Friday 7 October 2011

Almost a month...

...has passed since the furbabes started their new lives. It has absolutely flown by and now I feel like a proud granny at a school play as photos and stories of their antics are coming in thick and fast.

I have had some time to reflect upon the experience, ably assisted by some of the liquid presents and fortified by the cacao I was unexpectedly given when prospective owners collected their pups - thank you all so much, it was an essential component of post-partum recuperation :-).


 The remnants of the experience remain around me: Ilo is starting to resemble a Chinese Crested; my home has even more fur than usual and is being discovered in hitherto off-limits-for-fur places; I have stubbed my toes too many times to count on the stairgate; and the garden has taken a hammering for certain.

Yet when owners call and say their pup is thriving, is happy and well-adjusted and is, despite the sleepless nights, giving them more joy than they thought possible, it is hard not to feel a twinge or two of pride (and relief in equal measure - yes breeders are worry-worts).

I  was warned to expect dozens of calls and queries in the first few weeks. Well, I have had a couple for general advice and some lovely chats about progress. Perhaps you are all saving them up? The two pups in SW London started home training at 7.5 weeks when they left here. I had a lovely conversation with the trainer  Helen, who provides elementary operant conditioning (non-aversive, reward-based) for pups to help them settle and give them the best start possible. Humility prevents me from reproducing her comments about the pups here but to have such positive feedback early on from someone so experienced and independent of the process was lovely to receive and helps me plan for future litters. I only wish this training was available in all areas.

Other pups have been to the more traditional puppy parties and started classes, progressing well already and Tykky has been to Borstal. Actually, she is a lively young lady, so I have been researching search and rescue training for her and formal sheep herding (cradle classes).

Last weekend 4 of the litter joined in a shortened version of the Goring walk...it was great fun and not easy to navigate with small ones on a beach that would normally have been deserted in October, but thanks to the weather was heaving - more than one sunbather got 'lappied' in the course of the day:

Then it was back to Finn's home close by for more ruff and tumble without the wet sand:



Then it was off to Tuula's home for more of the same:




I have put a selection of some of the lovely photos I have been sent on the Muohta page and you will soon see I have started a page for Tykky the Terror - if she will ever be still for a photo.
This week we are all focused on keeping our paws crossed for Tali to recover quickly from her op on her front paw.