Triple Trouble

Pawtential Unleashed

Experienced Member
Jett looks like the calmest one, Juniper and Jinx are more the outgoing, go for it! type.:D
Pretty accurate - for that night. LOL Jinx has always been Jinx - wired from day 1.

Jett & Juni switch places regularly with energy level and forwardness. Jett was the first to come bowling up to us when we picked the pups out of the litter while Juni was much more reserved and withdrawn - almost to the point I didn't take her. When we decided to take three, it was an easy choice.

They turned 6 weeks old today and have grown tremendously...

Jinx:
4 week weight: 3.6lbs
6 week weight: 6.4lbs

Jett:
4 week weight: 2.8lbs
6 week weight: 5.9lbs

Juni:
4 week weight: 2.6lbs
6 week weight: 5.2lbs

We have been having alot of pecking order sorting out happening for the last week. They come to work with me everyday (they will be the best socialized pups ever - you know the rule of 100 people by 12 weeks - they are already over that...) and everything will be quiet and then a mass of tumbling, growling floor pinning activity erupts. They have all taken turns on who is where. The girls gang up on Jett, or Jett pins Juni, but most often it is Jett vs Jinx in some form. Juni rarely has pinned Jinx - it is all very soap opera dramaish at times... :LOL:

Tonight Jett got a great lesson from Ayla as well. She is in no way a possessive guarder but when I fed her tonight, the pups walked under her legs and headed for her bowl. She stood still, head down, slightly in front of the bowl and gave a little growl. Juni got the message and left. Jett however kept coming and she escalated her growling to a slightly higher level as he munched away. Then she shifted her weight slightly and dropped her head a little more. He noticed and moved off.

2-3 minutes later he decided he would try again. Followed by Jinx, they stood at one of the big communal water dishes (on the same rug as her food bowl) and watched her. Ayla stopped eating and again stood still, slightly in front of her bowl, head down - no growling, just looking at them. Jett went closer - Ayla growled. Jinx leaves. Jett continues and Ayla steps forward with a closed mouth and deep growl and hits Jett on the neck with her muzzle. No teeth but she scared him a bit. He yelped and ran out of the kitchen, cried for about 7-8 seconds, shook it off and came back to sit at my feet.

The wonder of dog language never ceases to amaze me. I let this whole thing play out because I trust Ayla 100% and she has never, even in the face of the most trying of dogs, even so much as lifted a lip in frustration. I trusted that she would never do anything to hurt the pups and since they left Mom too early - she and Phoebe have taken on the role of surrogate teaching Moms.

Her display tonight once again confirmed the subtle beauty in, and the tragic error of, humans perception of "ALPHA". So often we see so many things referencing the whole alpha role as one dog pinning another, vocal arguments and heated shoulder standing or humping behaviors - all in the name of showing another dog who is boss.

A true LEADER doesn't need to use continued force to gain respect and when the pups next approached her, she simply looked at them quietly for a few seconds, they weighed their options and then they left to go play in the other room.

I found this really great pictorial of wolf pack body language displays if anyone is interested:
http://www.everythingwolf.com/news/readarticle.aspx?article=236

Anyway just wanted to share!
 
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