One more for the year

I promise more puppy pictures tomorrow, but today was all about Leo, our final rescue for 2022. Back in November, my doggie dealer from southwest Virginia contacted me. Her daughter had rescued this dog from a bad situation, living on a chain because he had "grown too big." She held onto him until today when we met down at Natural Bridge and Leo came home with me. 

Leo is not even a year old yet. His date of birth was March 2, 2022. He's an intact male, but not for long. The original owner had gotten him vaccinated, however, and we have all his records. They had also sprung for a DNA analysis so we know what Leo is: 62.5% Great Pyrenees; 25% Anatolian Shepherd Dog; and 12.5% Maremma Sheepdog. This guy is livestock guardian dog going back several generations on both his mother and father's sides. He had lived with or around a toddler, was fine with outdoor cats, and seems fine with other dogs as well.

I put him out in Daneland when we got home and then brought out Cooper and Kash to be with him. They all seemed fine together and on a nicer day I really hope and expect that they will engage in some play. Today, however, Leo mostly just watched through the open window while standing inside the shed out of the rain. I'm not sure he ever left the shed, he seems uncertain about making the jump even though Cooper and Kash demonstrated it several times. I'm sure he will learn it tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in puppy news: 

• Boomer went over 5 pounds
• Everyone is over 4 pounds now except petite Camilla at 3.5
• Charlie has passed all the girls and now trails only Boomer and Yukon
• They are all becoming more active and playful, learning to run
• I'm moving them back out to the puppy shed tomorrow to an expanded space
• Pictures tomorrow, I promise