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Pupdate: 10 weeks old – Surprises & Changes
Half of Bliss’ litter of 6 puppies has gone on to their families. Two to breeding programs (Paris & Sedona) and one to become a therapy dog for a high school psychologist. I had placed Tulum, but her family’s resident dog declined the idea of sharing his space, so she and the puppy I’d picked to keep (Sierra) are now vyying for my heart… the jury’s still out as I love them both. I like Sierra’s structure better, and appreciate her independence, but Tulum exudes sweet & snuggly and is Magic’s best friend. Jasper, the only boy, is most likely heading for partnership in service work. I’m waiting on transportation details to get him to Oregon. He has done a complete 180, returning to his confidence which wavered during week 8 (and our puppy testing day, making me second guess my pick for service dog work!)
Yesterday we headed out for an adventure. I found some stairs which they’ve not seen before. They acted like it was no big deal… except when Jasper wasn’t sure about coming back up – check out his solution in the video. His confident problem solving further confirmed he needs to be an assistance dog.
Then we went to Home Depot and I let them ride in a cart and greet lots of people. They took turns being the only puppy walking along with me. Two did great; one was not feeling confident enough so I didn’t push her. One thing I recommend doing when out and about is to take a break soon after you enter a building. Go back outside, let the puppy sniff in nature, get a drink, pee and reset. Then go back into the building. I believe this teaches them resilience as well as even if they hate it, everything is temporary so it’s easier to accept.
In an upcoming post, I want to dig into puppy testing, personality assumptions and everything about early puppy learning… but for now, just enjoy a few scenes from our outing yesterday. And let me know your favorite!
(Jasper is the red tricolor. Tulum has the wider white blaze & white neck patch. Sierra is all black on her back.)
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9 Replies
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Oh my heart! They are all so cute… I can’t pick a favorite! I’m looking forward to hearing more about temperament testing. I recently had a breeder asking me about that and I’ve wondered at what age their true personality becomes predictable?
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ooh, @sandy you are asking good questions!!
I think the short answer is… when can we expect our OWN personalities to be predictable? Can’t we all still make 180 degree changes in our motivations and strategies, even as adults? So can dogs… again, I’ll get into this more in another post but for now…
I just listened to an excellent podcast on the neurobiology of this… Paws and Reward podcast with Marissa Martino and Kathy Murphy.
And this podcast by Jane Messineo Lindquist of Puppy Culture where she says:
…by the time those puppies are going to their homes at ten, 12 weeks old, you’ve got a pretty good picture of those puppies…. and most of the time we do make very good decisions, but nothing is ever going to make it 100%
pawsandreward.com
The Art And Neuroscience Of Puppy Socialization With Dr. Kathy Murphy
Marissa Martino interviews Dr. Kathy Murphy on the art and neuroscience of puppy socialization.
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Unfortunately, Caber was the resident dog who gave a clear “NOPE” to having a sibling. While his usual personality is very snuggly, sensitive and goofy, he was an inappropriate, anti-social poo during introductions. With that and Tulum’s best interests in mind, we decided to keep Caber as an only pup and not bring Tulum home with us. It’s definitely not what our hearts wanted. I am glad that we brought Caber with us on the trip (20+ hours in the car round trip) to meet @catherine and Bliss’ puppies as we got that “NOPE” early.
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When it was all said and done, I was so glad to see you and Kris again, @PerpetualCleric – but so sorry it didn’t work out. Like we discussed, now you know that Caber would absolutely prefer to have you all to himself, and you can just take a second dog off the options for your next decade or so… and just completely enjoy every bit of time you have with that lucky, cute boy!
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Awe…I’m so sorry to hear that, @PerpetualCleric . But, you did the RIGHT thing for Caber, which isn’t always what WE want. I am sending you a hug!
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Oh my word, they are so precious. I loved watching that video, @catherine . A trio of delightful overachievers, just like their wonderful human mama.
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Aw thanks! They are a ton of fun!
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I can’t add much to what’s always been said…brilliant and excellent puppies!!! Oh, and they are beautiful, of course. I love that you introduced them to new stairs. What a great way for people and puppies to start the new year, getting loved at Home Depot.
Thank you, @catherine , for sharing your amazing journey with us! I feel like a non-creepy, puppy-stalker, LOL. Just can’t get enough of watching them grow and observing them thinking through new things and adventures!
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@bernerlabreclectus thank you – the pleasure is all mine! They are a riot. I’ll both miss them and be relieved when they move on to their next families.
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