Hi, I’m Dakota, I'm a prospective dog owner. I've been contemplating getting a dog for a while, naming her Patronus and teaching her Expecto as come here, but before you have something of your own it's usually best to test it out. I'd seen experiments done with married couples where before having children of their own they hangout with a friend's children for the whole day. And though children are more of a responsibility than pets, pets are children basically too. Though I’ve done research on how to take care of a dog, I hadn’t learned as much as I did while spending three days with my best friend's dog.
It wasn't a planned visit with her, and I wasn't taking care of her, so here are the lessons in puppy care I learned.
1. Puppies set my allergies on fire… Though I knew I was not only allergic to cat fur but also dog fur, I didn’t expect how much it would affect me. I took an allergy pill every day. The biggest annoyance was coughing in the night. I think I lost a lung at one point. But it was worth it because her pup is just so precious.
2. Puppies need attention…Puppies need a lot of attention and love. They will climb all over you and lick you. They will come running if they even think they hear you pat your lap. As the weekend went on I realized the more she was getting used to me the more I was getting used to her. At first I don’t like to say I was scared, but I was, still kinda am. Big dogs even big puppies can be frightening, but the thing you have to remember is they mean you no harm and are there to love you. I mean look at that face...
3. They often think they are lap dogs even if they REALLY aren’t… My friend's dog is a medium to large dog now and she would try to sit on your lap, ready or not. More often then not she would jump on me and was like LOVE ME! If you stopped petting her she would scoot close and nudge you until you loved on her more.
4. Fleas… Even if you are great about getting a flea shot on time your dog is probably going to get a flea from time to time, which means your other animals may get them too. My cats had their share of fleas and from personal experience I know they aren't fun. So, get your pets collars or the shot when needed.
5. Separation… As much as they miss you when you leave, you miss them too. I gave her one more hug before I left and I can’t wait to see her again. And sitting here now reflecting on my weekend as much as I miss my friend and our time in the pillow pit, I also miss her sweet dog who runs in from outside and straight to me.
