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| Mr. Mint |
“Bite Me”
He was fast asleep and didn’t see it coming. The sensations in his leg
caused him to jolt out of his slumber. Then it became clear: Mr. Apple was gnawing on Mr. Rhubarb’s leg
because it was time to play! As they
spend more time awake, the puppies paw and mouth their littermates, learning rudimentary
social skills in their interactions with one another. Their vision has
progressed beyond simply being able to detect light, dark and movement and they
are beginning to respond to sudden or loud sounds. They are also able to
relieve themselves without the assistance of their mom to stimulate them.
With so many newfound skills coupled with the ability to walk and climb,
it’s no great surprise that the little ones start to get into some mischief.
One weekend morning at 6:00 a.m., we were awakened by the sound of Bailey
barking and some of the puppies squealing. It seems that Miss Lemon and Mr. Plum
conspired to scale the small barrier and followed their mom out of the whelping
box, through the whelping box extension and into the vast expanse of the living
room. Fortunately mom was performing the role of hall monitor in alerting us,
so the escapees were returned to the safety of their bedroom without incident.
We’re certain that Bailey has been counting down the days to when the
puppies are weaned from nursing. And who could blame her now that each puppy’s twenty-eight
pointy little teeth are coming in and tearing into her undercarriage at each feeding. But not a moment too soon, help has arrived
in the way of gruel or mush: a canine-style smoothie comprised of moistened
puppy food, oatmeal, goat’s milk, vitamins and honey, all blended to
perfection. Since this is a meal that isn’t delivered by mom’s milk truck, some
of the little ones tend to be apprehensive. Needing no second invitation, Miss
Apricot was first to indulge, followed by Mr. Mint and Mr. Grape. And despite
being the first to break the four pound barrier, Mr. Potato was a late arrival
as he needed to be awakened to join the others for dinner. The group learned
readily enough that dessert was available for all by simply licking it off the
face of a sibling. Small wonder that they’re all so well-groomed after mealtime.
Following the banquet, Miss Apricot fell asleep right in the bowl with Mr.
Apple and Mr. Rhubarb atop her, no doubt dreaming of their next feast! The
following day to our amazement, something unprecedented occurred: the entire litter fell asleep in the bowl in one big heap.
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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