Day 51 Chinook Centennial Litter Pup-date

Morning breakfast caught on video. Six pups. Three cups kibble. One and one-half minute.

Ma Nature must have read last night's post and taken pity on the Centennial Litter. We were inside and outside all day between clear, squalls and smoke.
Lunch

 Pup-corral in action

Trask and Koyuk joining in on the play.

The poor sensory cube has been reset numerous times but never ceases to entertain active pullers (and me).

Treadwell strengthening his jaws on a bone.

The pups got an experience I have never been able to give little ones. Thunder, lightening and a downpour while outside in the Pup-corral. I saw the clouds coming so decided to see how they would react and make the experience fun for them - beside I didn't have time to haul all of them inside since it came over the ridge behind the house. I moved my chair under the tent shelter. They could care less. The pups did the startle thing - as did I - when the simultaneous thunder-lightening-downpour-loud-boom hit but then they went back to playing. I was not expecting a nearly-on-top-of-us lightening hit - as was confirmed by the evening news.
It was darker and raining but that did not interrupt the play.

One breeder's goal is to produce puppies that roll with whatever and just keep going. These guys excel.

Koyuk was not excited about wet puppies needing licked off.

The puppies weren't necessarily excited about being licked dry either.

 The tunnels are too tight to pass inside but not for jaw wrestling games.

 It's the illusive two-tailed-Nook.

Wind waiting out another rain squall.

I did take them inside when I wasn't too excited about drying off 6 wet puppies before putting them in the whelping box and it looked to turn into a steady rain. Then the first clean air sun in days lured me to haul them back outside for dinner and evening play time. Just after I lugged them all to the Pup-corral and aimed my camera up for a blue sky shot, the sky turned black and it started raining. Oh well - dinner in a shower. The pups need to get used to going out in the rain anyway. Why not make it pleasurable?

When I trained McKenzie, Willy, Cedar and Koyuk in AKC Tracking, they told us that the hardest part is just getting the dog's nose on the ground to follow a scent. These guys can find the tiniest bit of puppy kibble in grass and dirt. They are on their way to a Tracking title already.

 Rain dispersed scent is even harder.

My hope for all these little ones is that they not only complete wonderful forever families but that they continue to be challenged with new sports and adventures be it mushing, agility, water sports, tracking, running, bikejoring, obedience, backpacking... The world of fun, exploration and learning awaits them and their families if the opportunity is provided. Chinooks (and their families) thrive when more than just backyard ornaments. Along with unconditional love and companionship, each of these pups has so much to offer given the chance.