What My Two-Month Old Puppy Taught Me so Far

The Challenges of Raising a Puppy for a First Time Dog Owner

I've never had a dog or a puppy before. When I was a little girl while living in Manchester, I was attacked by my crazy neighbor's equally psychotic German Shepherd and because of that I've always been scared of dogs.

However, thanks to my partner and his beloved dog Petals, I was able to conquer my fear. He would first coax me to pat Petal's head, and when she tried to sniff my hand I would quickly withdraw, fearing that she would bite my hand off. Of course that was never her intention as sniffing was her way of getting to know me. It was from that point onwards that I learned that not all dogs were like the one cemented in my childhood memory.

Seeing how wonderful it was to have a dog, I too began to crave for that kind of friendship. People always say that dog is a man's best friend. I was curious, what makes these furry creatures a man's best friend? Yes, hearing stories about how wonderful dogs are is one thing. Experiencing it, on the other hand, is a different matter.

A close friend of mine found me a toy poodle, which according to him would suit me and my lifestyle best - sociable, low maintenance, easy to take care of and small in size, which is important to me as I'm not only a first time dog owner, but also I'm of petite size. I mean, imagine me trying to walk a Dalmatian for instance. I think, no, I know that the dog would end up walking me instead of the other way round!

The first week I had Sasha was a very challenging one, not just for me but also for her. She would chew on everything in sight - shoes, wire, furniture - anything she could get her paws on. When she wasn't busy chewing on things, she would be chasing my legs around the house. I mean, I love the attention she's giving me, but having her sharp claws dig into my legs as she tries to climb/jump on me... not so cute. This led to me shouting "No, Sasha, NO!" quite a lot. It was tiresome.