We are kinda coasting with minimal substantial change in the last couple of days as the puppies are showing signs of being in a fear period. This is typical and expected at this age. My job is to keep them protected from any earth shattering scares until it passes and then we will pick up where we left off. Consequently, they are sticking pretty close to. Mama Peaches at the moment.
HOW DO I KNOW? Since birth they have lived in the middle of the main floor of my house and have been subjected to the comings and goings of an active ACD household and my busy home-based massage therapy business. They have heard a variety of TV sound effects (babies crying, door bells, etc) plus a selection of music but heavily weighted in classical which is known to have positive brain effects. They have heard the Vitamix, the vacuum, things falling over accidentally (or on purpose) going “Bang!” Yesterday they had a BIG startle response to a normal but loud noise and today the puppies did a “back-up & change course” when the central vac wand came too close to the outside of their pen. As the saying goes, this too shall pass. But in the best interests of the puppies, we shall tread lightly over the next few days until I am sure it is over. By the way, respecting these fear periods is a big part of the Puppy Culture protocol as they always encourage breeders be where the litter is at, not where you wish they would be.
I forgot to mention in previous posts that the pups had their second deworming this week, their CKC microchips placed and their Embark genetic tests completed. Since their parents have both been Embarked, there will be no negative surprises in these DNA tests. I don’t typically test babies like this unless there is a reason like having a breeder interested who needs specific clearances to move forward with a puppy’s placement. What I hope to learn is whether or not there are any puppies that might be MY breeding prospects that are genetically clear from ACD prone conditions. Embark also offers some other interesting insights into aesthetics & working traits like size, coat characteristics and food drive, for example. These tidbits ar important to some puppy buyers who prefer a specific size of dog for certain jobs — smaller for the sport of Freestyle where lifts and back-stall tricks create a burden on the handler; or bigger in sports like Weight Pull where dogs ar amazingly trained to pull hundreds of pounds! In the case of a working ranch dog, size is relevant depending on how much ground needs to be covered regularly as well as the type of livestock to be worked. Food drive is a consideration to precision sports like Obedience or Rally Obedience where points are lost in a wide heel pattern or a crooked sit. Good food drive and reward placement creates precise training practices with a duplicatable outcome over time.
I am so grateful today for visits from Dave, Jan, Carol and Logan. I regret not being as snap-happy taking pictures today so you’ve only got a few. I did manage to capture a couple of sweet Mother/Son moments between Peaches and her kids. I can see she is really enjoying this stage of motherhood where she can play and cuddle and it’s no longer just about feeding mouths and cleaning bums. I think most human Mom’s can relate to this sentiment, Peaches!
And just as I was getting ready for bed all four bubbelas are tucked in for the night. They love to burrow and sprawl so I create a stuffie-toy mountain for them to play with every day. It is like a puzzle trying to do a head count at the moment — a little reminiscent of the movie “ET” when he was hiding in the closet amongst the toys! Can you find them all??
