Parents-to-be are generally excited to share the good news with family and friends. Our family knew we’d been sad for some time, and seemed happy for us that we finally decided to adopt again.
My Honey and I adopted a Chocolate Labrador Retriever puppy before he was even born.
We asked for a Chocolate male. It was unknown if "Sammy" --puppy's mother, a Chocolate Lab, would give birth to the pup we were hoping for. Puppy's daddy was a Yellow Lab.
Sammy gave birth to a large litter with two males. We were happy and excited. We had to wait at least six weeks before our pup would be ready to ween from his mommy.
The
breeder sent us pictures many times over the next few weeks. That was
so nice. We were able to sort of bond with the pups. We "pictured" along
as pup opened his eyes, learned to eat and drink, visited the vet and
played with his puppy mates. I was so happy seeing the pics.While waiting for a new puppy to be born, parents usually decide on a name and make certain preparations to meet baby’s basic needs. That’s what we did.
Keep in mind, before birth, puppy knows a warm safe place. Mommy’s body provides sustenance for baby automatically, as needed.
All of a sudden, baby wakes up in another place. Think how difficult it is if you fell asleep in one place and woke up in another. It’s not just a surprise, it can make you feel afraid. That has to be true for a new puppy, too.
Baby needs time to adjust to this new strange environment. In order to adjust—from fear to feeling comfortable, basic requirements for survival must be met.
American psychologist and philosopher Abraham Maslow best known for his theory on human needs, defined five basic categories: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.
Next time, I explain why knowing these basics make an excellent guide to raise a child, as well as, puppy.///