We brought home our new puppy six days ago. Her name is Bogie, and you can see her here.
The little 11-week-old purebred German Shorthaired Pointer is the love of our lives.
Bill is in charge of training her because she’ll be his hunting companion. I’m trying to play catch-up by devouring the book “Training in No Time,” written by dog training expert Amy Ammen, who was in my mentor program.
It’s my first experience living with a puppy. After only six days with her, here’s what I’ve learned:
—Risk-taking. We took her on her first walk at the beach yesterday afternoon. She was fascinated by the sights and sounds of the waves lapping at the Lake Michigan shoreline, but decided it was too early to venture into the water. I’m betting she at least sticks a paw into it the next time out.
—Persistence. She was out of sight for just a few minutes yesterday and chewed on the “Warning” tag that was sewn into the seam of her doggie bed. She didn’t stop gnawing until the entire label was in her mouth. Thankfully, I retrieved it before she could swallow it.
—The importance of grieving after the loss of a pet. Cody, our beloved German Shorthaired Pointer, died on Jan. 13 this year. We needed several months to cry, work through the grief, and heal our hearts so we could welcome a new puppy into our lives and give her our full attention. Bill took Bogie to visit Cody’s grave in the backyard, and he told her she has big shoes to fill.
—Opportunity. She’s napping in her kennel right now, next to my desk, and I’m racing to complete this newsletter before she awakens for another who-knows-how-many-hours of bedlam.
—Responsibility. After she pooped on our living room carpet this morning, I realized it was my own fault because I became too engrossed in writing the newsletter to give her frequent potty breaks. I’m now relying on a timer to alert me every 30 minutes so we can visit the backyard.
—Rudimentary engineering skills. Her metal kennel, a big shipping box and a large plastic wastebasket, placed side by side, prevent her from crawling under my desk, where she can chew, then pulverize, a tangled mess of computer wires.
Did the headline on this item catch your attention?
If so, consider creating a list of tips called “What You Can Learn from a Puppy” or “What You Can Learn from a Kitten” or “What You Can Learn from a Porpoise”—or any critter of your choice—and slant it to people with a particular problem or concern.
Then provide a list just like I did. You don’t even need to be a pet owner to pull this off. ubmit the list or article to online article directories and your list of media contacts. The editor of a trade magazine might even welcome an article like this one if the tips dovetail perfectly with what readers need. If you don’t want to use this format, consider the same title in a Q&A format, or even a quiz.
See “Briefs, Fillers & Quizzes: How to Write Them and Why Editors Love Them.”