28 days already! They are officially "real" puppies now. They play "spit head" and "hit you
in the face with my paw" and "stalk you and pounce on you when you aren't looking," and
"grab the bathrobe and chew on your slippers" when I go in to clean up in the morning.
They have been on linoleum, newspaper, carpet, blankets, tile and grass. They have
been in the whelping room, family room, foyer, and back yard. They have heard laughing
and clapping and radio and TV and dog's barking and timers and vacuum cleaners and
doors slamming. They have played with soft toys and balls, and have been challenged by
a moving tunnel and toy slide with steps up to it. They have started on gruel and
morphed into soaked puppy food with yogurt and evaporated milk and egg yolks and
loved it.
This upcoming week is a rather quiet one where we will keep doing what we've been
doing, expanding their worlds little by little and day by day. They will be kept away from
the litter individually for a bit longer so they learn that they are able to stand on their
own four feet and bond with humans, and they will get outdoors a bit if the weather is
warm enough. This is an important growth week and it is a fear stage for them so
management is very important now. Startling isn't a bad thing as long as puppies learn to
return to normal quickly. That is where introducing them to new sights and sounds in a
pleasant atmosphere is so critical right up through their 20th week.
Last night Flipper was the first one to try climbing the steps up the slide. He needed
help to figure out how to use his back feet in conjunction with his good front leg so he
got it, slid down and tried climbing right back up. His littermates watched and all
followed suit.
This morning he decided to try the cardboard tunnel. It's about 3' long and rolls when a
puppy is inside of it. He seemed to enjoy that all on his own. He already has his
registered name, "Cherrywood's Resourceful."
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