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Bella and Hudson’s Litter – Week Five



“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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