As Diane Anderson and her spunky Golden Retriever mix, Rufus, get to know each other, the St. Petersburg, Florida resident and her nine-week-old pup are making an interesting discovery about each other’s personality.
The first few weeks and months are just the beginning of those fun, exciting moments as you and your puppy make friends and learn from each other, whether it’s a mutual appreciation for Frisbee in the park or a ready-for-anything personality that you both share (or maybe it’s even indulging in a nap together on a Sunday afternoon!).
Yes, Rufus adores a great belly rub as much as Anderson enjoys making him happy. But one of his favorite treats? Having his ears cleaned. Really! Not only that, but he also delights in those times when Anderson brushes his teeth and manicures his paws. Needless to say, Rufus is one well-groomed puppy who is ready to explore life’s adventures with Anderson.
“It’s really fun to watch him discover the world,” she says. “There’s nothing like a new puppy.” And with your new friendship comes new discoveries that are even more exciting when you embark upon them together. When puppies aren’t sleeping (which they do a lot), they’re investigating the world, right by your side. Everything is new to them—including you.
This is where the warm lifelong bonds are forged. “They’re like a sponge,” says Caryl Wolff, who operates a Los Angeles-based puppy kindergarten. “They explore the world everyday.” But your new puppy is not only figuring out the world, he is also just starting to figure out your personality…while you figure out his.
When Dash, a yellow Labrador Retriever, is ready for some quiet time, he lets Carla Witherspoon, who lives with Dash in Maineville, Ohio, a village just outside of Cincinnati, know right away. “He wants to follow and cuddle up with me all of the time,” she says. Even when Dash is ready for playtime, he’s up for anything, including daily walks where soon as she puts him down from a hug, he’s ready for the next adventure: “He runs with me all the way back home.” Their favorite place to return.
