Santi has been with us for more than a month now. He was given to us quite too early at 1 1/2 month old. And according to the veterinarian, too early weaning (before puppy is 2 1/2 months old) is responsible for his being too defensive these days. He bites us when he plays with us. Though his bite is not that deep, it is quite painful. This prompted me to ask the vet to give him anti-rabies vaccine earlier, just to be sure that we’re safe. After his injection, he became more tamed and his biting lessened.

Santi also eats a lot everyday. Sister Chato, the owner of Santi’s mom, advised us to give Santi only cooked rice mixed with any soup. These days, he refrained from eating such. What he loves to eat is fried fish or meat.

He is now more behaved than before. He watches TV with us and listens to it as if he understands what is being said. Though sometimes he accidentally pees inside the house especially when he gets too excited. I guess that is part of having a pet. But I still hope that he gets well-trained someday that there will be no more telling him where to poop and pee.

When my nun aunt learned that my kids earned honors this past school year, she texted me that she will be bringing a Hush puppy as a gift for them. It was great news for my kids and they waited every day for a month for the puppy to arrive. But since my aunt is working as a principal in the elementary department of St. Joseph’s school in Nueva Ecija, she couldn’t just leave anytime to bring the puppy. Besides, the puppy was still nursing from his mom.

When Santi finally came, he was with his whole family (his mother and 4 siblings). They were all very cute puppies thus prompting my kids to ask for one more. But no. Everyone has its owner already. But Santi was so different because he is the only one with black spots on the face while the rest are pure white.

Santi is the very first dog in the house. So it is not surprising that the treatment we’re giving him is extra special. We bought everything he needs on the first day while my kids excitedly played with him. The problem was training. We absolutely have no idea how to train him to pee and poop in the right place and it was really a nightmare. We consulted the internet for everything we needed to know and slowly learned the essentials.

For two nights, Santi cried a lot. We presumed it was part of his adjustment – separation from his mother, no sibling to play with, and getting acquainted to his new home. He eats with gusto so there is no problem feeding him. Maybe he was just feeling lonely at night when my kids are already in bed.

Santi is a quick learner. With the persistence and perseverance of my kids, he is learning more commands every day. Our only worry now is bringing him on trips because he might pee and poop inside the car. Do we need to put a diaper on him?

We are newbies in this aspect. Our knowledge is limited only to what we read in the net, so any suggestions or recommendations are very much welcome.