The Puppy Diaries

No, Nicky and Nora have not learned to write - hell they haven't even learned how to heel yet! Though sit seem to be working - one command at a time I guess. We're looking at some obedience training for them - though as everyone knows the training is mostly for the frustrated owners.

And as anyone who has owned a puppy knows the frustrations are many, but the rewards are more. As I was searching for some advise about chewing - particularly chewing an old well-loved bathrobe - I came across a series that The New York Times started last week: "The Puppy Diaries".

That soft fur, those floppy ears, that quizzical look that draws an "awww" from the most hardened cynic. Yes, puppies are cute.

They are also a project that can require the patience of Job and the stamina of the most selfless parent.

Puppies tie you down, drag you out for a walk even when it's sleeting and sink their tiny teeth into your favorite shoes. They offer boundless love, granted unconditionally. They also provide their share of frustrations.

But in a nation where more than 45 million households own dogs as pets, raising a puppy has become an essential part of American life.

In a series of columns, Jill Abramson chronicles the ups and downs of a puppy's first year. Scout, a golden retriever, arrived at the household in early June. Follow along through the columns, photographs and videos as she and her husband, Henry Griggs, take Scout from puppyhood to her first birthday.

So far I've been able to identify with some of Jill's problems X2 and it will be interesting to see how her experience compares to ours.

01 agosto - Sant'Alfonso Marie de'Liguori