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| We love to play together! |
“Saturday Night’s
Alright for Fighting”
Imagine a warm
summer evening as the sun goes down accompanied by an almost deafening sound of
crickets chirping in a meadow. Now transition that thought to another context
with eight hungry puppies huddled around their food bowl smacking their lips in
unison as they devour their dinner. The way this group approaches every
mealtime, one would be left with the impression that they’ve not eaten in days.
The truth of the matter is that they get three generous meals of mush a day,
interspersed with deliveries by their mom, Bailey with her milk wagon. In
addition, the little ones are supplementing their meals and keeping themselves
well hydrated with a constant supply of fresh water. Small wonder that some puppies
with their big, round bellies are already breaking the 7 lb. barrier.
This is the
beginning of a key socialization period for the puppies. When they’re not
sleeping or eating, they spend more time playing with one another. Now that
they’re gaining strength and coordination, they scurry around at top speed. They
pounce on each other and head butt, which are the beginnings of Ultimate Puppy
Wrestling. They test each other’s limits and learn the difference between hard
and soft biting. They also take turns
sleeping at the top and bottom of the sibling pile. Since their hunting and
chasing instincts are kicking in, we ensure that they have plush toys to play
and cuddle with, that is unless Bailey steals them to play with herself.
There’s also a waiting list to make friends with the puppies; our Sierra takes
advantage of every opportunity to sneak into the puppy area to catch a glimpse
of the flock.
The little ones are
becoming more responsive to their environment, reacting to every sight and sound,
watching us very intently as we move around the whelping box. It’s a challenge
to reach in without having a herd of little feet anchoring the very towel we’re
trying to swap out. The gang communicates with little squeaks and barks and waggley
tails, ever eager to be picked up as if to say “pick me, pick me!” They love snuggling
and being held, all the while nibbling on our noses and bathing us with little
puppy kisses. These are among the blissful moments that make our journey
worthwhile.
That’s it for now, but be sure to join us next week
for another enchanting installment of “Puppy Tales”.
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