Day 40 A.M. & P.M.

Kai and Heidi (H Moon Litter) are the same age — both now 8.5+ years. It has been fun to watch this wonderful child grow up, hasn’t it? Thank you to his parents for sharing him — and his brothers — with us.

Maddie from the F Litter is older than both of them — she is closing in on twelve!

Barb reports that Maddie still does walks twice a day and is doing very well. We shall wish all the Wildflowers take after their great-great-auntie Maddie.

Puppies are not unlike humans — what works for one, doesn’t always work for another — and it can change from day to day. Daisy brought her stuffed (frozen) kong to her puppies — some thought it was interesting and some did not.

I have puppy kongs as well and again, some like them stuffed/frozen (with their homemade food) and some are not impressed.

Stuffed kongs are a wonderful way to feed dogs and keep them entertained while you drink your coffee. My big dogs get one each morning stuffed and frozen with homemade food.

After a breakfast of ground beef, brown rice, spinach, and some goat’s milk to make it puree well in the blender, the Wildflowers moved to the living room play area.

We had a tunnel collapse issue — this bothered nobody, including the trapped puppy, and it quickly popped back into shape once puppies were moved.

I change things every day — a different configuration, and/or toys that have been out of rotation for a day or two.

Play now involves leaping at and on each other, lots of growling, and howls of protest when one is too rough.

The puppies are starting to understand those howls as a clue to let go — at first they are upset by the howls of their playmate but do not understand how their actions are related. Like human children (and some adults), action and consequences are not immediately linked in a puppy’s mind.

Puppies do not seem to enjoy hurting each other and so this loud howling feedback mechanism both works well and promotes prosocial behavior. We can use this to our advantage — a very natural OUCH! if a puppy is too rough can be an effective way to help a puppy understand not to bite us.

Sometimes — like a cranky toddler — puppies spin out of control and cannot manage themselves; this is a clue that it is nap time.

The Wildflowers play for a while and then start to wind down.