This transition is a fun one for pups and people alike! Up to this point, the pups have only been on flat ground, so the steep banks of the creek drainage pose a challenge. There are two dogs on this fence line that are new to the pups, and they are closer to the four adult dogs that manage the back of our property.
We were on deck to provide emotional support and to redirect a pup if needed, but all the pups were adventurous and happy! The pups in the video above discovered mud for the first time. What a face!!
This short video shows a great example of the pups negotiating an unfamiliar barrier challenge and how they differed from each other. There can be many reasons why some pups seem to figure this out faster than others. For these pups, it is possible they are in their first fear period, which would certainly impact their confidence in this situation. All the pups handled it well; a couple of pups whined in frustration a bit.
This video is seven minutes long. It shows my crew positioned across this new area, prepared to redirect any pup who became frightened or separated from the group.