Hailly Nicklom and her husband Joey already had three large Golden Retrievers, but when two of their dogs had a litter of puppies, they knew one would be growing up with its parents.
The couple, who live in Saskatchewan, Canada, had three adult goldens: their first dog Kip, followed by Kaan and Kal, who immediately “bonded.”
Hailly Nicklom told Newsweek: “We always thought it would be so cool to have a litter of puppies but we never were going to force the situation.”
And while the two dogs “make out all the time and are always together,” they didn’t seem interested in mating, and Nicklom made pans to get Kal spayed—until “they surprised us all.”
“I knew from the moment of conception that we had to keep a puppy,” Nicklom said, and when one puppy’s collar kept falling off, “we knew he was the one that was for us.”
“Bonded” pair Kaan and Kal had puppies together. One of their pups, Gary, is now growing up with both his parents.
TikTok @kipandkaan
Now that pup, who they named Gary, is growing up with both of his parents—and as Nicklom says, “they know that’s their baby and they act like a family.”
Nicklom shared a video of the family growing up together to her TikTok account @kipandkaan on July 9 showing what happens “when your dogs have puppies and you keep one,” and wrote: “So lucky to have my little dog family.”
In the clip, which has been viewed over 3 million times, Kaan gives Kal supportive licks as she feeds her newborn pups, and the pair are continuously together as the puppies grow.
After the others find homes, Gary stays with his parents—posing for photos, curled up on the sofa together and getting cuddles.
TikTok users had a huge response to the video, which has over 260,000 likes, with one commenter writing they were “such a beautiful family.”
“We kept one as well and she’s definitely a daddy’s girl,” another wrote, while one shared: “Recently did this as well. She is the most precious addition to our family.”
One admitted: “I know it’s unrealistic but I feel so bad for the puppies that got separated.”
And Nicklom felt the same, telling Newsweek: “Having the puppies was such a whirlwind of emotions, it took a real emotional toll finding them loving homes and making sure they went to loving families.”
She explained: “My dogs really are a part of the family and I feel responsible for my puppies and the quality of life they will have long term. I am lucky that we have great families that send updates all the time I hope we can do a meet up next year and see how everyone’s grown.”
As for puppy Gary, Nicklom, a content creator and owner of KipKaan Pet Boutique, says she is able to “pick out behaviors that are just like his parents.”
“He respects Kaan’s space but he is always there to push mom’s buttons,” she said. “But she also plays harder with him than anyone. Even in looks he is a perfect blend of both of them.”
“Kal and Gary will be playing and jump all over Kaan and he gets so grumpy, he really fills the role of dad,” she laughed.
Gary also gets on well with the family’s other dog, Kip, and while Nicklom admitted it is “a lot” to have four big dogs, “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Kaan gently supported Kal as she fed her newborns. Hailly Nicklom says she can see both parents’ behaviors in their pup.
TikTok @kipandkaan
Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States, coming third in the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) 2023 list of popular dog breeds, behind the French bulldog and Labrador retriever.
Noted as a good family dog for their affectionate natures and being good with young children, the AKC also describes them as being great with other dogs, and having four Goldens is a treat for Nicklom.
“Having multiple dogs isn’t for everyone and doesn’t always work out like our situation but my dogs are lovers, we’ve never had a dogfight with the three so I was never worried about bringing in a fourth,” Nicklom said.
“But if you have the means and your dogs have the personalities I would recommend this for sure. I am living my best life and think they are too!”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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