Penne finds toys

You might think this is just a photo of a dog on a bed with some toys. But there’s so much going on here.

First, know that the puppies are thriving! Plump and developing well at 12 days old.

Second, of course I love puppies. But I do this work to save the life of the mama. Her development is just as important as that of the pups. It might get lost in the shuffle of puppy milestones, but I notice.

When I host a new dog, I like to let them decompress for a few days. Same goes for mamas with pups. I want to make sure they feel safe and comfortable with us, before opening them up to a bigger world. And when I take that step, I’m cautious to make sure it’s a good experience. That’s been done. Penne is a little hesistant to accept everyone new, but warms up quickly with treats. This is not who she will be forever, it’s just who she is right now, in this moment.

The next thing I look for is how attentive a new mom is to her pups. Honestly, with only 5 puppies, Penne is a little bored. There’s just not that much to do and she’s doing it well. At this stage, I’m careful about not giving her too much to do, other than tend to the pups. If I offer options, she may decide not to nurse. And that’s not a good thing.

Then I look for joy and play. I call this the Scamper Stage. And Penne is full of it! That girl hops around, runs from me to some mystery thing in the yard, back to me. She’s full of beans!

And tonight, I notice that she has surrounded herself with toys that she brought in from the yard. This girl is telling us that she’s young and playful. She knows that she has some mom-duties, but she is also starting to remember who she was before all of this happened.

You guessed it, it’s happening again, I love this girl.