Goldador (Golden Retriever x Labrador) litter SOLD
Late in the night on the 30th of March Willow whelped her 2nd litter, a litter of Goldadors. The father is our very own Woody the Golden Retriever. We’ve chosen this pairing because we believe they compliment each other well: They are both affectionate, playful and biddable. Willow was a perfect mother for her first litter and she is being again for this litter.
Health Testing:
Willow: Hips 4/4=8, Elbows 0, BVA eye test Clear (October 2025)
Woody: Hips 3/4=7, Elbows 0, BVA eye test Clear (October 2025)
They also each have some DNA testing done as well, more info available on their pages (Willow) (Woody)

Week 1
For the first week of life our focus is on keeping them and their environment clean, checking that they are gaining weight and ensuring that Willow has everything she needs to stay healthy and be able to care for them.

At 3 days old we evaluate whether Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) is needed. ENS is, to briefly summarise, a quick set of routines to carefully add a little bit of stress into the puppies life for a maximum of 30 seconds a day, because if puppies experience a small amount of stress at this age then they are more likely to grow into adults that can handle a bit of stress. This is something we only do with smaller litters that have an abundance of milk, are healthy and are experiencing no stress at all (as too much stress can have the opposite effect). As Willow has had a large litter we have elected not to do ENS, as they are squabbling over teats and therefore they are getting all the stress and challenge naturally. The pups are of course still handled daily.
For the next 2 weeks the pups will be contained in this whelping box. This is essential as they are born blind and deaf and so if given too much room they will separate from each other and get lost, causing stress and making Willows job of caring for them harder. The whelping box is made of easy to clean materials and the floor is lined with vet fleece to provide the pups with good traction. Pups that are slipping around at this age are more likely to get hip/elbow dysplasia so it is important for us that they have a good grip.


Week 3-5

By week 3 the pups had a dedicated toilet and bed areas, and they quickly took to toileting in the toilet area and sleeping on the bed which we were pleased about.
They also began eating soaked puppy kibble alongside feeding from Willow.
They were getting more mobile, wobbling around on all four legs and had begun playing with each other.
They completed their first course of wormer at week three and the second course at the end of week 5.
We allowed a few trusted family members to spend some time with the pups, to get them used to seeing new people. We’re very selective with who sees the pups at this age as it’s important that their first interactions with people are positive for the pups.
Week 6-8
At week 6 they were moved into a larger pen which also had the advantage of being in a busier area so they were able to see more coming and goings. Viewings began at 6 weeks and they thoroughly enjoyed the attention.They spent some time outside, though as it was cold they werent out for long periods of time.
They had access to a variety of toys, large, small, noisy, round, lumpy, a total mixture. They experienced a variety of different surfaces, concrete, epoxy, wood, grass, astroturf, cardboard, newspaper, to name a few. They had become familiar with the noise of cars, tractors etc. We played all sorts of noises for them, from city and traffic noises to fireworks and bird songs, animal noises etc and we often had the radio or TV on so they got used to different sounds. They also had periods of quiet or classical music on as it is also important for their brains to rest.
They were sometimes fed in their crates to encourage a positive association with it, which worked well. By the time they were 8 weeks old they’d run into any open crates quite happily.


Final worming course was completed just in time for their vet check, microchip and 1st vaccination.
They made a great impression at the vets, standing calmly on the table whilst being examined, none were noisy or stressed, they all slept in the crates while waiting their turn. Their heart, ears, eyes etc were examined and all were normal and healthy.
The day before they went to their new homes they were bathed in a flea repellent shampoo, so they go home smelling lovely and fresh and with some resistance to fleas. All of our pups are checked regularly for fleas, and if any are found then we would use flea treatment but thankfully we’ve not had fleas here yet.


























































































































