Christmas came early at my house this year. Instead of buying the girls yet another mountain of plastic toys, we got a puppy.
It’s hard for me to believe, but this is my first dog. It wasn’t because I didn’t want one, but I guess there were always factors in my life that made me feel like I wouldn’t be the best dog owner ever. Until now.
I’ve heard about the health benefits of having pets, and I’m a believer that they have an incredible ability to lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Since we’re still working on potty training, we take lots of walkies. Just yesterday I was walking her and thinking how nice it is to get outside more…even if it is freezing cold. One thing that I didn’t expect, but I’m very happy about, is that my 8 year old is really stepping up and taking responsibility for her puppy. What a rewarding learning experience for her! I wish all responsibilities were as fun as puppies.
Of course I’m learning a lot about caring for a dog, and making sure that my home will be a safe and comfortable place for her. So far, she thinks my bed is just fine. With the holidays approaching, I’ve been thinking about holiday plants and I want to be sure that I’m not bringing any toxic plants into the house. I was especially concerned about poinsettia plants, so I looked it up and was really happy to learn that the story of poinsettias being so toxic is a rumor, and they’re not going to cause anyone any terrible harm unless you eat lots and lots of them. I’ll be sure to not let that happen.
So since I’m a new dog owner, I need your help – what’s a good dog training book?