A late update on the first temperament test.

Hi all!

It is spring, and like most people, we are very much involved with spring projects. As already mentioned, we are putting in artificial turf in the puppy play-yard which required lots of digging, leveling and shoveling. It is roughly 15 by 100 feet, so A LOT of digging, etc. The pups were quite interested in watching us, offering a few barks of encouragement as we worked. Now that everything is prepared, we are hopeful for the delivery of our grass this coming week. I can't wait for this group to enjoy it. :+)

Along with that project, we have replaced our sloping grassy pathway to our front door with graduated steps. So, again piles of dirt removal and backbreaking work placing stones for embankment stability. We are still in that process as 'the rain has come'.

In between all of this, the pups continue to love the area they do have and are now not locked in the x-pens at night. In the morning, I find very little use of the litter box - most go outdoors in the early morning to potty outside. :+) I intend to fold up the x-pen and bring in more crates for them to sleep in with the doors open. We will see if they like this.

This past Wednesday, my trainer came for their first temperament test. There were some surprises and I expect in the next session, there will be more. At this time, I have four pups that she considers 'soft' - Black Boy, Green Boy, Stripe Boy and Orange Girl. This means AT THIS TIME they would be best suited for owners that will give them much more exposure than normal to help them develop into 'the best they can be'. This is not much different than a 'normal' pup but it is more important that you not take this commitment lightly. They would also do best in a 'less stressful' household which means not a lot of chaos - at least until the pup is properly acclimated. So by no means would you get this puppy home and immediately take it to a family party where lots of activity and noise would be happening. Give them a month or so of gentle exposure to life in your household. Eventually, all these pups will learn to trust you and feel safe which is all they want and need.

Will these pups grow and develop confidence before the next test? Yes, they certainly can. I will be working with each pup individually. I have ALWAYS found that pups with this type of temperament are the MOST loveable, cuddly, 'velcro' doodles. They simply want to please you and need very little correction. Positive re-enforcement and patience is a must. I get the best emails from my owners that have done this successfully.

Rumple tends to throw some soft puppies in all his litters. Every single one of them have turned into fabulous companions because each owner was given information regarding their personalities and they were handled accordingly. Each one worked with a trainer with experience with this type of personality and was able to bring out the best in each pup. I would expect the same results, with a good trainer, for the above pups.

Joyce