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Puppies' Diary - Part 4.
This page was last updated: 2006-08-12
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July - August 2002
This page tells you the story about the two girls, after Fuji left for Sweden.
24th of July, 2002 - the first
days after Fuji left.
11th of August, 2002 - forming a new pack
22nd of August, 2002 - almost there.....
Well, this is my first writing "after Fuji"... He was, as mentioned earlier picked up by Monica & Yngve on last Friday (19th of July), and of course it was "a bit" hard for all of us to watch him go. Although we knew it all the time, although we know of course that he will be treated like a "prince" (like Keiko, our first foster Akita is treated like the princess of the house), but still as you all know, "knowing" isn't always the same as "feeling"....
Anyway, that we were a bit sad saying goodbye to our little "firstborn" (or at least "first arrived") boy, isn't so strange, I suppose... But that the dogs reacted like they did, made me once again wonder about their "personalities" and "intelligence". Like so often before, I am wondering, if we really know as much about them, as we ourselves suppose we do....
They have all in their own way, clearly shown that they were missing Fuji - especially in the first days after he left.. Aibu is probably the one that is missing him the most... Fuji was the one, she was playing with, her "big brother", and even though Kanzi joined in in their games very often, it is now as if she "grew up" over night, after Fuji left, so she is now sticking more to Ikiru and Tora than to Aibu... All in all they are not playing as much anymore, after he left. Ikiru tries to make Tora play from time to time, like they did before the puppies arrived, but somehow he doesn't seem to find playing with her as funny anymore (maybe because she is bullying him too much?). Tora plays a bit with Aibu and/or Kanzi, but if they get too excited about their game, Ikiru makes them stop... probably because she is a bit jealous because of Tora's interest in the two girls. I am sure, Ikiru also misses her "staying-out-at-night-when-the-others-prefer-to-stay-in-the-house" body, and Kanzi and Tora probably miss their playmate and "brother".
Actually, it is both interesting and a bit astonishing to see, how much influence one dog has on the individual dogs in a pack - and on the dogs as a pack - even though he wasn't neither Alpha, Beta nor Omega of the group. But somehow his presence must have been important to the other ones - maybe, because he was (and is) such a joyful clown and used this to become a link between the other dogs...
Anyway, the dogs are slowly getting into some new daily
routine... The puppies don't play so much anymore, but for this I take them for
more and longer walks, it is of course easier for me, now when there is only two
left. And, I think that especially Ikiru enjoys having Tora to her self for some
of our walks again - though of course, it is only for a limited time, till Aibu
goes to Norway. But this Ikiru doesn't know, so she enjoys her time alone with
Tora. Tora doesn't seem to care much, as long as he gets his daily walks, he
enjoys them alone, with Ikiru and with or without Kanzi... Being a boy, the most
important thing for him is to get lots of chances to "lift a
leg".... As for Aibu she is turning a bit more to Dennis or me for
"attention", whenever Kanzi doesn't want to play, but they still enjoy
being walked together, the two girls, and are also starting to play a bit again,
especially in the mornings.
Actually it is probably most confusing for Kanzi. Over the past weeks, I have
taken her out together with Ikiru and Tora as often as possible to make them
used to each other - a team that will accept each other, also when she grows
older... And, now she is suddenly set back in the Kindergarten again, and has to
stick to Aibu. Must be a bit confusing for her, but she seems to accept it quite
well and is most of the time being "nice" and "kind" to
Aibu, though I suppose she would have preferred the company of Ikiru and Tora.
Well, let's see how things will develop over the next few weeks, till Aibu is leaving for Norway.... till now, she is doing great (except for her hole-digging "thing", she seems to have), and I hope of course, it will continue that way.
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On the 8th of August, Aibu had blood drawn for titers testing, so that was the beginning of the count down for her journey to Norway. According to our plans, Britt, Dag and Tina will pick her up on the 31st of August/1st of September, as this is the weekend for our yearly "get-together" for Akitas and American Akitas. So, we are of course all crossing fingers that her titers are high enough for being allowed into Norway.
Of course we are looking forward to her departure with mixed feelings. On one hand it has been fun having the "guest dogs" here, interesting to watch them growing up together - and I believe this has been even more interesting, because they are from different lines, and thus are probably more different in their personalities and behaviour, than if you are having puppies from the same litter growing up together. On the other hand we are also sort of looking forward to having just our own dogs here, so that we can have some sort of group established among the three of them.
I am a bit anxious, what will happen between Ikiru and Kanzi, when Aibu is no longer around, as Kanzi then probably will lean a bit more on Tora than she already does... The question then is, how jealous Ikiru will then become, and how she and Kanzi then will "settle" their evt. disagreements between them. I know, how furious two females can be fighting, when it comes to settling their disagreements, and in our case, the odds will be heavily on Ikiru's side, if she and Kanzi should ever start fighting like this. Not only is she the oldest one, but she is also far the biggest one. But, of course I do not hope that such a situation will ever occur! So far Kanzi seems to be very strong in her "dog language and behaviour" knowledge, so I do hope, they will sort things out without having to fight over them.
