I raw feed my dogs. Since Nala’s and Bocelli’s litter was whelped in October I have been feeding Nala 2-3 times a day. Bocelli still gets fed once in the evening. For the first 2-3 weeks it seemed like Nala was nursing those pups constantly. She didn’t go far from the barnyard where they were whelped for the first few days. Sometime in the first week I encouraged her to come on the morning patrol walk that I do with the dogs to the back side of our property where they coyotes are more likely to be close to the fence. She seemed relieved to get away for a while and I was glad to have her back to the routine. She and Bocelli had a few long conversations with several coyotes on multiple occasions.
At about 3 weeks I began offering meat to the pups, like whole rabbit that had been put through the food grinder and mixed with plain yogurt. They took to it right away. First I would call Nala out into the house yard to feed her there and then put the pups’ food down for them in the barnyard. I decided to do this because when I put food down for Nala near the pups, she would growl at them.
This week I started adding chunks, like chicken legs and thighs, to the pups’ bowls. It didn’t take any time at all for them to start gnawing and crunching these almost up. Every so often I would notice that Bocelli would bring part of his dinner from the pasture, where I had fed him, into the yard where the pups were eating and he would just leave it. Although he never went close to where they were eating. He would lie there and seem to observe them and the ewe and lamb that I was feeding close to the pups so that they would all get used to each other. It occurred to me that he was bringing it for the pups but I couldn’t be sure.
Then tonight I had given him a whole chicken in the pasture. I like to sit and watch the pups from a distance while they eat. I enjoy taking in their individual styles and learning as much as I can about them. When they had finished up most of what I had given them I noticed that Bocelli had come into the yard and then noticed that several of the pups had gone over near the fence and I wondered what they were doing. When I got close enough I could see that there was a big pile of regurgitated chicken that they were eating. I guess in some families if the mom is grouchy, then dad has to take over the nurturing. On my way out of the barn yard I told Bocelli what a good dad he was.
At about 3 weeks I began offering meat to the pups, like whole rabbit that had been put through the food grinder and mixed with plain yogurt. They took to it right away. First I would call Nala out into the house yard to feed her there and then put the pups’ food down for them in the barnyard. I decided to do this because when I put food down for Nala near the pups, she would growl at them.
This week I started adding chunks, like chicken legs and thighs, to the pups’ bowls. It didn’t take any time at all for them to start gnawing and crunching these almost up. Every so often I would notice that Bocelli would bring part of his dinner from the pasture, where I had fed him, into the yard where the pups were eating and he would just leave it. Although he never went close to where they were eating. He would lie there and seem to observe them and the ewe and lamb that I was feeding close to the pups so that they would all get used to each other. It occurred to me that he was bringing it for the pups but I couldn’t be sure.
Then tonight I had given him a whole chicken in the pasture. I like to sit and watch the pups from a distance while they eat. I enjoy taking in their individual styles and learning as much as I can about them. When they had finished up most of what I had given them I noticed that Bocelli had come into the yard and then noticed that several of the pups had gone over near the fence and I wondered what they were doing. When I got close enough I could see that there was a big pile of regurgitated chicken that they were eating. I guess in some families if the mom is grouchy, then dad has to take over the nurturing. On my way out of the barn yard I told Bocelli what a good dad he was.
