Ticklin' Me - Evaluating the Suitability of a Puppy

The seemingly endless snow and cold coupled with puppy raising has afforded me the time to poke into the archives to edit long ago footage into useless info. Bubbles (not her real name) was selected after an exhaustive search for the right sort of puppy make and model to mold into a great service dog for a special needs child. I sought brains, beauty, health, confidence and a nice balance between affectionate/cuddly and comfort with independence. I have spent enough time over the years interviewing breeders and observing pups and dogs of all ages to develop a pretty quick and accurate assessment of a pup's potential. That is the nature part. Nurture is the care of the young mind and helping mold it towards maturity in meeting the identified goals. Training and socializing is a daily process -- I spend time in advance figuring out the schedule to see how to balance in enough rest, 3 meals a day, lots of opportunity to go out for house training purposes, and outings where she will have fun and learn. I came across the footage of the day I selected Trip, my now 9 1/2 year old Jack Russell Terrier. At the time I sought a Jack Russell, it was a deliberate choice. I wanted a BIG dog -- energy, ego, resourcefulness, intelligence -- in a small body package. So the search was on. I interviewed breeders, met litters, observed puppies. Finally, I met Trip and his litter. I was pretty sure I wanted Trip out of his brothers and one sister, but since my kids were very young at the time, I wanted to expose them to the litter before making the final decision. The following video shows why I picked Trip

Why did I pick the picture of Sophie and Trip in the pool? Because I want to remember that it WILL get warmer (written as the weather service is calling for ANOTHER ice/snow storm slated to effect 33 U.S. states. Oh joy!