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| Mr. Plum very proud of his landscaping skills! |
The Police Escort
Perhaps they
thought the garden would look better without it. The puppies worked tirelessly
like a little gang of lumberjacks and before long, the large green plant growing
alongside a honey locust tree lay shredded in a heap. All of the perpetrators
had wisps of green foliage in their fur and protruding out of the corners of
their mouths like over exuberant vegans at an all-you-can-eat salad bar. Intent
on exploring another shrub nearby, Miss Lemon stretched up as high as she could
onto her tiptoes thereby losing her balance and doing a backward summersault on
the mulch-covered ground. She shrieked and was momentarily disoriented, but
wasted no time in getting back to the job at hand. With their tremendous
appetite for exploration, the little ones know no boundaries.
Bailey is a
mother-extraordinaire. Unlike most moms, Bailey spends her time on outings
playing with her puppies, either rolling around in the grass with them or
having them follow her around the yard like the Pied Piper. Whenever one or
more of her brood strays too close to the fence line that separates the puppy
area from the big dogs, Bailey, the leader of the pack, runs over to provide
them with a “police escort” ensuring their safe passage around the yard.
We can never quite
understand the decision-making process of a little puppy. Sometimes they’ll
jump up spontaneously, dart off in a particular direction and fall down along
the way. While they’re gradually getting more coordinated, it’s always a
delight to behold. Also entertaining are the various puppy games: the
head-butting, jousting, wrestling, gnawing and the stealing and sharing of
toys. Of course, no outing is complete without the chewing of twigs or bark
chips. And when he feels it’s time to go back inside, Mr. Mint stands in front
of the door signifying that playtime is over.
This week we had
another middle-of-the-night awakening. This time it was Mr. Plum who managed to
scale the wall of the whelping box to wander the seemingly vast expanse of the
living room (which it would if you’re only 8” tall). We’re not sure how he
managed that feat and he’s not talking, but the puppies are surely
communicating and displaying emotions. They’ll whine to show fear, whimper when
hurt and bark when they’re excited or want attention. Messrs. Rhubarb and Grape
are certainly not shy about letting us know they want some cuddle time.
The puppies growing
and gaining weight in leaps and bounds. Their muzzles are lengthening and are just
beginning to look a bit more like the adults they will eventually become. We
are spending some time alone with each puppy, playing gently and teaching them
to relate one-on-one in a safe, trusting situation. As we hold them, they
reward us with all the kisses we could ever want. With each passing day, their
capacity for love and their bonds grow stronger. And before long they will be
ready to share that love with their forever families.
That’s
it for now, but be sure to join us next week for another riveting installment
of “Puppy Tales”.
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