Pup Update – 14 June 2016
The pups have peaks and valleys when it comes to weight gain and can be based on activity, stimuli, amount of time resting and the basic metabolism of an individual pup. Pup Care Staff and Participants monitor all food consumption so we know every detail about their diet, but pups can vary. We look closely at the weight gain of each pup to ensure that they are always gaining or at the very least, not losing weight. Earlier in the week, they gained around .3 – .5 lbs. a day. From 6/12 to 6/13, Grayback’s weight remained the same at 9.1 pounds with a slight gain up to 9.2 pounds on 6/14. Grayback continues to have a good appetite and is very active, this may just be a reflection of his own metabolism. Axel continues to gain on a daily basis, from 9.9 pounds on 6/12 to 10 pounds on 6/13 to a 10.2 pound weight today.
They have several evening bouts of howling between the pups and the pack (including Grizzer) and seem to want to go outside in the middle of the night. One of the great design features of the new Wolf Care Center is the guillotine gate that connects the building to the outer enclosures allowing the pups a bit more freedom. Staff will start experimenting with evening excursions to stimulate the pups to key in on their future packmates. They will be restricted to the vestibule until they form a more protective set of guard hair and can spend evenings outdoors in the Pack Holding Area. From our past experience, the pups are spending most of their time outdoors by the 1st week in July.
