We finished off my clinical day with a fabulous nature & sniff walk. Though it was our same general location we took on some new terrain to give the pups a more “forestry” feel by bushwhacking through the thicket. The only one it phased was me, lol, as everyone was low enough to the ground to escape branch thrashing.
Then we plunked down in the field and enjoyed the sun and the crickets.
The boys were shifted today into single occupancy 4×4 x-pens as the open real estate in my home dwindles. Fortunately we’ve had nice weather to continue to enjoy outdoor Playtopia and the training room remains a playground to run in bad weather or dark.
The decision to take the boys solo was simple. While we continue to seek out their best long term placements, I must now treat them less like a litter and more like individual dogs. If they too had landed in their homes as Kiba/Barry did this week, they would be solo in all aspects. Furthermore, though they remain here for now as a collective, their training of life skills needs to step up a notch as it is that time for them.
The green potty turf patches have disappeared from their x-pens and more deliberate effort on my part must occur to get them thru the dog door between clients and during my own free time. Is potty training three 9 week old puppies at the same time awesome? I’d rather not, if truth be known… but they are almost there anyways. We are on the cusp so I owe it to them and their future families.
They still play and socialize together however they solo x-pens are equipped with water, their meals when it’s time, a bed, and a basket of bones/teething toys/stuffies/hooves/squeakers. They have what they need to entertain themselves and also not become too inventive with destruction. They are pretty good at this self entertainment as it has been a progression since their eyes opened. I had a retired breeder of 35+ years in for treatment today… and she remarked several times, “they seem so much older than 9 weeks” and “we got through the whole treatment and I didn’t hear a peep out of them!” Again, I assure you that this is conditioning not beating or drugging them into submission. I explained that I give them lots of outlets to burn off their energy so they stay happier and less frustrated. There are times when temper tantrums happen here… but truthfully it’s not that often. It’s been a pretty peaceful house with seven dogs in it where four have been learning toddlers.
I’m grateful. They are good puppies.