Puppy Update

It’s been five weeks—nearly six when you read this—since Lena’s puppies were born. Our beautiful English Shepherd working dog on the farm, Lena has certainly been quite the proud and dedicated momma for her wriggly litter of eight pups. First, the little ones became able to hear, then able to see, then they learned to walk instead of crawl.

Each day is a new adventure for them—from running outside in the snow with their momma, learning to tussle and play with toys, licking peanut butter out from hollowed chew bones, to strenuous tasks like building coordination climbing stairs or learning that the post-breakfast bathroom is outside.

The pups are also starting to show their individual personalities. Some are tusslers and eager for adventures. Some are snugglers and happy to please. Some are confident, others need encouragement—a lot like kids in a classroom. They tug with toys, drag my chore boots away if I don’t have them out-of-puppy-reach, and fall asleep in the silliest positions—upside down, on top of one another, wedged at the bottom of the staircase, draped over their momma.

At this stage, as they grow and develop before moving on to their placement homes on working farms, it’s important to keep expanding their horizons and seeing how they interact with new situations. New sounds to experience—different kinds of music, the squeaky laundry dryer, the vacuum (at a safe distance for now), the rumble of a delivery truck. They each get supervised turns to explore pieces of the upstairs with us, and each day they venture a little further and further out into the yard with Lena.

It won’t be long before they’ll be big enough to follow Lena all the way to where the livestock live—like the pigs on top of the hill by our garage or over to the barn where the sheep and cow are. Learning about livestock and how they behave will be a crucial part of these English Shepherds’ development into accomplished herders, guards, and livestock handlers.

On the not-too-far-off horizon will be an experience in a pen with a few ducks. Ducks are relatively flighty and pose little threat to a puppy (unlike a goose or a turkey). When threatened, they stick closely together and move as a bunch, which allows the early stages of herding instinct to come forward. Knowing whether a puppy should be placed on a farm that primarily raises cows, or sheep, or chickens will depend on the herding style the puppy exhibits. A more robust technique is better for larger animals like cattle. A subtler style is better for smaller and more fragile animals like poultry.

It’s also been important for the puppies to meet different people, especially folks Lena knows but hasn’t necessarily seen in a while. Different people have different smells, different sounding voices, and different ways they hold or speak to a puppy, and so far friends and family haven’t been upset in the least to be asked for a puppy visit! We even had a former intern stop by, who was delighted to have a cuddle.

As the temperatures warm and their little legs grow stronger, I’m sure the puppy adventures will continue. They’ve learned what tails are for (wagging yours and grabbing onto the other guy’s). And they’re finding their voices (sometimes in the middle of the night), but they sure are unmistakably sweet.

We’ll certainly miss the troop when they get homes in March (though we’ll be keeping one or two for the farm), but helping them mature into wonderful dogs has been a very special treat. It’s all part of the stewardship and love that is the heart of our farm. Time for a puppy hug! Maybe I’ll even get some tiny wet kisses. Remember if you want to see more pictures of the pups, check out Kara’s blog at www.northstarhomestead.net/blog2/ and we’ll see you down on the farm sometime.