Wow! They are 4-weeks old this evening… and what a ride it has been!
What’s new? We’ve got some pictures of yesterday afternoon’s visit with Michelle. Included is an excellent example of the classic ACD Stink-Eye from Peaches after I scolded her for monopolizing Michelle’s play efforts. lol. We also had a little visit from my Mom today since she was here for a treatment from me. When opportunity presents itself, you can’t pass up a little bit of puppy cuddling with Grandma!
In other news, while the puppies are still nursing we have segued to eating Reel Homemade Raw Puppy Chow without being made into a slurry with extra goat’s milk. At first they were not sure about it because of the texture, but when left to their own devices over ten minutes of coming & going from the food dish, they were all pretty sure that it was “the cat’s ass” as the saying goes. Puppy chow is coarsely ground so it is nice to see them using their teeth for something other than my toes!
They are playing with toys, each other and their mama regularly. Amazingly, they are more often than not making a mad dash for the potty grass when they have the urge. We should hold a dance competition as they all seem to have unique poop-dance-moves as they look for the perfect square inch to take care of business on!
The boys are holding their own on the play ground and have found themselves occasionally getting gently scruffed by me for being a bully. My feeling is that if all parties are squeaking equally and having fun, I let them figure it out. However when someone’s voice is escalating and they are unable to retaliate, it is time for me to intervene. I can’t be there for every altercation, nor do I wish to be. We all know that dogs play differently with their own breed and ACDs are no exception. But let us also remember that the dingo was not that long ago in the pedigree (early-mid 1800’s) so it is very easy for things to get out of hand. A little guidance from me now will go a long way later when they are bigger, stronger and can do more potential damage. This does not mean that they will never scrap or stick up for themselves. Nor will it reduce their likelihood of appropriately gripping livestock. It is simply the rules and boundaries within the context of “don’t bully your brother”. Simple as that.
I captured a massage treatment that I did on Barry today — recall that I am a human/equine/canine massage therapist. Everyone got treated but Barry is the only one I thought to film. It’s a lengthy video which you are welcome to watch as his body language changes over time, however if you are looking for the highlights check out his level of animation in the first 40 seconds, again at about 4:35 and then lastly at the very end. You will see the transformation from squirmy puppy to a confirmed limp rag to and official glazed donut. There isn’t a whole lot to work on with these boys at the moment but conditioning them to therapeutic touch now is “training” them to accept the work with less resistance in the future in spite of pain or discomfort of a potential injury. Consider that they also only started moving with purpose a little more than two weeks ago once their eyes were opened. It is incredible to see how much strength, coordination and body mass they have gained in such a short period of time. Working through some of those tensions will also help them to grow up in a more balanced way.
