The Eye of the Storm

Puppies likes to play and if you didn't know how much I'm about to tell you. Everything to a puppy is a toy. Everything. In addition to making any object, animate or inanimate, a play-thing they also seem to think everything is funny. They're that not so bright friend you bring along just so you can laugh at them laughing at nothing. That or your friend is always high ... let's not consider that for the puppies since they are only innocent and we don't want to corrupt them (too soon). Anyway, it seems like for the first 3 years of your Ridgeback's life(and longer if you're really lucky) this is what they do ... only they get bigger and still do it. Without training it will be your head in their mouth but I'm sure Tezlin's (Red) family already has a puppy manners class in mind.  At least Kenzi (Purple) hopes so.

Kota (Mini) took on this toy dog but rest assured the toy dog put up a good fight. Fortunately Kota has been training for this moment her whole life and she will spend the next several years perfecting this move on various things ... let's hope it's not someone's leg.

Vesper (Yellow) took down Peggy (Lime) in a classic body slam/leg twist which, for those of you who are be able to see Ridgebacks play on a regular basis, will become a signature move. The all too familiar 'neck snapping head twist' is particularly disturbing.

Tezlin (Red) attempts to eviscerate Kota's sheep without much success. it will be about 4 or 5 more months before the toy/cushion/pillow evisceration's are perfected. It is common knowledge, among Ridgebacks anyway, that there is something inside toys/cushions/pillows/dog beds that must be extricated poste haste and with the most carnage possible.

Shoes are a popular subject among this breed and my cheap 'puppy whelping' shoes are no exception. The fuzzy pink socks are also of profound interest so be sure not to leave things like this lying around where a puppy can get at them. Nor should you put them on your feet because as we see they are fair game no matter where they are.

Raylan (LW) employs the smother move on his sister Tezlin and that too is a pretty common move among Ridgebacks. Get your prey down and then lie on it. Come to think of it perhaps that's what I am when I'm lying in bed smothered by 3 Ridgebacks who all insist on being able to touch me while they are sleeping.  Maybe it's a possession thing ... great.

Raylan's Tigger was high-jacked by Emma (Pink) and soundly cuddled for quite some time. This photo was post neck-snapping so Tigger was down for the count and succumbed to cuddling without much fuss. I suppose that is the point of the neck snap.

Best not to play with giants in dog crates. Boy doesn't especially like being mauled by puppies but finds himself at a crossroads because he wants to be with me. The compromise is going in a crate where he can see me but be 'protected' from the puppies. Emma thought he was still good for a laugh and if you look closely you can see Mr Grumpy Boy's nose curled in irritation while Emma's little pink tongue reaches out to taste him. So. Cute. He didn't fall for it and more lip curling ensued.

One dog's lip who never curls is Cora. She can't get enough of being mauled and enjoys any opportunity to stick her nose into a crowd of puppies. There were 4 of them all vying for her attention at this point and she just lapped it up. Won't she be sad when they all leave. Never mind, she'll see Raylan often enough to satisfy her.

Another dog who is starting to play with the puppies more is Esme. She wasn't too interested until a couple days ago and now she treats them like a little obstacle course. She leaps over them and races around, grabs at their faces and lets them haul on her hair. She seems to enjoy the size gain she has on them now and I wonder if she remembers how big they are going to get!

Imagine this is your ankle. Rue (Orange) will be happy to imprint her teeth on any one of her new family's hands, feet, ankles, elbows ... whatever. Cora didn't seem to notice this little activity, perhaps she was too bust fending off the puppies who were grabbing at her ears.

My last example is pretty poignant. Zeke is in the last throws before he finally loses the battle against Peggy - he made a valiant effort by grabbing her ear but it was far too late. Sometimes when the puppies are playing I have to intervene because they are now big enough to hurt each other, or at least get someone very upset. Forewarned is fore-armed and with the preceding photographs I hope at least some of the lesson has sunk in. Train them when they are babies, not when they are the size of their father.