Storm and Chanel Litter – Week Six

Cooling off in the grass!

“The Drinking Contest”

A drinking contest normally conjures up images far different than this week’s experience as this one was far more innocent. The puppies were ready for a change; ready to take on a brand-new adventure, namely their introduction to the great outdoors. When we removed the door to the whelping box to allow them to work their way outside on their own, most weren’t sure what to make of all this newfound freedom, so they stood in the entrance as if frozen in time. A little coaxing cured that and soon the entire crew made it out. Despite the newness of it all, their primary focus was on getting to their mom for a quick snack. Chanel’s sores from her bout of mastitis have since healed and the milk bar was available in its entirety. When Chanel felt she’d met her obligations and scurried off for some private time, the gang was left to absorb the vastness of the yard. Mind you, they didn’t stray very far on the first day, but their circle widened with each subsequent outing. Since we were experiencing an extreme heatwave, we thought it best to make a dish or two of water available right at the get-go. Even during these brief outings, the puppies drained the water bowl, often with two or three trying to fit their heads into it at the same time.

With their comfort level growing, the pups went off carefully explore their surroundings. There was a wee bit of rock climbing, some exploration along the fence line and cuddles on our laps while some of the others played chase, wrestled with each other or just meandered around. When she wasn’t directly engaging with the pups, Chanel hung out nearby just to keep a watchful eye on her flock because that’s what moms do!

That’s it for now, but be sure to join us next week for another stimulating installment of “Puppy Tales”.