Wednesday, July 1, 2009

A Puppy's Story


I was born approximately April 3, 2009. My mother was a full-blooded yellow lab and my dad was a mixed ‘lab-looking’ dog. When my 8 brothers and sisters were just 3 weeks old, my mother was taken in for surgery as a result of such a big litter. The nine of us, though, were taken to Cedarcrest Animal Hospital in Acworth where we were bottle fed and weaned. Now living in a subdivision known as Grand Cascades, our foster homes have provided us with food, shelter and family fun.

And boy! Do we eat! Currently, we’ve been fed Exclusive Puppy food by PMI Nutrition. It’s the Chicken and Rice formula which can be found in many specialty stores around the metro area and on-line at http://www.pminutrition.com/.

So my brothers, sisters and I are as healthy as puppies can be. We’ve been ‘dewormed’ twice, ‘microchipped’ (it only pinched for a second, and I was brave) and received our first series of puppy shots. All of this done through the generosity of our fairy Dog Mothers and Fathers at Atlanta Lab Rescue. Not to speed up the process, but spaying and neutering is usually done around the six month mark (that’s around October 2009). Since we’re still puppies, it’s important to stay in familiar surroundings, as we’re very susceptible to parvovirus which is transmitted from infected dogs through fecal material. Sometimes public places don’t always agree with us little guys.

Our foster families provided an abundance of resources to ensure our transition to ‘forever’ homes. Some advice I overheard while playing, is that puppies need to walk every day. It’s not enough to romp in the backyard, we want to exercise and get socialized so that we’re comfortable and calm with other people, pets and environments. It’s a great time to be with our families. When I walk, I get too tired to be destructive around the home. And, I’m much easier to train.

Which brings me to a very important part of puppyhood. Learning where and when to go. I’ll learn much more quickly if I’m taken outside frequently to ‘relieve’ myself. Just let me know where my grassy area is and take me there often – especially when I’m awake. A treat, reward or special playtime (and of course constant repetition) will help me learn the “do’s” and “don’ts” of a puppy’s life.

My brothers, sisters and I can bring our new families a great deal of joy and satisfaction. And now that some of us are transitioning into our ‘forever’ homes, you’ll be hearing and probably seeing lots of us as we grow into lively and spirited pets. Our foster families want to continue to know of our progress so we’ll see each other at dog parks, picnics and an already planned reunion.

And you can join in the fun.
 

© 2009 Atlanta Lab Rescue