New puppy ramblings

[diane silver]

We picked up our 8-week-old mini labradoodle, Emma, on Saturday. She's an absolute love, but I think we should have named her "Velcro"! She has attached to me to the point that wherever I'm sitting or standing, she will lie with her head on my feet (that is, when she's not running around in her manic mood). She really isn't crazy about her crate, though she's definitely settling down faster each night. Today was the first day we left her alone in her crate for two hours, and she was still there when we returned! I'm going to try to use the bells, but because she's confined in our kitchen/family room with gates, I'll hang them on one of the gates and then if she catches on, move them to the front door. Anyway, I'm loving this site and all the support, especially since we haven't had a puppy in almost 20 years! I welcome any and all encouragement and suggestions and I know I'll be asking a ton of questions. In the meantime, here we are the day we picked her up - I know, we look alike!!