Day 53

Day 53

After a hectic weekend having a slow Monday was something of a relief. Callie and Leo are back from vacation and back for lessons again. I really must get some new pictures of Sanity with Leo. At 6 months, puppy Leo is already taller and heavier than Wrap. I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to live with not one but two Newfoundlands. The size and the hair alone would do me in and when you all those long ropey, drool slingers, all I have to say is ugh. One of the best things about all these different breeds of dogs coming and going all the time is that Sanity’s education is a broad one indeed. Watching her and her reaction to each truly “different” breed has made me realize just how important the very early introductions are to making sure a pup grows up to be a mannerly dog.

One example would be when Sanity first met Leo. Every single hair that was capable of standing erect did so and she was both fearful and curious about the huge hairy thing that had just entered the yard. Leo, a Landseer Newfoundland was equally curious about this small creature with the strange head gear who just kept buzzing around him. Given time and no interference from humans and the two of them worked out all their questions about size, speed, shape, color and now they are comfortable enough with each other to engage in some limited play. I say limited, because Leo and his housemate Callie, are here for a lesson and Sanity, as well as Wrap, are here to help with the teaching. This doesn’t allow for much play time.

Another example would be when Sanity first met the Borzois last Thursday. Her response was to once again behave as if they simply couldn’t be dogs. They were both way too tall and too thin and too long and according to her initial behavior they smelled funny. By the time Friday afternoon had rolled around, she was very happy to join them in some wild games of chase. Watching her race at top speed around the yard it occurs to me that if she doesn’t break her neck during one of the rather spectacular tumbles she sometimes takes, she is going to have wonderful movement. All the parts are in the right places, the right angles, the right lengths and some days I even get to see all those parts work the way they will work in the, as yet, distant adult.

Knowing we still had a class to teach, I made Sanity come in and rest during the afternoon and then eat her dinner a little bit early. The early dinner part was definitely to her liking, the resting not so much. Nevertheless, she was ready to go when it came time for class. However since the subnovice dogs have to go last, by the time we got to Leda and Sanity both pups had gone back to sleep.

Thus ended another very long day.