Puppy Love

Have you held a puppy lately?

Have you ever had a brand-new, just born, eyes still closed puppy?

We had more litters of puppies than I can remember when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I didn't think my kids would ever get to experience the joy and wonder of a brand-new puppy. Thank God for Dad and Cindy and the ever growing menagerie of animals at the farm.

My dad has been past "the dealing with puppies stage" for quite a while now. However, they just lost one of their dogs and had started looking for a friend for Ziggy, their blonde lab. They found a lab looking mix that had given birth to only one puppy. Yeah! A puppy at the farm. She's only 5 days old. I'd share pictures, but let's be honest, I don't know how to work that kind of technology at the farm.

The kids and I have had the chance to love on the fattest, butterball looking puppy there has ever been. We now know what happens when a puppy doesn't have a litter to fight for food. That puppy looks like a brown fur ball ready to pop. We just watched Miss Butterball try to walk. I'm still giggling.

It's kind of hard to walk when you're little legs barely touch the ground because your fat puppy belly pushes them up in the air. Picture a very cute, brown bear looking puppy swinging her legs through the air.

Let's not ignore the adorable little grunting noises puppies make. I think that's what I wanted the kids to know most about puppies. They make a noise you never forget while they push their nose against you looking for food. Of course, the kids were all excited and talking loudly, stepping on each other trying to get closer to the puppy, and I was raising my voice telling them to be quiet and listen to the cute puppy grunts.

Oh, peaceful moments with a puppy. They did finally quiet down so they could hear her. We'll be back to visit in a week to see if her eyes are open. Maybe by then her legs will touch the ground, and she'll be able to waddle instead of swimming in the air.

You know, if I didn't think my husband would just roll over and die, that puppy might have a chance of coming to our house...