Who's Afraid Of A Tiny Puppy?

Well, we finally got Dalan’s puppy.

  Our dog, Hayley, was put down November 17, 2009, and Dalan has really missed her (as do I), so when I asked what he wanted for an Army Graduation gift, he said, a puppy.

While he was in basic training, I sent him pictures and information on different breeds, and he fell in love with the Norwegian Elkhound. Of course, it’s BIG and reminded him of a Wolf, which he always said he wanted. Alas, I did my research and we determined this breed would be a good fit for our family, despite its size. After all, we already have two big dogs, what’s one more? (Call me crazy, but I LOVE dogs!)

Yesterday, Dalan and I drove six hours, round trip, to get his new girl and she was a complete angel in the vehicle; sleeping on his lap the entire time and even whining when she had to “go potty”.

Kommit & Madea

We brought her into the house, but I might have made a mistake of keeping my older dogs in their crate and THEN letting them find the little one. I think I should’ve brought her TO them, because they are acting AFRAID of her! Yes, my fifty pound dogs are afraid of a five pound puppy (although her teeth are like needles!).  


The puppy wants to play with my older dogs, but they will have NONE of that. They run away from her, and Kommit, the Boxer, even growled at her. I read that it’s normal for older dogs to be leery of a new addition to their pack because it confuses them as to their order. It will be interesting to see which of my dogs takes on the Alpha role even though they view my husband and me as THEIR Alphas.  


In short, the next few months will be busy with me chasing a puppy around the house to ensure it doesn’t have any “accidents” as we “potty-train” it. I realize, though, that if you want a well-behaved mature dog, it’s crucial to train it when it’s little by establishing boundaries and rules, so I’m not complaining. 

Berra

I’ll keep you updated on Berra’s progress. Yes, we’re calling her Berra because my husband and sons think she looks like a miniature Bear (although I think she looks like a cross between a raccoon and a bear). 


Wish me luck!