It was like any other morning.

 

I got out of bed and sleepily made my way to the kitchen in search of something cold to drink.

 

Only, it wasn’t any other morning. This was a morning with a new puppy in the house and although I by no means am a dog whisperer, I already have cracked a lot of this puppy’s unspoken codes.

 

For example, the morning in question, I’m pretty sure what he was trying to say was, “Oh I see you are just wearing basketball shorts and not a suit of armor or at least three layers of socks so I’m just going to go ahead and bite and latch onto your exposed calf muscle and hitch a ride.”

 

Other exchanges we have had include:

 

“Hey, all these squeaky toys and the chew bones are great. I really appreciate them. But I’m going to be over here biting the corner of the coffee table and then I’m going to go get the mop bucket and drag it around by the handle.”

 

“OK, I know you just took your shoes off and got comfortable but I really, really need to go outside.”

 

“OK, we are outside. I’m going to go check on that stick out front and that pile of dirt I was sniffing earlier, so I will just wait and pee behind the chair when we get back inside.”

 

Such is life with a puppy.

 

Don’t get me wrong, Oliver is wonderful and loved by everybody in the house. He’s a good boy. He can go up and down the stairs by himself already, will sit when it’s time for a treat and he is getting pretty good at fetch.

 

I know it’s not recommended to bring a puppy or kitten into a new home around the holidays but a co-worker of my wife got word to us that an Australian Sheppard, just a few weeks old, was in need of a home.  We brought Oliver home one week before Christmas and haven’t looked back.

 

The only real debate was his name. Since he’s part Australian Sheppard I wanted to name him Angus after AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. I got outvoted on that by the wife and daughter (they can’t stop us from playing tug of war with his rope toy while side one of Powerage is blasting though).

 

But here’s the thing and many of you know this — having a puppy or a kitten can be exhausting. Rewarding, no doubt, but you must have patience and you have to be on your toes at all times.

 

Being on those toes however doesn’t prevent the puppy from biting them or your fingers or his own tail or the carpet or at the air coming out of the heating duct or any other possible thing that can be in the range of his teeth at any moment of time.

 

Puppies like to bite. A lot. And just when you think they are done for the day, they will bite more.

 

They don’t do it to be mean. They do because that’s how they interact with the world. It’s usually a sign of affection or the want for more attention. Plus, keep in mind, they are probably teething as well.

 

I know I’m not alone when it comes to getting a new pet around Christmas. But the holidays are in the rearview mirror. The photos that look like a scene from a Hallmark Movie have been taken. Most of us have slid back into our normal routine.

 

Your puppy or kitten is still learning what normal is.

 

Fortunately, there is a lot of information out there to help with that issue.

 

There are two places right here in Bridgeport that not only have a wealth of information available on-line but are also accepting new clients — Grace Animal Hospital and Audubon Animal Clinic.

 

Both have favorable reviews for their veterinary services — and your new pet’s first visit to a veterinarian is something you don’t want to put off for long. As much as they need our love, they also need their shots.

 

Grace Animal Hospital has a useful page that breaks down the fundamental needs your new pet needs during the first six months of their life. We used that as a guideline to what shots Oliver needed right away and which ones he needs in his upcoming visits.

 

To check out more of the helpful information Grace Animal Hospital provides, visit its website HERE

 

Audubon’s website has an easy to navigate breed info section where you can find specific characteristics, common health issues, routine care tips as well as dietary and exercise tips for your cat or dog.

 

To check out more of the helpful information Audubon Animal Clinic provides, visit its website HERE

 

There are plenty of great veterinarians out there, just find one that works for you. They provide vital services that your pet will need and although nobody, human or pet, particularly like getting shots, it shouldn’t be something to be afraid of either. The sooner you get your puppy or kitten acclimated to trips to the vet, the better it will be for all parties involved.

 

Audubon has an office in Philippi as well as Bridgeport and that’s where Oliver just received his eight weeks shots and examination. He did well. He hammed it up for all the new attention and the official report from the vet was that Oliver is happy and healthy.

 

We are working on the biting. We are working on breaking his new habit of bringing a trophy into the house every time he comes back in. Sometimes it is a rock, sometimes it’s a lump of dirt, more often than not it is a maple leaf bigger than his head.  

 

So far there haven’t been any behavioral obstacles other than the normal “that’s what puppies do” ones.

 

I know that’s not always the case for everybody so if you need help in that area, check out this recent Connect-Bridgeport story by Trina Runner about a new Bridgeport business, All About Dogs. One of the services they provide is obedience training.

 

Just last night, Oliver discovered the many joys of an empty plastic bottle ( I didn’t give it to him so much as he took it from me) specifically the difficulty of holding on to it and the noise it makes as it scoots across the kitchen floor.

 

I made the mistake of thinking the distraction by the bottle could get me from Point A to Point B without him noticing. But exposed calf muscles are still more exciting than empty water bottles. The latching on wasn’t as prolonged though, and I thought he even showed some remorse when I told him to “Stop it” so I guess that’s progress?

 

I by no means am an expert. There are plenty of professionals in the area like Grace Animal Hospital, Audubon Animal Clinic and All About Dogs, that can offer a lot better help than I can.

 

My only words of advice, have patience  … and maybe purchase a couple pairs of thick socks.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo features Oliver at seven weeks old, bottom photo shows Oliver at 12 weeks old.