How Old Is Your Puppy

While walking my dog (Bear) today, we came across a husky we had not met before.  In my little neighbourhood I know every puppy (not so much their owners).

Bear crept towards the animal. After a few sniffs, Bear wagged her tail,  hunkered down, ready for the other dog chase her.

I commented that my wife and I had been taking Bear to the dog park since she was 8 weeks old, and that she loves being chased. Then I asked what I always ask,

“How old is your puppy?”

Everyone answers, but some give me more.

“Oh, he/she is 8 (or older) years old.” They reply while giving me a look which says, “I have a full-grown dog.”

Politely, I’d like to disagree. I think they have an old puppy.

I base this on a few things I’ve observed.

I had a friend who had a dog. This dog stayed outside most of the time, even while the people slept. On the odd occasions when the dog was allowed in the house, my friend would have problems with the dog’s behaviour towards him and his children.

“Get rid of the dog” was my advice. “For the dog’s sake.”

A dog is a pack animal, and my friend was not allowing it into his pack. No wonder he encountered resistance when he tried to assert his authority. 

To a dog you are an alpha or a puppy. My friend was an alpha, but not this dog’s alpha. The children were puppies, but not this dog’s puppies. 

Every dog I have seen who are tolerant of little hands pulling on the ears or poking in the eyes look to their Alpha for guidance.This dog was a lone wolf, his own pack, his own Alpha. This dog deserved to be released to be an Alpha or a puppy.

When a dog has an Alpha, that dog does not have to do the things an Alpha has to do. 

My puppy loves to chase rabbits. She does not have to do this to eat or live, she chases them for the treats they leave. The rabbit sees this animal coming for it, and shits before it runs away. Then Bear stops where the rabbit started, looking to eat what it left.

(I think my puppy has just revealed the workings behind secular Easter traditions).

As long as Bear has an Alpha, she can be a puppy. Even if she reaches 10 years old, she will still be a puppy.

One more thing.

Have you ever wondered why your dog is so excited to see you when you return after a work day? I read somewhere that a year in our life is 7 years to a dog. If that is true, then when you are away for 8 hours, to that dog you have been gone for 56 hours. That’s over 2 days. 

So, how old is your puppy?