Here is an update for our Upcoming White Creamy Blonde litter with Esmae (our American light blonde female) and Duke (our European English white cream male):
JULY 4TH UPDATE:
Please see this update for the latest news concerning Dule and Esmae's upcoming and future litters.
JUNE 24TH UPDATE:
On Saturday, June 22nd, Esmae started her heat cycle which will last for approximately 21-24 days. Her mating period with Duke (called the estrous stage when conception occurs), usually occurs about 8-12 days after the heat begins, or around July 4th (lots of fireworks!). After the mating portion of the heat ends, a 63-day count down begins until the birth of the litter. That means the birth of this litter will be sometime between the end of August and the middle of September. If Esmae successfully conceives during her mating period, the puppies from this upcoming litter will be ready to go home to their new owners possibly as early as Friday, November 1st. If you are on the waiting list for Duke and Esmae's upcoming litter and there are enough pups for you to get one, another key date to remember is Friday Oct 4th thru Sunday the 7th which is the earliest date when you will come to pick your puppy from the litter at 5 weeks of age (this could change depending on the actual birth date). These estimates could change up to a week earlier and possibly 2 weeks later than what we are estimating depending on when conception occurs during Esmae's heat cycle and the actual birth date of the litter.
JUNE 20TH UPDATE:
Duke and Esmae's last litter of pups were born in May 2023. When it came time to breed them in the Winter of 2023, there were very few people on the waiting list at that time. Since there are extra challenges and expenses for us to have a late Winter / Early Spring litter (e.g., snow on the ground, heating the nurseries, draining water supply lines to prevent freezes, etc.), we chose to postpone the Winter/Spring litter until the Summer of 2024.
We plan our upcoming litters based on a 6 to 8 month span of time between heat cycles of the female, which translate to 6 to 8 months between the birth dates of the litters. However, it is not an exact science with every cycle so that we can predict it with certainty. There are a number of contributing factors such as: the season of the last litter, was a heat cycle for breeding skipped, what is the progress with our other females due to go into heat during this time, physiological changes as each female ages, and the environmental conditions (mild winters and summers vs. colder winters and hotter summers). As such, heat cycles can come one to two a months early, or one to two months late.
Our role is to observe, adjust, and provide updates when we know something. We never use drugs or chemicals to delay or bring on a heat cycle in our females. We trust nature and the normal progression of our Goldens. It works well and we think it extends longevity.
Originally, we had estimated our upcoming creamy blonde litter to be possibly as early as August 2024. Our latest estimate, based on contributing factors, is now early to mid September. Once Esmae goes into heat however (anticipating early July now), it makes the picture much more clear and we can make announcements with more certainty if pregnancy occurs during Esmae's mating session with Duke.
We certainly wish our crystal ball was a little more accurate but biology won't allow it to be an exact science, unless of course a breeder starts messing with nature. We haven't and we don't plan to. But, we are prayerfully hopeful, proud of our mommas, and trust the natural progression of things. We hope this help those who have been patiently waiting with a reservation on this upcoming litter. We will certainly post more info as we see things developing with Esmae and Duke. Thank you for hanging in there with us and our amazing Goldens (at least we think they are!).
