Revitalized by lack of sleep, yes a new puppy

"Derby" at eight weeks

Here it is, blog post number five million gushing about a cute, new puppy. I've struggled to find a different perspective than what's out there. Crate training, positive reinforcement, housebreaking, ... all covered to death. In fact more web hits for puppies than for "shrimp recipes." Hard to believe.

Until I realized that our exuberant new family member, Derby, a too-cute-for-words Golden Retriever puppy has healing powers. I felt lousy with a sinus infection. We brought home our new puppy on Sunday and I proceeded to have less sleep with more middle-of-the-night interruptions than any time in the past 15 years. And yet I feel remarkably better. Was it the prescribed antibiotic? I doubt it. I believe it was the pure joy of our new puppy. He eats. He plays. He sleeps. It's that simple. Which leads me to making this posting different. Come winter flu season forget the flu shot and visit a shelter or reputable breeder. Pick up a new puppy. You WILL feel better. If you're lucky, like we were with our last dog, you'll feel great for 15 years. But watch your loose socks ....