We went to see our new puppy Leroy today and his very conscientious breeder Robin Gibbons. She lives just a couple of miles away, and doesn’t go to work (she is a bartender at the American Legion) until early afternoon. She is very gracious about encouraging as many visits as possible. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to now a puppy as well as Maria and I are getting to know Leroy.
He changes every time we see him.
Leroy is six weeks old, two weeks away from coming home with us. We already have two crates – they play a central role in my puppy training – and some food ready. He will be sleeping in his crate in the bedroom for four or five months before he comes out, and will probably want to get into bed with us, knowing the breed.
He will be in the crate often until he is housebroken, I read that small dogs often take longer to housebreak because their accidents are so small they don’t bother people. Hmmm….
Leroy is precisely what I look for in a puppy. He was the only puppy available from the litter of three, but he is precisely the one I would have chosen. I always look for what I call the “MIddle Dog.” Not the one who rushes out to greet me first, not the one who is the most active or boisterous or demanding, not the one who is the slowest or the most sluggish of the litter.
His older sister is extremely active and playful, she crawled up my pants leg and wanted to mix it up with my finger. She is the dominant puppy. All three puppies are active and lively, but Leroy took a bit of time before coming over to me and Maria. He sniffed and wagged his tail, crawled up to Maria. When I picked him up and put him near my shoulder, he looked at me, licked me, gnawed on my finger a bit, and then fell asleep.
This morning was his first time outside on grass, and the puppies enjoyed it. I can’t introduce him to other people until he has all of his shots, a week or two after he comes home. Then we’re off for therapy training and socialization, which I don’t think will be a problem with these dogs.
They appear to be affectionate, curious and playful. They have a great mother, and the father lives a few miles North, he is said to be sweet and and grounded, just like the mother, Hannah.
Of the three, Leroy seems to focus on people a bit longer, he was interested in me and the camera, he was quite at home in Maria’s lap, a wise choice for any puppy. He is definitely the middle dog, not too cranked up, not too hesitant, his sister is clearly going to be a handful, she has a lot of personality.
We have enjoyed getting to know Robin, she pays lots of attention to these dogs and makes sure they are clean, handled appropriately and warm. That is good to see, dogs that are well cared for in the litter are often great dogs, it is an important way to start their lives. Dogs that feel safe and secure and that can focus on people and not just be made crazy, often turn out to be the most trainable and responsive dogs.
The rest is up to me. Getting a dog is a huge responsibility for me, and I want to do it well.
I will ask a lot of Leroy, and every time I see him, I feel better about getting him. Maria feels the same way. So far, so good. I think I got the Middle Dog without even asking for it.