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“The Hall Pass”
Since the puppies aren’t quite ready to venture outdoors, they’ve been
granted a hall pass that allows them access to our foyer at playtime. They’ve
graduated from a 32 square foot whelping box to a 350 square foot space where
they can enjoy their favourite leisure activities. As with any gym class, when
it’s time to run laps, the teacher gets out in front to set the pace and Bella
was no exception. Mind you, the puppies didn’t realize they were running laps –
they were just chasing Bella to try to score a quick drink from the milk truck
and Bella was running laps to escape their pointy little teeth!
The puppies’ ambulation took many forms; some walked, some bounced, some
slid, some galloped, some ran,
some skipped and some even bunny hopped. When Bella finally excused herself
from class, the puppies settled into a variety of activities. With their vision
and hearing now fully matured, they are very inquisitive, exploring every
little aspect of their new surroundings. Mostly they’re curious about the large
humans in their midst. It’s so much fun just to sit down on the floor and
entertain each puppy as they come to call as part of their rotation. They’ll go
from person to puppy to person to toy and back again, nibbling, biting
caressing and kissing along the way. Of course, there’s at least one kid in
every class that tries to buck the trend. That was Mr. Icicle who managed to
squeeze past a barrier and amble a little further down the hall to see what
treasures might await.
No day is complete without at least three generous meals of mush and a
few visits to the milk truck just to top up a little. The smoothie has
transitioned into a somewhat more solid form of food containing a measure of
remoistened dry food. And much to Bella’s dismay, there are rarely any
left-overs. This would explain why some of the puppies just roll over and enjoy
a nap after their feast, not too unlike grandpa after a big Christmas dinner.
This is the beginning of the most influential socialization period for
the puppies. They wag their tails to us and to each other and they crave a lot
of affection and attention. With the increased control over their facial
muscles, the puppies are making expressions and are beginning to reveal their
personalities and communicate their opinions! They bark, growl, squeak, yelp,
chirp and howl – whatever it takes to get someone’s attention, including each
other’s. Most of all, they just want love….and that’s not hard to provide.
That’s it for now, but be sure to join us next week for
another entrancing installment of “Puppy Tales”.
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