Happy Puppy Day...To All The Puppies Out There!

Apparently, it's National Puppy Day, and for the first time in thirteen years, we have a puppy in the house.

At least, for another week.

Last summer we (and by "we" I mean, our son...) adopted/rescued a poodle. In another week the puppy will turn one and will no longer be a puppy...officially. It's been a wild nine months.

Years ago, we brought the cutest little shih tzu into our family. As dogs go, she has been an incredible dog. Yes, she's head-strong and she used to bark every time the doorbell rang. And because we chose the same doorbell sound that is used as a sound effect on television shows and movies, she barked every time the doorbell rang on a show, too.

We no longer have to worry about the little dog barking when the doorbell sound rings--either on TV/movies or in real life. The dog's pretty much deaf.

That is not the case with the puppy. His hearing is perfect. He can hear the most distant neighbor dog barking and, of course, he must join in. Having a puppy is just like having a baby in the house, because that's what he is--a baby dog. There's training that must be done, attitudes adjusted, lessons learned.

We know that in the coming weeks all the mannerisms of puppyhood will not suddenly disappear. Some issues will still take time. But, for this day, and for more than the past half year, we've had a puppy in the house.

And our lives changed forever.