A new pup

Hi folks,

Well we went and got a new puppy the other day. Rescue pup... from the pound... some sort of Terrier mix, not exactly a Yorkie... kinda looks more like one of them Norwich Terriers but what the heck, it's smart as a whip and as cute as a Marble Nosed Tree Toad. Actually it's a heck of a lot cuter than one of them things but them toads sure are cute little critters what with their noses makin their faces look like something out of a Dr. Seuss story. And of course the puppy has fur which them toads don't have unless you include that furry patch on the bottom of their bellies... sort of acts like a Velcro patch... helps keep 'em secure in a tree when the wind blows real hard or it rains like a son of a gun or... well you get the picture.

Yep, everybody wants a new puppy until you gets one. Then the hard work begins. You have to house train 'em... get 'em to not chew on furniture and anything that's remotely important to you... teach 'em not to bite you when you're puttin on their harness or even just holdin them when they look like theyse want a little cuddle time. I gotta say, nothin makes you feel more old than gettin a new puppy. Theyse just a bundle of energy... ready to go long after you're all pooped out... tired that is... and them little guys always seem to have a little reservoir of piddle or poop and just seem to wait until you've turned your back to do somethin like eat dinner or wash the dishes and then wham... they just unload on a pristine section of floor... don't seem to matter how many times you've taken them out. Whooo boy, a lot of baby wipes get used up real fast cleaning up them messes, I tell you what.

And some of them training tips... uh huh... not exactly my cup of tea. Some say you've got to scream at the pup whenever it bites you... supposed to scare 'em off doin it or something. Seems to me screamin only reinforces whatever they're doin... ifn I bite you, I get this reaction... probably better just to let 'em taste you and maybe gnaw a little... tell 'em no and raise your voice a little... being real firm. It's a pup after all and it learns about everything by tastin it, pullin at stuff, even biting some to see what things are made of.

Anyways, introduced the new pup to the Naugas earlier today. Figured since they're gonna be sharing the same property that they ought to get to know each other so to speak. Have to admit that I really didn't have no expectation as to what would happen. I was pretty sure nothin would happen from the Nauga side. After all them Naugas are pretty docile unless you've done something to get their dander up. Even then they settle right down after the immediate irritant is removed.

Nah, my real fear was what the pup would do. Sometimes dogs don't take real good to Naugas. They don't smell like anything they've ever been exposed to. Some dogs just kinda put their tails between their legs, get this real funny look on their faces and just turn around and run the other way. Turns out Naugas are real hard to herd too. They don't move like a bunch of sheep when they's barked at. They just tend to ignore all that noise and runnin around... even by the best of herding dogs. No, for some reason they seem to do better with real small breeds... ones that couldn't do anything to them even ifn they tried. Leastwise that's what we were hoping with the new pup.

Seemed to work out OK... put that pup down in the pen... didn't stray to far from it mind you just in case. Let them Naugas snuffle around a bit getting the smell of the pup... seeing that it wasn't no threat to 'em. That pup just kinda sat there lettin it all wash over it... getting snuffled and even licked a little by the bolder ones. Even started to return the favor after awhile. Pretty soon theyse was all one big happy family. That pup just started runnin in and out under the Naugas, through their legs, even trying to get 'em to play with him. Kept at it 'til he was plumb tuckered out. Lay right down in between a couple of the smaller Naugas and went right to sleep. Picked him up and brought him back to the house. That pup slept for a good three hours after that. Think I'll let him play with the Naugas every day... just to give him exercise mind you. Of course, it couldn't hurt it to learn how to get them Naugas to do what it wants. Could come in handy once we start to train it up right proper on stuff around the farm.

Still trying to come up with a name for that little fella. It'll come to me once I really set my mind loose on it. Good thing I get up early. That pup is up and raring to go before the Barn Hooter has gone to bed.

Anyways, I guess that's it for now. 'Til next time. Jon