“The Lion Tamer”
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| Mr. Gingerbread and Miss Snowflake |
This
week Bella and her puppies made the big move from the bedroom to their own
private sanctuary in the library. At the same time, the extension was added to
the whelping box providing Bella with a little lounge to curl up in or give
some of her little ones private feedings. The room also has other amenities
like a sofa that Bella uses for naptime and that we can use for visits and a
place to pamper the puppies with the seemingly endless series of pedicures.
Since the days are short and nights are long, in the winters we outfit the
whelping box with full spectrum lighting to ensure that the puppies have a
source of vitamin D before they are able to go outside.
The
library is off the main foyer - the hub of the house - sort of a Grand Central
Station. From her vantage point on the sofa overlooking the whelping box, Bella
likes to lie there watching over her little flock, keeping an eye on the goings
on in the foyer. With a puppy gate blocking its entrance, the rest of the pack
occasionally lines up to peek inside the library to see what the fuss is all
about and Bella has been a good sport in accommodating the spectators.
Now
that the puppies have greater clarity of vision, they are increasingly curious
about the world around them and about each other. They are also more mobile
which they demonstrate as they stagger to and fro in their little arena. A new
pastime has emerged as they engage in numerous sessions of head bumping and
nibbling away at each other. One of the more interesting encounters occurred
when Miss Snowflake was in the middle of a great big yawn and Mr. Icicle tried
to put his head inside her mouth, not too unlike the lion tamer at a circus.
The
puppies have voracious appetites and Bella continues to satisfy their needs –
her reservoirs topped up and at the ready. The results are apparent when the puppies
lay on their backs baring their rotund bellies as they snore gently. Bella will
soon get a bit of a break when the puppies transition to solid food, but that’s
a story for next time.
That’s it for now, but be sure to join us next week for another
tantalizing installment in the continuing saga of “Puppy Tales”.
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