It's a wrap!

Tim and I, and all of us really, have developed a rather ludicrous tolerance for chaos and pandemonium.  The last few weeks of puppy raising are a whirlwind.  Incessant barking, puppies underfoot, children squealing in wild delight, finding a warm puddle with your

clean sock (I’ll leave it up to your imagination as to the contents of the puddle but it shouldn’t be too hard) , the constancy of picking up shoes, toys, anything that might be chewable (someone ate a brand new library book 😫), and shaking sharp little teeth off your pant leg. 

Finally, the constant din is broken by the sudden silence of napping puppies.  They collapse in exhausted little heaps, piled on each other in warm little huddles, spent from their gleeful romps through the house (although we do restrict them to the kitchen and dining area to contain the insanity somewhat). 

In the midst of all this we attempt to maintain some semblance of normalcy: school work, cleaning the house (ha!), getting meals on the table, even having people over now and then.  Thankfully it only lasts 4 weeks.  

I was excited that we managed to squeeze in a visit with some dear out of town friends to share the puppies with briefly. My favorite moment was a line to the bathroom of kids and puppies as they helped to give muddy little messes their first bath.

During this madness, we squeeze in a few training sessions.  Some are group lessons - calling the puppies to come, manding (sit), and rewarding calm behavior.  Individual time is taken with each puppy to work on eye contact and human focus.  This is one of my favorite exercises. With a handful of hotdog bits in one hand behind my back and a clicker in my other, I wait for the puppy to look me in the eyes.  Click immediately followed directly with a treat.  Eventually the puppy realizes that even the quickest glance earns them another hotdog.  The most eager participants stare longingly into my eyes and won’t even break contact until I put a treat to their mouth.  If they are getting it, I will make them wait longer and longer between treats.  

Eye contact is an inherited trait and some puppies have that gaze that seems to reach into your very soul, hanging on your every facial expression, waiting to determine just exactly what you might want from them.  These puppies are special and, combined with a few other things, this is the number one trait I look for if I want a service dog.  It can certainly be enhanced with work but those that have it from birth have a focused quality about them that sets them apart.  

Ok, enough of that.  Just where did these little guys end up??  

Denali (now Denna) was the first puppy to head to her new home - a little place not too far away nestled on lots of acreage to roam with homesteading in the future.

Katmai (now Maximus) was the next to head out.  All the way to VA to a wonderful couple on 25 acres who have chickens and other farmy aspirations ahead of him.  

Shenandoah (now BG for Baby Girl) went the farthest of all - Nevada with a sweet woman and her dog sitting business.  Her busy little personality will enjoy all the doggy company!  

Smoky (now Oben) stayed local to

Asheville with a sweet young couple and some doggy siblings.  

Acadia (now Oreo) had a special treat: joining a sister from Lucy’s previous litter in SC!  This sweet family purchased Aravis from our last litter (now Happy) and they enjoyed her so much they decided to find a companion.  It was so much fun to reconnect with a family from our last litter and to see how Happy has grown up.  We enjoyed a few hours letting Lucy and Happy get reaquainted while Oreo tried to decide where she fit in all of it. These guys have done such an awesome job with her and it was great to see her in such a good home and to have another puppy head there too! 

Redwood went to a wonderful little family with two little girls on a homestead out near Raleigh!  

Yellowstone (now Ranger) stayed fairly local with a sweet family here in TN.

Glacier (now Juno) headed all the way to Colorado with a very nice couple and the hopes of becoming a library therapy dog in her future.  

Zion (now Bohdie) hung out with us for an extra 2 weeks while his owner dealt with an unexpected illness.  All is well now and he just headed to PA today with an experienced doggy mama of two other dogs who I’m sure will show him the ropes in his new home.  It’s always harder to say goodbye to the puppies that linger a bit longer in our home.  We really get to know their little personalities and they become more deeply embedded in our home as all of our affection is now lavished on one puppy.  

It was a little sad coming home today.  “I was expecting Bohdie to come jump up on me when I walked in,” said Malachi sadly.  And it is quieter (if that’s possible in a house with 9 people living in it) without a little buddle of fluff yelping for our attention, excitedly running circles through the house, greeting us enthusiastically with yelps of joy and a wagging tail. 

We promised the kids we’d keep a puppy from the next litter to console everyone’s bruised little souls.   I cleaned and packed up the remaining puppy things.  Definitely feeling a sense of relief as life goes back to normal and some semblance of peace and quiet.  Our space is ours again.  No more buckets placed strategically to keep puppies from eating the walls and chewing the floors. No more puddles of warm liquid to worry about.  No more howls of despair keeping us up at ungodly hours.  And a deep feeling of satisfaction in a job well done: well-grown puppies all placed in wonderful homes where they will live out their days with wonderful people.  We might miss them a bit, but I couldn’t be happier for each puppy.  

Until next litter!