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| Knoll (was Humphrey) offering his thoughts for the New Year |
Pups from the “Smoke” litter have all checked in via email within the last few weeks and are all settling into their new homes and making their presence felt.
As someone noted, in some of the materials that we give out with the pups, there is a tongue in cheek breed description which mentions that they are “brawlers by nature”. This description was actually in the standard for the breed at one point. These days, their brawling is most obvious in their tendency to a rough and boisterous play style, but it does speak to their strength of character and forceful nature. Historically, fisherman needed a dog with a pushy and robust nature as their tough and demanding job required it of them.
Raising a PWD pup with what we consider to be a correct temperament can be challenging even in the best of times. Raising a PWD puppy during a pandemic can be even tougher, as owners and pups rarely have a break from each other. Those of you working from home, or with family members working from home, need down time from constantly minding your pup in order to focus on work.
If you or family members need quiet time, do not be afraid to crate or pen your pup for several hours at a time in a distant area of the house where puppy noises will not interrupt you. When Jan and I were both working, our pups were confined in a 4 x 4 ex pen from 7:45 AM to Noon while we were away at work. I would run home for lunch and let pup out, then potty walk and entertain the pup for about 40-45 minutes. After that, it was back in the pen (with lunch stuffed into a Kong or similar) for another few hours until Jan arrived home from work.
Another thought for a belated Christmas gift for those of you struggling with noise distractions: noise canceling headphones. 😊
Do you have a challenging pup? Hang in there, they will be worth all the work you are putting in.
Below are a few useful or interesting links.
Whiplash Turns with The Name Game by Rewarded Behavior Continues
National Purebred Dog Day entry about the PWD
A free 7-day trail is available for this puppy training resource:
https://www.oneminddogs.com/online-puppy-training/
The NY Times archive has several fascinating historical stories on the PWD. Someone posted this one the other day:
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/21/nyregion/long-islanders-rescuing-a-rare-breed.html
