The Superheroes had a couple of super visits from some super-kids today!
Grandparents Alanna & Geoff brought their grandson Jonah (3.5). Jonah was VERY excited which gave the puppies some new noise and energy levels to deal with. Though the noise was no problem for them, their energy escalated along with Jonah’s and so a little bit of correcting was necessary for jumping up. This is all great stuff because this is also what’s likely to happen “in real life”. Jonah played tug & shared the tunnel with the puppies and even got them chasing him around Playtopia. I think everyone’s favourite moment was when he laid down on the floor giggling and Shazam lead the crusade for licking his neck and ears which resulted in only more laughter!
We spent some time this afternoon with Tracy & her kids Cassius (8) and Cici (3). This was another dose of “real life” in that Cici arrived in tears and wailing because she wanted nothing (and I mean NO THING) to do with the Superheroes! The first half hour was mostly spent pinned behind her mom and crying — as an aside, the puppies were unphased by her sobbing and basically steered clear. Her brother was AWESOME and kept coming up with ideas to help her overcome her fears. In the last 15 minutes of our visit she had enough confidence to not only come down from her perch but she interacted with the pups offering pets and treats. As the puppies nodded off she was so sweet telling her mom and brother, “Shhh! Puppies are sleeping. You’re going to wake them!”
Cici’s positive experience was possible for the same reasons that the puppies’ developmental progress has been possible. We put them in challenging situations, encourage them to feel safe and in their own time they come to trust that there is nothing to fear and everything to gain. We could have forced the issue with Cici, dumped a puppy in her lap as she screamed and created negative drama that would go forward to shape future canine interactions. Similarly, last week Peter had huge trepidation about the ball pit where I could have easily picked him up and dumped him in. We don’t understand why Cici had a meltdown nor why Peter was afraid of the ball pit but their fears were real and they needed to be respected. Instead we gave Cici and Peter the opportunity to watch everyone else having a good time and then WANT to join in. Peter now leads the efforts to retrieve treats hidden amongst the balls and Cici advocated for the puppies’ sleep telling everyone to be quiet. The dog’s trust in the handler is paramount just as is the child’s trust in their caregiver.
Though I love all of the big and small successes these puppies share with me, most of all I savour quiet moments like this one with my sweet Tony. He is so easy going and has such a soft temperament — He’s not a push over, but he is just easy to be around. He’s such a good boy!