Puppies? Work?
You dont want a puppy, they mess all over the house! You dont want a puppy, they keep you up all night! You dont want a puppy, they chew on everything in sight!
Such were some of the encouraging words I received from my family and friends once I had announced that I was getting a new puppy. Get an older dog, theyre less trouble and youre used to an older dog, not a puppy! Well, my mind was made up! I would just have to make the best use of my received words of wisdom! Having also armed myself with literature and pamphlets on how to raise a puppy correctly; I figured I was about as prepared as anyone could possibly be.
Now, a full two months later, I can knowledgeably answer the question are puppies worth the trouble? Without a doubt, YES!!
With the puppy laying her head in my lap as I sit and write this story, I am asking myself what trouble? It has been work, but work should not always be looked upon as drudgery. I try to find the rewards and value in any temporary inconvenience I may have to encounter during the puppy stage. How many people have the pleasure of viewing the night sky at 1:00 A.M.? How many realize that the starlit night totally changes character at 3:00 A.M? How many have seen that the sunrise can be even more spectacular than the sunset?
Puppies give you companionship. They are, so therefore should be, treated as one of the family. One of my most memorable times occurred last month. I stayed up most of the night, outside with the puppy cuddled and sleeping in my arms while I waited and watched a horse foal being born. The Northern Lights in the sky were giving a color show grander than any fourth of July celebration.
Puppies give you hours of entertainment. Its fun taking the time to watch a puppy discover a new world. Everything it encounters is viewed in wonderment. Laying in the grass watching a spider agilely work its way across each blade of grass and seeing the curiosity on the puppys face is a joy to behold; her eyes focused on that spiders every calculated move. Caution! Puppies also eat anything that is curious to them!
Puppies organize your life. You have to be organized with a puppy of else they will chew on everything in sight! Puppies need and depend on your correct guidance. The more time spent with them as a puppy, the more responsive they will be to you as you grow old together.
One of my greatest personal concerns with getting a puppy was if I could mentally adapt to a puppy replacement over a well-loved dog I recently lost. This we are still working on, but I now know that it will work. Having a puppy is good.
The hardest part of dog ownership is the fact that a dog is on earth for only a short time. This dog downfall is overcome by the opportunity to start anew with the raising of a puppy. For me personally, the pup is filling the void left by my previous loss and she and I are now working on that bond which is getting stronger every day.
If you are thinking about getting a puppy, my advice would be simple. Do not look upon a puppy as trouble, rather tackle each problem and make the best of it. Have plenty of patience and above all, love and enjoy your new friend!
Chris Nestor
|
