• At birth puppies are deaf, blind, and have almost no sense of smell. They stay near their mother and siblings because of the warmth.

• A puppy's eyes do not open until it is 10 to 15 days old. Its vision is usually not complete until it is about four weeks old.  Hearing begins at about the same time as eyes open.

• A female carries her young about 63 days before the puppies are born.

• Puppies should remain with their mother until they are at least seven weeks old. During this time, she will teach them not to bite or be aggressive and how to get along with other dogs.

• During its first week, 90% of a puppy's time is spent sleeping and 10% eating.

• At the age of three weeks a puppy will develop its sense of smell.

• A puppy will sleep for fourteen hours every day.

• A puppy is considered an adult at the age of one year. At this age it is as physically as mature as a fifteen year-old human.

• When the pup is three to four weeks old, 28 teeth will break through the gums so the puppy will be able to eat solid food. At 4-7 months of age, the baby teeth fall out and are replaced with 42 permanent adult teeth.

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Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do .

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear .

When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements .

And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth.   Though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper .

Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. 

Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready willing and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger .

And should the great Master see fit to deprive me of health or sight, do not turn me away from you.  Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest - and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew that my fate was ever safest in your hands .

This was a 'Dear Abby' article I found in the mid 90's and came across it in a file the other day.

It was written by Beth Norman Harris

Keep your animals warm this winter  - bring them inside!

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Are you ready for a puppy? It's a human problem - that is the problem of all those 5 month to 2 year old young adults in the pound. If you won't take your dog to training classes and socialize your pup, then get a stuffed dog - not a real one!   *Pour cold apple juice on the carpet in several places and walk around barefoot in the dark.   *Wear a sock to work that has had the toes shredded by a blender.   *Immediately upon waking, stand outside in the rain and dark saying, "Be a good puppy go potty now - hurry up - come on, lets go!"   *Cover all your best suits with dog hair. Dark suits must use white hair and light suits must use dark hair. Also float some hair in your first cup of coffee in the morning.   *Play "catch" with a wet tennis ball for hours.   *Run out in the snow in your bare feet to close the gate.   *Tip over a basket of clean laundry, scatter clothing all over the floor.   *Leave your underwear on the living room floor, because that's where the dog will drag it anyway. (Especially when you have  company.)   *Jump out of your chair shortly before the end of your favorite TV program and run to the door shouting, "No no! Do that    OUTSIDE!" Miss the end of the program.   *Put chocolate pudding on the carpet in the morning, and don't try to clean it up until you return from work that evening.   *Gouge the leg of the dinning room table several times with a screwdriver - it's going to get chewed on anyway.   ***Take a warm and cuddly blanket out of the dryer and immediately wrap it around yourself. This is the feeling you will get when your puppy falls asleep on your lap.   -author unknown ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This "letter" is from a puppy that has been taken to the pound for HUMAN PROBLEMS!! We hope this breaks your heart and makes you cry as it did when we read it.......this happens hundreds, even thousands of times a day throughout the country!  It's a sin and we can't understand how anyone could do this. We screen our potential puppy owners extremely well and have a sales contract that specifically states that we must have the dog back if for any reason the puppy (for the rest of its' life) does not work out or cannot be kept by the adoptive "parents".  We will then place the puppy or dog in a suitable, great home for the owner.  We hope that this "letter" brings home the importance of the responsibilities of a puppy owner: Dear Mom and Dad, I died today. You got tired of me and took me to the shelter. They were overcrowded and I drew an unlucky number.  I am in a black plastic bag in a landfill now. Some other puppy will get the barely used leash you left. My collar was dirty and too small, but the nice lady took it off before she gave me a pat on the head and a kiss and sent me to the Rainbow Bridge.  She was very gentle and I thought I saw tears in her eyes when I licked her hand. Would I still be at home if I hadn't chewed your shoe?  I didn't know what it was, but it was leather, and it was on the floor. I was just playing.  You forgot to get puppy toys. Would I still be at home if I had been housebroken?  Rubbing my nose in what I did only made me ashamed that I had to go at all.  There are books and obedience teachers that would have taught you how to teach me to go to the door. Would I still be at home if I hadn't brought fleas into the house?  Without anti-flea medicine, I couldn't get them off of me after you left me in the yard for days - they made me miserable too. Would I still be at home if I hadn't barked?  I was only saying, "I'm scared, I'm lonely, I'm here, I'm HERE! I want to be your best friend forever." Would I still be at home if I had made you happy? Hitting me didn't make me learn.  I tried as hard as I could to please you, but I didn't understand what you wanted. Would I still be at home if you had taken the time to care for me correctly, spend time with me and teach me manners?  You didn't pay attention to me after the first few weeks, but I spent every waking minute of my short life waiting for you to just love me. I died today. Love, Your Puppy