Day 66 Chinook Centennial Litter Pup-date

Early morning in the whelping condo - two puppies, one desired toy, blurry shots matching my half-asleep vision, noisy, fighting puppies at 0430. Koyuk was very persistent in getting me up to deal with her squabbling kids.

Brothers! Sometimes it feels like I have human sons that don't speak English.

"OK, if I can't keep it, I'll just bite your ear."

Today was moving about to where I could hear the pups while I worked on overdue fall chores.
Pup-corral during party clean-up, hose storage, gutter cleaning and well, I admit to sitting with coffee watching the puppies play during their last full day together.
Meals are consumed in seconds.

 Koyuk barely has time to run outside and share try to steal their food.

 Trask and Cedar joined in the puppy play.

The puppies were moved to the front of the house kennel while I put away the vegetable garden, such that it is since Icemageddon wiped out my irrigation and fence; the deer helped themselves to novel goodies; and with storm clean-up and then puppies, I had to rely on Ma Nature to produce whatever from compost bin soil seed I have roto-tilled in. I still had to drain the repaired irritation system; harvest what I could; clean the greenhouse; clean and fill the heat-sink barrows; hose storage; put away pots...tomato, garlic, grape, pepper, pear and apple harvest along with bulb planting, weeding and grape vine salvage for a new Vineman and Christmas wreaths will have to wait.

The big dogs can get into the kennel from inside the house to play with and console the pups. Luckily the pups haven't figured out the double dog door - though today they did destroy the outside frame in their attempts. Add "fix dog door" to my fall to-do list.

While in the kennel, I did start the puppies on clicker training - no easy feat. Once the big dogs heard the clicker it was all paws preforming tricks for  potential treats. Grizz quickly associated the click with a treat and then figured out there was a gimmick to process - he had to do something to earn it. "Sit" came easily. Because the big dogs managed to spill and devour the bowl of cheese bits, I only had a few left to work with Toolik. Both he and Grizz mastered "puppy" as come.

Freedom!!!

Three big dogs, two fast puppies and one old lady with a camera in chase made for a great ending of the day. I had harvested two buckets of volunteer ornamental gourds. For some fun and color in the pictures, I brought out one bucket.

 The puppies were not quite sure what to make of the bright, bitter gourds.

 Grizz found one he could prance about with.

 Oops.

 Never one to sit still and always on the run Toolik took off with his prize...

 until he dropped it.

 Grizz with another brighter gourd...

 trying to sneak away.

 Toolik in pursuit...

 the game is on...

 "Naner-naner-naner"

 "Got ya."

 "My turn to have it."

 The victor with the spoils.

All dogs chased about for about an hour as I snapped away and Dave got an entertaining show. I did my best to prevent the big dogs from playing with the gourds as they are destined to become holiday decorations and I would prefer they stay on the porch rather than litter the lawn as discarded dog toys.