Introductions: first things first

My two puppies, Shammy (top) and Dozer.

I don't really know what to say on the first post of a blog. While I have blogged before, this is the first time I have done so with a purpose other than random ramblings and far-stretching topics. This blog will spend a ridiculous amount of time talking about my puppies, and in so doing will lead the reader (hopefully) to an understanding of dogs, their relationships to humans, and what we can learn from them. I'll be sure to add plenty of training tips, fun dog-related materials and links to keep things interesting. In the end my intent is to have something that is enjoyable and educational for anyone who has ever had, currently has or is contemplating getting a dog. So lets get started on this journey, shall we?
I guess the most important thing is to introduce myself and my furry family. My name is Jen, and I'm a 31-year-old housewife in Texas. My husband and I decided about three months back to get a puppy. We had talked about it any number of times, but we both worked nights and realized that a dog could not flourish in such an environment. Then, when he started working days and I could afford to stay at home and work, we decided it was finally time for a dog.
I think it's important to mention at this point that we have two cats, and as it is with almost every cat in the known universe, they thought we existed to serve them. Seline and Sunshine, a calico and a gray tabby, respectively, were about to get a rude awakening.
Enter Shammy, which is short for Shaman. I thought the name extremely clever because the ad we found in Craigslist said he was a "healer" mix. When we went to see Shammy and his nine brothers and sisters, I was immediately drawn to this mostly-chocolate, speckled pup. He had gray-green eyes, which is as close as I can get to describing that color. He just watched us from under the porch, and I knew there was a brain behind that awkward, lanky appearance.
I decided right at the start that I was going to take a very active role in training him. I am by no means a certified trainer or anything of the sort, but I knew that I wanted a cool dog who would be comfortable and well-behaved in any situation. Armed with some internet research, the advice of a friend who had a lot of experience raising puppies and what I thought was plenty of patience to carry me through, the training began.
I am happy to say that Shammy is an incredibly bright puppy. This is not just a puppy parent's pride, I have had several people who have confirmed as much. He took to the training easily, and quickly grasped the concept of anything I taught him. His smarts also got him into a lot of trouble, though. It wasn't that he didn't know any better about chasing the cats, chewing the chairs, or any of a number of small transgressions he committed, it was that he thought he could find a way to get away with it. However, given the spectrum of bad dog behavior I have seen and heard of, I think we still are very fortunate.
About two weeks of having Shammy convinced both my husband and I that he needed a companion. It wasn't that he was a terribly destructive or overly-hyper puppy, we simply knew a second puppy would help tire him out and make his world "right" in a way that we could not. I had arguments for health reasons, namely that a puppy's immunity needed to be given time to build up through vaccinations, so we decided to revisit the issue after his set of puppy vaccines were done. This brings us to a little over a week ago, with a quickly-growing, leggy 4 1/2-month-old puppy who is way smarter than he had any right to be. This time, the ad was in freecycle, and when we saw the pictures of one solid chocolate butterball, we took a trip to the house and instantly fell in love. The puppy we chose and later named Dozer for bulldozer (believe me when I say it fits to a tee) was the first of the three pups to come out and greet us and had the same haunting eyes of our Shammy pup. We brought him home, introduced the two and they have become fast friends in a very short time.
So what are their personalities like? They are the quintessential odd couple -- Shammy is a runner, Dozer's more of a "let it come to me" kind of pup; Shammy is shy and very patient, Dozer has a fiery temper and a ferocity far exceeding his size when he gets riled up; Shammy's a picky eater, Dozer vaccuums up his food. You get the picture. But they do have quite a few things in common -- they understand the hierarchy of the house and are pleased as punch with the structure; they both love nature documentaries; they are fully convinced tug-and-pull is the greatest game ever invented; and they would do almost anything for a treat. That last behavior and the fact that they are both totally unafraid of eye contact with me has done half of the job of training for me.
And how is their training going? Stellar, in my humble opinion. I find the hardest thing with training Shammy is that he learns commands more quickly than my ability to come up with new ones. So far he has learned sit, lay down, come to me, look me in the eyes ("look" is the command), roll over, shake, up (on the couch usually), down (for the same) and the rudiments of frisbee catching and loose-leash walking. There may be some that I'm leaving out, but suffice it to say he knows a lot for his age. Dozer's training seems to be going equally as well. At 7 weeks, he now knows look, sit and come to me, something I consider very good for a puppy that young.
I can't say my methods are perfect, but I hope I can offer some new insights that other dog owners could use. Mostly, I just want this to be a fun and informative read for everyone who decides to stop by. If you like what you're reading now, be sure to subscribe, bookmark, scribble down the address on a post-it or whatever method you use to remind yourself to come back. I would like to see your comments and stories as well, so don't be shy.