I am your Puppy, and I will
love you until the end of the Earth, but please know a
few things about me.
I am a Puppy, this means that
my intelligence and capacity for learning are the same
as an 8-month-old child. I am a Puppy; I will chew EVERYTHING I can
get
my teeth on. This is how I explore and learn about the world. Even
HUMAN
children put things in their mouths. It's up to you to
guide me to what is mine to chew and what is not.
I am a Puppy; I cannot hold my
bladder for longer than 1 - 2 hours. I cannot
"feel" that I need to poop until it is actually beginning to come
out. I cannot vocalize nor tell you that I need to go, and I
cannot have "bladder and bowel control"
until 6 - 9 months. Do not punish me if you have not
let me out for 3 hours and I tinkle. It is your fault. As a
Puppy,
it is wise to remember that I NEED to go potty after: Eating,
Sleeping,
playing, Drinking and around every 2 - 3 hours in addition. If
you
want me to sleep through the night, then do not give me water after 8
p.m.
A crate will help me learn to housebreak easier, and
will avoid you being mad at me.
I am a Puppy, accidents WILL
happen, please be patient with me! In time I will
learn.
I am a Puppy, I like to play.
I will run around, and chase imaginary monsters, and
chase your feet and your toes and 'attack' you, and chase
fuzz
balls, other pets, and small kids. It is play; it's what I do. Do not
be
mad at me or expect me to be sedate, mellow and sleep all day. If my high
energy level is too much for you, maybe you could consider an
older rescue from a shelter or Rescue group. My play is
beneficial, use your wisdom to guide me in my play
with appropriate toys, and activities like chasing a
rolling ball, or gentle tug games, or plenty of chew toys for
me.
If I nip you too hard, talk to me in "dog talk", by giving a loud
YELP, I will usually get the message, as this is how
dogs communicate with one another. If I get too rough,
simply ignore me for a few moments, or put me in my
crate with an appropriate chew toy.
I am a Puppy; hopefully you
would not yell, hit, strike, kick or beat a 6-month-old
human infant, so please do not do the same to me. I am delicate,
and also very impressionable. If you treat me harshly now, I will
grow
up learning to fear being hit, spanked, kicked or beat. Instead, please
guide
me with encouragement and wisdom. For instance, if I
am chewing something wrong, say, "No chew!" and hand me a toy I CAN
chew. Better yet, pick up ANYTHING that you do not want me to
get into. I can't tell the difference between your old
sock and your new sock, or an old sneaker and your
$200 Nikes.
I am a Puppy, and I am a
creature with feelings and drives much like your own,
but yet also very different. Although I am NOT a human in a
dog
suit, neither am I an unfeeling robot who can instantly obey your every
whim.
I truly DO want to please you, and be a part of your family, and your
life.
You got me (I hope) because you want a loving partner and companion,
so
do not relegate me to the backyard when I get bigger, do not judge me
harshly
but instead mold me with gentleness and guidelines and
training into the kind of family member you want me to be
here.
| I am a Puppy and I am not
perfect, and I know you are not perfect either. I love
you anyway. So please, learn all you can about training, and puppy
behaviors
and caring for me from your Veterinarian, books on dog
care and even researching on the computer!
|
|
|
Learn about my
particular
breed and it's "characteristics", it will give you understanding
and insight into WHY I do all the things I do. Please
teach
me with love, patience, the right way to behave and socialize me with
training
in a puppy class or obedience class, we will BOTH have a lot of fun together.
I am a Puppy and I want more
than anything to love you, to be with you, and to
please you. Won't you please take time to understand how I work? We are
the
same you and I, in that we both feel hunger, pain, thirst, discomfort,
fear,
but yet we are also very different and must work to understand one
another's
language, body signals, wants and needs. Some day I
will be a handsome dog, hopefully one you can be proud of
and
one that you will love as much as I love you.
Love, Your Puppy
May be posted, reposted,
cross-posted and used with permission as long as credit
is given.
Copyright 2000, by J. Ellis -
Southern Shadows Rottweilers.
