Zuni is young - 3 to 4 months - and like all pups her age she has needle sharp teeth. Anyone who has had a young pup in their home can attest to the fact that it's pretty normal to have little scabs all over your hands thanks to getting snagged by puppy. Add to that fact that they are teething and want to chew and mouth anything that is in their path and you know that at some point a body part is gonna get punctured. Well Zuni's former person had never had a puppy before and they labeled her, a very mouthy and active little gal, as being a biter. She had snagged the person during rough play, causing a puncture wound. Because of this they brought her to the shelter as a biter. You might not know this but labeling a dog at a shelter as a biter can be a death sentence.
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| Zuni, the "vicious" puppy |
The shelter employees played with her and evaluated her and found that what the person was calling "aggression" was just active terrier pup play and the biting was a mouthy, teething puppy who needed redirection onto toys. However, now she had a bite history so she was available to rescue only. Not many rescuers look at biters (me included) but after hearing her story, I said I'd be happy to foster her.
So I'm not saying there's absolutely no way she has a biting problem, but I find it highly unlikely and I trust these shelter employees since our Northwest team pulls over 1/2 of our fosters dogs from this Fresno shelter so we work with them a lot. Stay tuned to hear more about little Zuni as we get to know her and the habits of her mouth...
Zuni is named for a well known New Mexican pueblo people that have existed as a farming culture in their present location of NW New Mexico for about 4,000 years. Their existence as a culture in the region is much older though and their unique language is 7,000 years old. It's the largest of the New Mexican pueblos with about 10,000 tribal members and is also considered the most traditional. Artistically they are known for their master silversmiths' jewelry making skills (an art form thought to be adopted through the Navajo), their pottery and their fetish carvings. Religious beliefs are centered on the three most powerful of their deities: Earth Mother, Sun Father, and Moonlight-Giving Mother, as well as other kachinas.
The Zuni history is fascinating and Wikipedia has a good overview if you are interested in learning more. Their tourism Website has some great info about the modern peublo as well as the history of the region, geological and historical landmarks, and their famous artistry. We were lucky enough to attend a dance showcase in Gallup, New Mexico and below are some photos of the Zuni dancers.
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| White Buffalo Dance |
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| A harvest dance |
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| Turkey Dance |
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