How I Raise My Puppies

First Time Alone, with Stranger, With Toys

To help you compare this first testing of drives with how the pups developed, I include the summary of who went where for what after the notes on each litter.
I illustrated four litters, including the latest.
This is one of the litters from which I kept a pup so you can, if you desire, follow how they grew up and, eventually, produce and compete.
Also see the temperament test results:  police narcotics test and Search & Rescue test.

ii Litter (Lively bred to Quasi, session done at 33 days

Cathy came this afternoon to help me take photos. First, though, she held each pup while I trimmed toenails. Then we put them, one at a time, with Cathy amidst several toys, while I moved away and took photos. Both pups played very nicely for Cathy, with good eye contact, good toy chasing, nice bites on the toys and sustained tugging. Neither paid much attention to the ball – their eyes are just not mature enough to follow that movement – though once Mr. Blue was in the perfect position to notice the ball slowly rolling and followed it for a few feet, even trying once to get his mouth on it. They also showed personalities with her that I’ve been observing so I’m thinking we’re seeing a lot of who they’ll be.

Mr. Blue is Mr. Social. He really enjoyed playing with Cathy, with whatever toy she chose, and was very lighthearted about his play. Miss Gold, on the other hand, was more assertive and serious in her play, preferring to choose her own toy and consenting to play with it with Cathy. While both gave lots of eye contact, Miss Gold’s was serious, as if she were figuring out just who Cathy was, while Mr. Blue was content to have her acknowledge how cute he was and to love on him. Mr. Blue vocalized a lot while playing, including some “I’m so tough!” growls as he tugged, while Miss Gold was silent except for one long vocalization during a tugging session, not a growl as much as a frustrated whine that it was her toy and Cathy shouldn’t be trying to take it.

Miss Gold is the more independent one of the two and moved away from Cathy to check out all the toys as soon as Cathy set her down for her session. She played longer with a given toy, and much more willing to use her body to hold down the toy than Mr. Blue, but would disengage from playing with Cathy sooner than he did. She also began playing right away, while Cathy had to keep grabbing Mr. Blue at first because he kept trying to run to me. Once he realized she would be fun to play with, he played well, slightly longer than did Miss Gold, and had more eye contact with Cathy during play than did Miss Gold, who would occasionally stop and intensely study Cathy before resuming play. Miss Gold was the only one who discovered the treats in Cathy’s pocket and tried to get to them.

Mr. Blue went to Montana for Search & Rescue and is certified in all areas except avalanche (and that just because she hasn’t worked him in that). I kept Miss Gold (my Spirit) for breeding as well as for nosework, agility and therapy dog work.

to GG litter first time alone
to JJ litter first time alone (Soleil, from the GG litter, is the mother of the JJ litter)
to LL litter first time alone (GloryToo, from the GG litter, is the mother of the LL litter)
to NN litter first time alone (GloryToo, from the GG litter, is the mother of the NN litter)

back to How I Raise My Puppies 4: Fifth & Sixth Weeks