Today is the last day of summer; a beautiful low-80's. The kids return to school tomorrow, and our routine begins. Bittersweet. Sometimes routine is nice, while other times it is nice to have no schedule. Sigh.
We celebrated by going to the local FrozenYogurt Shop. We grabbed a table with chairs and settled in to see what this
Socialize the Puppy is all about.
Really?
I don't want to jinx ourselves, and perhaps this is completely normal behavior given the CCI genes of this dog, but we were all beaming. We had three people come over. The first was a lady dressed in a Harley Davidson attire with loud boots. Haddie did not pass the No Lick policy, but she stayed seated. The next visitor were two sweet teenage girls. This time Haddie stayed seated and did not lick.
Bravo, Girl!
The Harley crew zoomed by the sidewalk making lots of noise and Haddie lifted her head to follow the noise, but did not get out of her laying down position. As soon as the cycles were out of sight, she put her head back to the sleep position. Never mind the foot traffic in and out of the coffee house to our right, the pup didn't even notice through her closed eyes.
And that's the end of the story. One of the teenagers thought that we had trained her so quickly on acting like a grown-up dog. They were shocked that we have only had her less than a week. Genetics. That was our only solid answer, because ... even we are amazed.
If you are a fellow Puppy Raiser ... I'm opening up the Comment Forum to give your opinion ... is this normal behavior, or are these signs of avoidance?
So cute! It depends! My mom was surprised at how normal Dembre was when he first came (because of the large breeding program). Sometimes in public situations the puppy will stress out and shut down and therefore act "good"
ReplyDeleteElijah - is this consider "acceptable" by CCI standards (if it is shutting down)?? Or perhaps she will become more alert by turn-in due to age and experiences ...
ReplyDeleteNow that's a stinkin' cute puppy! The first couple of months with the pup are my favorite time. At this age, you might see some "shut-down" moments in a stimulating environment, so just keep it slow and steady with the socializing. What I watch for in my otherwise friendly pups is if they actually turn their backs to avoid greeting a person. Then I know they need some quiet time. You're doing great! Have fun with it all.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna! I will certainly look for those clues. =)
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, you will know by her body language if she is unsure of a situation and needs you to introduce her a little slower. You're doing a wonderful job!
ReplyDeleteCCI's breeding program producing extremely good natured puppies, but your consistent and correct training and the reward system is what will really make the difference. Take credit for that good behavior; it really is possible to see results that quickly!
We are Waverly's caretakers and fostered Haddie for a week before she came to your home. I am totally enjoying your blog and pictures this morning over my coffee. We are so proud of Waverly's puppies and so happy to see their progress. She will make a fabulous service dog thanks to your family.
Armbrust/Wyatt family
Lori - I want to jump through this computer and give you a big hug!!! Thank you so much for being the first to love Haddie and shower her with so much goodness!! She really is amazing; it shows how loved and positive handling she received from day one!! So glad you can follow along the growing up of Haddie. =) Please free free to always add your input and comments - I learn from all of you too!
ReplyDelete