Pick a Puppy….but Know What You’re Getting Into!

There are monsters in my kitchen.

Okay, they’re just puppies. But they have sharp fangs, make odd noises and have other worldly energy. In only one week, they’ve outgrown our mudroom which housed six puppies for three weeks this summer. These are BIG girls with BIG needs.

I’m super excited to say they are already mostly housebroken which speaks to their extreme smarts and not my superior training ability. That, and they’ll do ANYTHING for a treat.

I’m partial to Charm but that’s only because I have to rescue her so often from Chism’s extreme energy and lack of empathy. Chism doesn’t get that when she has a good hold on Charm’s ear and Charm is emitting a high pitched squeal for long periods of time that translates as “Excuse me, but you’re HURTING MY EAR!” Charm is the Laurel in this Laurel and Hardy act. She’s sweet and clumsy and so very forgiving.

Chism takes up all the air in the room. She is ON all the time and if you catch her taking a quick nap on the Frank bed, all you have to do is think, “Ah, there she is sleeping” and she will leap to correct your assumption. Whoever adopts this pup better know his/her way around a dog training manual.

Here’s the thing about Chism. She will either be the coolest dog you ever owned or the most difficult dog to ever rule your life. It will very much depend on the effort and time put in for the next two years. Consistent training and challenges are what she needs. That and plenty of exercise. Plenty.

To save time, I usually take both girls outside together to potty. Have you ever walked a three month old puppy on a leash? How about two at a time? It’s comical. And quite dangerous. Most times I defeat my purpose because they are too busy playing to bother attending to the business we set out to do. The leashes are wound around me, them, and we all end up in a tumbled mess.

And sometimes they like to walk each other, not-so-gently assisting me with each other’s leashes which occasionally (more times than not) results in one or the other getting hog-tied. Luckily, puppies are durable. Here’s a few examples…

Indoors the game is who has the Most TOYS. Charm wins this paws down. In fact, she doesn’t have that much use for toys except when Charm picks one up. Charm will very politely select a toy from the overflowing toy bin and before she takes three steps, Chism swoops in and steals it easily. She then carts it back to her stash on the Frank bed where she promptly ignores it. Charm puts up very little fight. As if she’s saying, “Oh, you wanted that? I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’ll just find something else to play with.” And then it’s “Oh, you wanted that, too? Of course. Let me just grab something else….that too? Sure.” She’s the most agreeable puppy you could encounter.

Still there is a limit to her patience and eventually a full-on tug of war breaks out. And sometimes she just waits for Chism to be distracted and retrieves her toy from the stash on the Frank bed. She’s learning an awful lot about surviving in today’s world.

So, pick a puppy! You really can’t go wrong. Which would you rather – the challenge or the charm?