So, if you've read any of my other entries, you know that Sydney is my favorite pup. No surprises there. I love my black lab, Morgan. I love him to death. But Sydney has a special place in my heart. How can she not - Morgan is upstairs with mom right now, while syd sits here at daddy's feet.

 

As with all dogs, Morgan and Sydney each have special qualities. Morgan is great at catching objects the size of his head. It's amazing. You could throw a car at that dog and he'd catch it. Morgan is also a great cuddler and absolutely loves everyone he meets. Sydney can chase down a frisbee and jump up and catch it. And she sits at my feet all the time...

 

However, Syd has one big problem - socialization. She's terrible. She doesn't get along with other dogs and she's completely scared of new people. Even people she sees on a regular basis, like neighbors and my parents! Our problem was that we didn't take her to puppy school and didn't get her socialized properly. It's just been a mess. We thought we knew how to train her, so why take her to puppy school. Well, now we know.

 

So, here's my advice to everyone - if you have a new puppy, get them out in front of new people and new dogs a lot. Socialization is a huge factor when they're growing up (during the first year, especially) and will pay dividends over the life of the pup.