Having a dog is a joy and also a strange burden. For those that have never owned a puppy and raised it just imagine a toddler screaming at your for six months, you have no idea what kind of personality they will have and just constantly watching them day in and day out, correcting them on what is good and bad and giving up normal sleep so they can go out to potty. That's what the first six months or so were like for me when I adopted Lylah.
Lylah came into my life at a time when I really needed it and we struggled to figure out a good rhythm as owner and dog said, owner. I live a pretty active lifestyle so for the first six months, her life was riddled with adventure. We did training constantly and we were bonding over crossing the United States on a vast road of unknowns. In the first six months of her life Lylah got to visit 11 states in two months. To me, that's a feat for not only a person but for a six-month-old puppy that's wild. Most people probably would think that I overdid it for her but in honesty, it helped so much. It made her tired constantly and she got to understand that I am her human. THat the world is vast and beautiful and that she was a part of it.
The first year of a dog's life is so crucial. They are getting to know you, they are understanding your language, the rules, how you act, who you know around you, what to expect in this short life of theirs, and most of all how to be the dog you shape them to be while being themselves. You have a short window of time to train properly and a short window to form this bond with them to show that YOU are their person. Of course, there are situations where you will rescue older dogs or dogs past that puppy stage but the first year is still something that they are going to remember. That was the start of their life and for dogs, life moves so quickly. They only have a short time in our lives. A blip compared to a human and giving them their best foundation and life is what matters.
Lylah will be two in April and it's hard to believe we have come so far in such a short time. We have so many adventures to go on and I am so proud of how far we have come together. I am more and more surprised as the days go on that she still is a part of my life, that she has put up with my rules and that she has still decided a day in and day out to come back to me when I ask her to. Just like dogs, it's a choice. they know when you are good or bad, they can sense it before we can see it and I am grateful Lylah sees the good in me and continues to be my adventure buddy.
I'm hoping to give her the life she deserves and to make her happy and so far I think I'm doing that and I hope to continue that journey with her by my side. After all, she is the first dog that I have raised and trained and I want to do good for her. She taught me so much and I hope to use what I have learned for future dogs (if that is what I decide).
So if you decide to get a dog or a puppy please realize that they are DOGS and not humans. You have to do right by them and teach them properly and give them a foundation. They are not Children and they need to have good structure and a ton of love. After all, that is what dogs deserve from us.
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