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​The Big E is ready to start this week. The  Eastern States Exposition which runs from Sept 14th-30th this year is in West Springfield, MA. It's the biggest fair in New England and features a state building with products and foods from each of the New England states. A must see for anyone who has never been there. 



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My first week with the new puppy was hell. I was just a little bit sleep deprived by the end of the work week. That first day and night, I was fully aware of the need to start with a routine and do my best to get her potty trained. New puppies just don’t keep regular business hours. I would bring her out every two hours during the day night and she would take care of the business.
 
​There were only a few accidents inside. The chances of an accident are rather high unless you bring a puppy outside every 2 hours. They really can't hold it. Puppies need to pee all the time--after they eat, after they have a good drink of water, after they've finished having a play, in the middle of having a play, when they wake up from a nap. They just have to pee.

By Monday, I had to take over the night shift because I'm away at work all day.  I knew that I had to stick my part of the training, keep waking up at night to go outside with Josie and do the potty thing. I kept telling myself, you'll eventually get to sleep again. She will eventually be able to go longer and longer through the night. As the days progressed, we got to know her body language and yelps and was able to get her outside before there was an accident.  
  
By the end of the week, she had the routine down pat, the need to go outside was still there, but the need to take a pee was not as strong as it was in the beginning of the week. I was beginning to think that she now just wanted to drag me outside for absolutely no other reason but to stare at the moon. I couldn’t imagine what the little girl was thinking!
 
There was also another part of this forgotten puppy love that this girl has done more than any pup that I can remember. It is the constant gnawing on my body. She is teething and it seems nothing felt that good for her to chew on except human flesh. It isn’t very painful, but the endlessness chewing on my body really looks like I fell right into a briar patch. We did eventually find a few things she likes to chew on so my flesh wounds are now not as many and the old ones are actually starting to heal.
 
I remember how puppies make us better people in so many ways. They get us up and out of the house through all hours of the day and night. This not only gives us some well needed exercise, but also forces us to become much more aware of what other creatures that are walking around in the night just wanting to do a little socializing . You know, like those Skunks and other such creatures.

She is doing really well now with the potty training and getting the idea of going outside. we are still all adjusting to all the other new changes that seem to happen daily. There are also the many stories I hear from friends and acquaintances about their puppy adventures and I just smile.  After that initial learning period for her to settle in with us, she is adjusting very well and now is just a lovable puppy. Now we are just teaching her everything we can, watching her grow up and explore life and latter if things progress well, explore some of those great bird fields.