A little bit over a year ago, my family had to put our dog,
Marla, down. Marla was a greyhound. Greyhounds only live to be about ten to
twelve years-old, so she was pretty old for her breed. It was a very sad time
for me because I had had her since I was four years-old.
Since then, I have asked my mom for a puppy at least two times
a week. Every time I asked, she said that she wanted to get a puppy, but she wasn’t
sure whether or not it would be a good idea. Lately she has really thought about
actually getting a puppy.
The breed of puppy that I had really wanted was a Cocker
Spaniel. Cocker Spaniels are medium sized and grow to be about fifteen to
thirty pounds. My brothers both wanted either a Rottweiler or a German shepherd.
Rottweilers can be about 95 to 130 pounds. German Shepherds can be about 77 to
85 pounds.
So yesterday, 5/12/12, my mom, one of my brothers and I went
to our local puppy adoption place. First, we looked at a female German Shepherd.
She was really cute, but my mom didn’t really want a puppy that was going to
grow up to be really big. There were two Cocker Spaniels there, but my mom had
her eyes on a female Miniature Schnauzer.
The Miniature Schnauzer was very sweet and affectionate. If
you stuck out your hand to her she would come over and lick your hand, which is
not something that Marla would ever do. My brother didn’t really like the idea
of a small dog because he was afraid that he would step on her. After playing
with the puppy for a few more minutes my mom decided that she wanted to get
her.
Sitting right next to me in her little red bed is Shelly the
Miniature Schnauzer. My brother picked out the name. Shelly hasn’t learned her
name yet , and that’s ok because it’s her second day of being Shelly. Her birthday is February 13, 2012 (seven days
after my birthday!), so she is twelve weeks old today. Her coat is what they
call salt and pepper, which means that her coat is grey and white. When she first
arrived home she was very scared and very tired. So she basically just slept
for the rest of the day.
Since Shelly is only a puppy, she has a lot of energy and
she loves to nibble on fingers. Marla never played with toys and only
occasionally would “play” with you, but Shelly loves her toys that we bought
for her. Shelly can’t walk on a leash very well yet, but she is getting better.
I am really sad that I will only really be here for the next
three years before I go off to college. I expect these years to be great years
though. I hope she remains as healthy and smart as she is today.
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Maggie, I liked this piece a lot because it shows that you have a lot of love for Shelly. I love dogs too so it was very interesting for me to read this. You described what she looked like a little bit but next time I would describe her looks a little bit more. Where did you get her?
ReplyDeleteThe post itself isn't bad--you know that I love dogs and can read about them all day--but I just wish there was a tad more commentary here, and less of the story of how Shelly came into your possession. However, you write in a very distinctive voice and your personality--caring, gentle, and even doting--comes through.
ReplyDeleteA few tips on puppy-rearing from the Master (that's me!): Training sessions are essential! Your pup is never too young to start learning manners, tricks, and expectations. Spend 20 minutes every morning on basic expectations and commands: sit, stay, lay down, go to your bed, come, leave it. When you come home from school, spend another 20 minutes on these essential commands. It will grow a strong bond between you and you'll have a well-behaved pooch, too! 30-40 minutes a day of training your pup will pay off long term!
It's important not to use the phrase "he's only a puppy". Never tolerate behaviors from a puppy that you wouldn't tolerate from a full grown dog, because if you do, eventually you're going to have an ill-behaved dog. For instance, if when you play with Shelly, she bites your fingers, let out a yelp (just like a puppy!) and stop playing with her. Turn your back on her and don't engage her. Eventually (it may be a few months) she will get the message that every time she nips you, you feel pain, which she can understand, and the play stops. Eventually you'll have an adult dog that understands how and when to use its teeth appropriately. Here endeth the lesson.