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"I Am Your Puppy"
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 7 or 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
fuzzballs, 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, 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.
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. Someday 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
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