Are puppies always a pleasure?

The word ‘puppies’ reminds us of lovely, sweet and adorable darlings. These are the reactions I get from most people when they see my four Labrador pups. These are thoughts that cross my mind too when I see them… but most of the times… my vocabulary gets limited to a high pitched –NO! STOP! OH MY GOD! SIT!!! OUT!! RIGHT NOW!! Even my neighbours are well aware with these commands by now!
My association with dogs dates back right to childhood. Luckily, I got married to a person who liked dogs and had Val Core, a cross between a Pom and a Pekinese. When he was 10 years old, we got our second dog – Treasure – a female Labrador pup, a gorgeous chocolate brown babe. She grew up to a beautiful Labrador. I found a handsome cream Labrador for her and a month later, I found that Treasure was pregnant!
With the help of my vet Dr Sunita, Treasure delivered four babies and I felt like a mom! Since Treasure was not well, it was a 24-hour duty for me to put the babies for feed every two hours. One of the pups was too weak to suckle, so I had to bottle-feed him. The puppy milk powder was available only in one shop and had to be made fresh every two hours. To be honest, I never did all this even for my own two children.
Anyway, they grew and the amount of care they required grew in the same proportion. I was on my toes the whole day long. My sofa set had to be polished every now and then, computer wires had to be replaced, telephone cords changed, lampshades were broken and books were all chewed up. It was then that I discovered my new vocabulary! But the adorable cute faces of the pups melted down all the anger.
It was then that I decided to find homes for my pups – Knight, Columbus, Crystal and Velvette. I managed to find homes for Crystal and Columbus. But, very soon, both of them came back as they could not adjust to their new homes. The reunion was difficult as the other two pups and the mother found it difficult to adjust again. I was awake for full 24 hours to make sure they did not bite them. Secretly, I was happy that I got my babies back. We are looking for excellent homes for them where they would be treated better than they are in my house!
If you are planning to keep a dog, remember that they are like children who never grow up! And to keep a dog, you truly need to love them in all stages. I personally request you that if you adopt one, keep her for lifetime.
– Grishma