PICKING UP A NEW PUPPY

The day we go to pick up our pup is a very special day. It's a day of excitement and a day of magic. At the end of this article I will explain why I believe this day becomes more and more important in our lives as we progress through life's seasons.

Now it is wise when we pick up our pup that we bring with us a crate. This crate should be the same crate the pup will be in when introduced into the home. The crate quickly becomes a sanctuary and a place of safety and comfort to the new pup.

If we have children with us, and certainly nothing goes better in a pup's life than children do, they must be told this is a very young, very fragile creature. They are going to instill within this pup his very first view and impression of the family he is joining. We must realize this pup is leaving all familiar scents, sounds and tastes and touches of his world and entering an entirely new world. He will be hesitant. He will desire his littermates, so we must be prepared to endure and guide the young fellow. Once we leave his old home, he should be placed in the crate, not held in the vehicle. To hold him, will give him the desire to be held in his new environment. When it comes time for us to put him down it will be more difficult for him to accept, so we must realize that everything we do must be done with some thought and purpose.

It is a good ideal to take along some paper towels, plastic bags and perhaps a container of water to wash out a soiled in crate. Be prepared for unforeseen problems on your way home. If you have a long drive home you may not want to enjoy the smells of feces or vomit your entire drive home. Should your pup cry in his crate, this is the time when your discipline in raising your pup must start. Do not take him out of the crate or you will have started you life with him by effectively praising him for being noisy in his crate. He will have gotten a good head start in training you.

A pup learns from repetition. Also he is fully aware of human emotion and its presence in his life. We must keep our playtime and our downtime both with the same desire of accomplishment. The children must know that play should not be too rough, not only could they hurt the pup, but also the pup will soon grow and he will handle out more roughness than they care to take.

Now that we have come to the end, I will share with you why I believe this is a very important and wonderful day. This young pup we hold in our hands will soon find its way into our hearts and into our lives. He will grow there, he will share our grief, our joy and he will protect us and his presence will reassure us when we are alone and something goes bump in the night.

His life is destined to grow old much quicker than ours and all too soon will come the day when we must part. And a sad day this will be. It is supposed to be this way. Many of us will say, "I will never have another dog. I never want to go through this again." But then the miracle of once again holding a helpless creature in our hands opens the wonder and magic of another lifetime friend and companion. Each time we too grow older and hopefully wiser. So continues our walk with this remarkable creature. Comforting and being comforted. This is the magic of the first day. This is the magic that we share only with the dog.

Article supplied by: Mike & Petra McConnery of The Dogmen Inc. www.thedogmen.com

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