Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from the ICAN litter. No sleeping in at my house! The pups continue to thrive. They are fully transitioned to eating soaked kibble (currently 4 meals per day) and only nurse Cleo a few times per day. Tuesday, I started leaving Cleo out of the pen at night - she really didn't want to be in there for the entire night. Her interactions with the pups these days are basically just quick nursing sessions or licks and nuzzles over the pen gate. If the pups are out, they are obsessed with trying nurse, and Cleo is eager to slip into my bedroom for some respite. The pups' days are an endless cycle of play, cuddle, eat, and sleep. They operate as a group, all awake or all sleeping at the same time. And when out playing, they all start dropping off for nap simultaneously after 15-20 mins. The pups are already trying out their future assistance dog skills. They tug and drag off anything that isn't secure. It is quite amusing seeing a 6 lb puppy tugging a full sized plastic garbage bag of shredded paper across the floor. One pup managed to tug open a cabinet door while chewing on the knob (which has since been doused with Bitter Apple). And multiple pups have discovered the tab on my fleece jacket that I wear in the house, and gleefully tug open the zipper. The joy of tennis balls has also been discovered, and multiple pups have been carrying around a ball that Cleo left out, which is pretty amazing considering the small size of their mouths. Their sense of smell is already keenly developed. I often bring out the soaked kibble from the refrigerator and warm it up to room temperature on top of the stove for the next meal. One evening, I went into the kitchen and found most of the litter looking up or jumping up at the stove, sensing their before-bedtime kibble was up there. The pups are also learning basic manners. We have had a four-feet-on-the-ground rule for a few weeks already, and the pups only get picked up, petted, or let out of the pen if they are sitting or at least not jumping up. This morning, I did an ad hoc training session to reinforce that lesson. I called the pups to me and they came thundering over as a little herd. While I remained standing up, I treated any pup who sat, and all the pups got plenty of canned food rewards. Cream boy was the star and did an admirable job of holding a sit.

Gold male and female trying out for dog agility.