Saturday brought with it the long-anticipated Puppy Debut Party in which the five pups were given a delightful amount of new and novel items to spark their interest to the enjoyment of the crowd. Of course, an afternoon in June has its disadvantages. Khewa and Niko poked their heads out of the shade, declared the weather to be disgusting, and went back to sleep. Máni took some time to come out and view of the crowd of almost four hundred. Aspen and Sparrow were left to carry the day, which they did with great relish.
They dismembered a hay bale, hunted for apples in the wading pool, played with toys, and finished off their afternoon with their first deer legs. Once they had full bellies, they were prepared to nap the rest of the day away. Fortunately for late visitors, Niko and Khewa finally put in an appearance near the end of the afternoon.
Trainers Ken McCort and Chirag Patel assist the campers with their visit. Photo by Monty Sloan
Sunday brought visits with Fiona for both litters. Later, the Twiglets met the children’s camp participants. They kids were great, and the puppies were interested in meeting these smaller humans. We offer Overnight and Day Camps all this month. Older kids might have the opportunity to meet the puppies!
Trainers Chirag Patel and Ken McCort are here this week to work with the puppies. They’ll be working out a training plan to work on minor behavior problems before they become major behavior problems. These will include helping Khewa feel less concerned with people entering the enclosure, and helping everyone adjust to new places and situations.
We continue to desensitize the pups to all the strange things they’ll encounter in life. This week gave them opportunities to examine a wheel chair and walker. We have guests of all types and we want our wolves to be confident around all of them. They also saw a dog. Sparrow thought it was a new friend and begged the dog to visit them. Máni was worried. Niko and Khewa were unimpressed.
Niko and Khewa cuddle with Fiona. Photo by Dana Drenzek
Today the Mountaineers are receiving their vaccinations, after which all the puppies will be available for sponsor visits. We’ve already had a few Sponsor Visits and Photo Shoots with the Twiglets. The puppies have enjoyed the chances to meet new humans and we’re glad to expand their social circles.
Fiona and the Mountaineers. Photo by Dana Drenzek
