Right before the start of the summer, my family and I had to make the decision to put our dog to sleep after ten years of companionship. It felt like we'd never move on, but less than a week later we were looking for a new puppy. Our previous dog had been very sick for a long time, and we were ready to add some joy into the house again. My parents found a local breeder who had had nine puppies just a week before, with three still available. She set up a time for us to meet the puppies with the other potential owners when they turned three weeks old. We were allowed to see them all once a week as they grew up.

Three Weeks

At three weeks old, Golden Retriever puppies looks kind of like potatoes. They're a bit wobbly on their feet, and can only take a few steps at a time. Their eyes are barely open and they do very little other than sleep. I was in love with all of them immediately. They all had dots of color on their backs so everyone could tell them apart. As I sat with one on my lap, holding it close to me, I felt so peaceful. One of these puppies would be ours in just five short weeks, and I couldn't imagine ever not loving it.

Six Weeks

I had to work for a couple weeks in a row, and couldn't go with to visit the puppies. At six weeks old, the puppies were quite a bit bigger and more mobile. They still slept a lot, but also enjoyed chewing on everything in sight. At this point, my parents had already picked the puppy they thought they wanted- the puppy with the green dot on his back. His tail curled up when he was excited into almost a half circle. It touched his back. They loved him immediately.

Eight Weeks

The thing about getting a new dog so close to putting an old one down is that it's hard to stop making comparisons between them. Blaize had been quiet and small. From the day we brought him home, having Stanley was like having a small hurricane. He barked a lot and dug everywhere he could. Fortunately, all the exercise meant he slept through the whole night.

Fourteen Weeks

Stanley is now fourteen weeks old. Having a puppy home for the past six weeks has taught me so much. I wake up earlier because of him and get more done. I have no choice but to be productive when he's asleep, because otherwise nothing would ever get done. I've become so much more patient. He's been through a biting phase (it still isn't over- he bites the back of my legs whenever he gets excited) and is currently going through a jumping phase. He's so tall that jumping means getting on tables, our laps and chairs. It's annoying, but I know he'll move on from it eventually, just like everything else.

Having a puppy means learning spontaneity. A lot of my plans have been changed or cancelled because I had to stay home and watch the puppy. However, most of the time, I don't mind. There's not a whole lot better than taking care of a puppy, no matter how much effort it takes. I have much more energy, because I don't have a choice. I've changed a lot, and it's definitely for the better.