned with a sprinkling of pro-biotics.

Always being ready to take on a new challenge is a hallmark of a champion!

Balance and precision are indispensible in this event...

...as well as some cooperation from the other teammembers.

Still, the fine-points of the technique will require time to master.

Many elite athletes use the "visualization" technique to improve performance. 

They are still learning to be "team players" however..

...and there are always going to be "Winners" and "Losers".

Luckily, Lily is always on the spot to coach them...

...and tidy up afterwards!

Lil Pots-O'-Gold

At two weeks of age, Lola's pups do not yet have their eyes open, but judging from their expanding bellies, they manage to sniff out their suppers with no trouble at all. While most of their days and nights are spent snoozing, they are in a moderately-busy area of the house and we are continuing to handle them periodically throughout the day as part of their "Super Dog" exercises.



Lola gets overheated and pushes back the fleece so she can lie on the cooler floor of the box.  The puppies have learned to drag themselves back-and-forth from the heat lamp to the milk bar, as required.

Hard to believe this chubby fella is still looking ahead to future meals....

Soaking up those heat-rays

The Big Bonanza

Lola & Z's Pups: "Diet? Who Me?"

While we can't really fault her, Lola is notorious for her passionate adoration for puppies, which, usually results in rather FAT babies. The Gold Rush gang is no exception, and are expanding quite rapidly due to round-the-clock feedings from their dedicated Mom!

By the end of their first week, the pups had doubled their birthweights!

Growth Spurt!

Life for these vigorous young pups is still quite slow, though their senses have become more attuned to activity around them. They are so on-the-ball that they already toddle over wagging their little tails whenever someone approaches the box. While they are most likely hoping that it is Lily coming to feed them, it is a sweet sight...

When Lily does come, mayhem ensues as they are so big it is hard for Lily to manage them all at once...

...but clever Lily has figured out a way for all to partake.

 We have started potty-training, and at 3 weeks, the pups instinctively begin to eliminate away from the bed.