"Bringing Home A Super Puppy"

by Daryl Miller Davey (1950 to 1995)
October 3, 1993

[Editor's note: Daryl Davey passed away before this booklet was ready for press. Although the text was completed, she was unable to gather the many photos she had originally planned for it. The photos shown are snapshots of her children and puppies when they were about the age this booklet was written, as well as photos of Beowulf and Pfeiffer at various stages of growth. If you are able to obtain and donate good photos of the valuable "tests" in this book, please contact John Davey.]

A family friend, Mike Horowitz, and Daryl with pups

People buy cute little pups, throw them into the back yard, and wonder why they are not trained properly, misbehave, and thus become a problem as they grow. Most dogs are delivered to the "pound" when they are about 6 to 8 months old. It's really a shame.

Dogs are "pack animals." They need companionship much like a human baby. Your family will become their pack. It's very cruel to expect an animal to be alone all day and only be a part of the family at night. If then.

Dogs need love and attention, proper training, daily exercise, clean water available at all times, a warm place to sleep, an appropriate diet and regularly scheduled veterinarian visits.

It's best to get professional help with obedience training for your pup. There will be one 'alpha' dog in your home. If it isn't you, it will be your dog. In your puppy classes, you also learn how to "socialize" your dog. "Socializing" is a fairly new term as applied to dogs, but just like children, they need to be socialized to learn how to behave both with humans, and also with other dogs.

Please see some excerpts from the booklet.

Please read Daryl's "Bringing Home a Super Puppy." You will benefit from the "tests" she shows you to use in order to choose an appropriate puppy for your home.

It is written in a style understood by children, because Daryl's children partipate in "testing" a litter of puppies. It is a delightful read, as well as very educational.

Beowulf at 18 months