Back to the present... We have had a very warm summer with an awful high humidity, and this doesn't seem to have suited Kanzi very well. So, she has been even more reluctant of playing with Aibu, than she was before, so our little girl has been BORED! She has been dealing with the situation amazingly well, but I am sure, she has been dreaming of someone to play with more than once... And, over the past few days, it actually seems that Kanzi is becoming more of a "puppy" again, and they have been playing more - like they did at the beginning, when they first came here. Aibu is almost ecstatic that her friend is willing to play with her again, and this sometimes gets too much for Kanzi, so she has to play the "big-sister" role again. But, they are getting along very well now (almost too well now, the girl-gang already has destroyed the first few things, when they have been alone at home, and been "naughty"....:-)) Now, I just hope that Kanzi won't be feeling too sad and lonely, when Aibu leaves, but I hope she will get along just fine with Ikiru and Tora. Somehow it seems that there is some sort of understanding between the three of them (already was, when Fuji was also here), I am wondering if this is due to their mutual colour, but it is probably one thing we will never know for sure.
BTW, Monica tells us that Fuji is doing very fine in his new home... He and our first "foster kid" Keiko are getting along just fine, according to Monica they are playing and enjoying each others company, as if they had known each other "always".... Maybe they have a common thing in their upbringing here at our place that makes them "alike" somehow? Or maybe they are just two dogs getting along just fine... Another thing, we will never know - but it doesn't matter that much either, the important thing is that they are doing fine at their new home, as this has been the reason for us to have accepted them here in the first place.
*******
Yesterday, the result of Aibu's titer test came... she is ready to go "home" to Norway.... So, the end of the "Kindergarten" era is now in sight.. Next weekend, the 31st of August, Britt, Dag and Tina will pick her up... so there is only a little over a week left.. Wonder, what they would think about it, if they knew she was going to leave....
Ikiru will probably not be too sad about it - on the other hand, things have been a lot calmer here, since Fuji left, and there hasn't been any "incidences" between Ikiru and Aibu since then... Tora... well, I think, he thinks, Aibu is fun... She is the one, he is playing with the most, as Kanzi sometimes gets too excited, when she plays with him (then she is able to - literally - be all over him, which he doesn't like very much). On the other hand, he will still have Ikiru and Kanzi to play with, so he will probably not be as sad about missing her as a he was last year, when Keiko left.
Kanzi.. well, that will probably depend a lot on, how our pack of three get organized. If they are getting along just fine, and she can get away with playing with Tora without Ikiru getting too jealous, then she will probably not be missing her "kid sister" too much... If, on the other hand, Ikiru and Kanzi will have troubles accepting each other as full members of the pack, she will probably miss playing with Aibu. But again, we will know that in a month or two, probably. Lately, the two girls have started playing a lot more again, they have obviously "gotten over" Fuji's departure. This leaves Aibu with another problem, as Kanzi is quite a bit stronger and more agile, than she is... So, now she is sometimes missing Fuji to help her "fight" Kanzi... But, mostly they seem to be enjoying each others company, and they are pretty naughty too, when they are alone at home together... They have already eaten up quite a few items... And, if Kanzi sometimes doesn't feel like playing (she has a very convincing way of telling Aibu this....), and Aibu still has some steam to blow off, she is still practising "hole digging" in our garden... I am wondering, whether they are making each other so naughty in simply being together and fooling around, or they will continue to be like this, when they are no longer together... In the first case, things will ease down a lot, when Aibu moves to Norway... In the second case, both Britt and I will have a challenge later on....
It is fun to watch some of the first photos of the pups, and then compare to, how they look now... They have grown SO big.... Even, the "little girl", Aibu isn't that little at all anymore, although she has shed almost all her coat, so she does look a little "thin" and naked... But, she has become a lovely little female Akita, and I am looking forward to seeing her entering the show ring, when Britt finds her to be ready... She still is a very lovely and VERY kind little soul, and although she can be quite annoying to the other ones, when she insists on playing with Kanzi or Tora, I don't think there is even a touch of anything negative in her personality. I haven't done much of training with her, as this would attach her too much to me, considering that she is to move on.. but I am sure, Britt will be able to do well with her, as she is more eager to please and fancying treats more, than most other Akitas I know... So, Britt... I expect you to do very well with her in the obedience ring as well as in the show ring... Only "problem" will probably be to make her focus on the tasks long enough to make through a whole program.... but, maybe (hopefully) her ability to concentrate on a certain thing will improve, as she gets older. Maybe, after her first season, she will settle down a bit more..... Maybe....
Anyway, now that "the end is near", I think it has been overall fun to have the two foster-dogs here over the spring and summer, and it has definitely made life more fun for Kanzi growing up with two playmates, even if her "biggest idol" still is Tora.... I also think, we have learned a lot having the gang here for these months. It is always interesting to watch a group of dogs interacting together... And especially in this case, where we have had three puppies from different kennels, different litters and with so different personalities, and then the two older dogs to help us bringing them up...
The next interesting thing will be to see, how things will be here, when Aibu has left. To see, if Kanzi will finally get less shy towards strangers, when she is "backed up" by Ikiru and Tora and not by the other puppies... I still have a lot of work to do, before she is the dog, I hope she will become... But, knowing her personality, as I do now, I am sure, she will get there... only wondering, how long time it will take... But, it will probably be a lot easier, when I can spend more time working with her...
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