First Blog Ever

This is my first time ever posting a blog. In fact, until quite recently I didn't even know exactly what a blog was. Of course I have heard the word used many times, and I had seen and read posts that were actually blogs, but I did not put two and two together until a month or so ago. The idea of a blog has fascinated me since then(although I do wish someone had picked a better name for it, "blog" just sounds like a word for vomit or something to me.) so now I've decided to create my own.

A little about me. I am a 23 year old dog trainer living in Orlando, Fl. I run a small business along with a friend for private in-home dog training of basic behavior problems and manners called the National Academy for Dogs LLC. All of my training is based on gentle and positive methods and I am constantly learning and researching the most effective and up-to-date training methods. I do a lot of clicker training and am currently enrolled in the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Program. I have a sweet rescued 5 year old female lab mix named Kiba. She came to me 4 years ago with many fear and socialization issues that I am working hard to fix. She has come a long way since then but she will probably always have some issues with new people. I also have 5 pet rats who I adore, and a half-blind guinea pig I rescued from certain doom at Petco. I live with my wonderful boyfriend Josh, and together we enjoy many nerdy things including playing video games, Star Wars, super heroes, watching DC animated series(I have all of Batman, Superman, Justice League, and am almost finished collecting Batman Beyond) and many other things.

Now, while I will probably occasionally post about other things that go on in my life, the real intent of this blog is to give me a place to ramble about this biggest thing on my mind right now. I have puppy fever, bad. I want a new puppy so bad I can hardly stand it. I dream about puppies, read every book on puppies I can find, and bug poor Josh practically everyday about how much I want one. And not just any puppy, I want a Welsh springer spaniel. I have been researching different breeds for years and have decided that this breed is the right dog for me. As well as being a family companion, I am hoping for a dog that I can eventually use as a demo dog for my training business, as well as compete in several dog sports, such as agility, obedience and rally. I grew up with an amazing English springer spaniel so I've always held a soft spot for the spaniels. I chose the Welshie for several reasons. First, I wanted a breed similar in appearance to the English springer but I have always told myself that I didn't want to get the same breed twice. I also wanted a dog that had fewer health risks, was a bit smaller, and easier to groom than the English. This led me to the Welsh. I researched the breed throughly, contacted several breeders to ask about the breed and get to know them some, met a wonderful breeder and her dogs in January, and just this past weekend attended the National Specialty for the breed in Perry, Georgia. So now that I am throughly convinced that this is the breed for me it is of course all I can think about. The problem is that right now we are not quite ready financially and stability-wise for a new dog. Welshies themselves are not cheap dogs and can cost anywhere from $1,200 to $2,000 for a puppy. Not to mention the costs of owning a puppy in general, including supplies, vet bills, etc. So right now all I can do is dream and plan until the time is right for my new pup. I plan to use this blog to post any news I have on getting a puppy, my planning for it's arrival, training and socialization ideas, and anything else I feel like posting.

Thanks for reading!