a new puppy

I am getting a female black Lab puppy in January, and I’ve decided to chronicle the process of raising and training her. My end goal will be that hopefully she is a suitable candidate for therapy dog work, so that will be an additional target in my training along with my focus on raising a calm, grounded, and well-adjusted dog. I am not a professional dog trainer, nor do I present myself as a canine expert, but I enjoy training puppies. I guess it is the teacher in me.

My scheduled puppy “pick up” date is January 11.

Fortunately, I already have everything I need and will not have to purchase anything.  Crate, toys, feeding bowls, collar, leash, dog bed, grooming tools. . .

For me, it’s not so much what I need to get for the puppy but how I envision establishing a successful routine for housebreaking, training, and socialization.  When the puppy arrives, and I get a handle on her demeanor and needs, the routine will quickly fall into place. 

This will be my first “winter-time puppy.” The cold weather will carry with it a different approach and challenges compared to raising a warm weather puppy.

As January 11^th approaches, the most important decision I need to make is her name.  I do want to have a name chosen so that I can start using it immediately when she comes home. 

When I consider names for my dogs, there are two things which are important to me.  First and foremost, I must like the name and it fits the dog.  Secondly, it needs to roll off my tongue easily. I favor 1 or 2 syllable names because they work best in training.

I haven’t made a final name decision yet, but I’m currently leaning towards Leia, pronounced LAY-ah. I researched the name meaning and discovered it is Hawaiian for “child of Heaven.”  I’m sure the fact that I am a bit of a Star Wars junkie also plays a part. 

Eighteen more days to wait. . .

Stay tuned.

Puppies I photographed from a litter several years ago.