dezandpups

Sometimes seemingly random parts add up to a greater whole.  For example: Grandpa Sam sired several agility champion Pulik;  puppies need intellectual challenges; DezandNick received a delivery in a big cardboard box… hence,

Sassa considering the cardboard tunnel

the box-tunnel challenge!  Uzi was willing to go in head first to get the easy to reach treats, then back out, but Sassa was first to go all the way thru the tunnel.

Poor Poblano...

DezandNick have a raised, hay-bale vegetable garden.  One thing that made the this type of garden attractive was the thought that it would keep puppies out of the veggies.  Yes, dear reader, you know where this is going.  Whilst tending the garden, DezandNick realized the pups got suspiciously quiet.  And things went a little like this: “Oh, it’s okay; they’re playing tug of war… with a poblano chili pepper plant! that has already produced 4 chilies!!  wait, make that 2 chilies.”  DezandNick successfully disengaged the chili plant from the pups (replanting the remainder deeper in the garden — we’ll see how that fairs) and took away the 2 baby chilies from the 2 baby Pulik.  The pups seem none the worse of the wear and resumed tug of war with an appropriate dog toy. Amazing what they can get up to — literally, right behind our backs!

Ouzo & Sassafras had their first play date, with Lula the French Bulldog pup, about 5 months old.  She’s a real sweetie. And Lula was clearly the alpha — she RULED those boys, despite the fact she’s 1/2 their size.  (Grrrl Power!!)  Lula did all the talking; you’ve never heard 2 more quiet Pulik.   At first, Sassa was very shy.  Given the way he usually plays with his brother (hard & loud), it was surprising that he was so timid & silent, but that’s one of the reasons for a play date: socialization.  In no time, all 3 pups were all running and playing and chasing.  Ouzo started talking a little, but Lula always  had the last word.  What a fun way to start the holiday weekend!

Sassa, Lula & Uzi

The pups slept thru the night without incident (by which we mean accident)!  DezandNick didn’t have to get up at 2AM to let them out. Yippee!!!

DezandNick clipped the pups’ toenails and gave them their first bath & hair-dry. (Well, the breeder did that, too, but this was OUR first.)  Wish we could share photos with you but our wet, soapy hands were full, as you might imagine.  Uzi went first and he was a real sport about it.  He tried to bite the water coming from shower head and eat the air from the blow drier.  He loved being swaddled in towels and blow dried — thought it was a big game with lots of rubs.  Sassa was more trepeditious about the whole process. He tolerated the bath, right up until the final rinse when he started whining a little. (DezandNick worked as fast as possible — luckily, Sassa reached his limit right as it was finishing.)  He allowed the blow dry to happen, but mainly because DezandNick locked him in a small room where he couldn’t get away, then bribed him with puppy treats.  We’ll try to get photos next time, because wet Puli pups are pretty goofy looking.  Once all that hair gets wet and deflates, you can see their great big paws.

Okay, clearly, this is not very becoming a pack-leader. But the pups have discovered Dez’s hair. They like to pull it, when it’s within reach.  And they jump pretty high, so their reach is more considerable than one would think for such small pups.  I’d like to tell you that DezandNick do not approve — but Nick thinks it’s hysterical.  (The united front has been cracked. That didn’t take long.)  Dez asked  “WWCMD?” — What would Cesar Millan do? — and decided to discourage the undesirable behavior by distracting them with a stinky bully stick.  (Seriously, does that guy walk around with a holster full of bullys?)

hair tug of war