This puppy will need a lot of care during the first few weeks — and for the rest of his life.

flickr photo courtesy of Gunnar Hafdal

Upon making my way through the front door of an old farmhouse, I saw her — a chubby little puppy happily playing with her sibling, a much larger male. At 5 and 1/2 weeks old, she was a large, curious puppy with a tail that never seemed to stop wagging — and a spark that I connected with.

For months, I had been on the edge of venturing into puppyhood, and knowing the way that my life would change, I allowed my gut to let me know when the time was right to jump in.

You can only prepare so much for life's events, right?

I went home to try and get some perspective.

I returned a day or so later to the house and tried to get beyond the spell that this four-legged wonder had me under. I continued my conversation with the owner of the too-young Saint Bernard who was the mother of the litter.

I had learned from the woman that she was eager to unload the last of the puppies — the runt — because the whole situation with "her" dog getting "tied up" with one of the other several dogs on the property (and resulting in a litter of 11) was causing tension in the household.

Realizing that I had made the decision to take my yet-to-be-named puppy on the first visit, I finished my conversation, thanked the woman for her time and scooped up the bundle of fur, looked into her eyes and said, "I will never forget this moment."

And I haven't.

That being said, those first few weeks in some ways were a blur, mainly due to the lack of sleep for potty breaks throughout the evening (that resulted in a a dry, comfortable crate each night) and the many extra trips home throughout the day for feeding, potty breaks and playtime to wear Gretchen out to keep the momentum going, so to speak.

Admittedly, that first week or so was rough, but all of that hard work paid off; housebreaking was relatively smooth, Gretchen was well-adjusted, and I had peace of mind when I had to be away from the house.

Surely there are a few readers out there who are getting ready to venture into life with a puppy, and there is an excellent resource available that can not only help those first few days after a new puppy comes home — but those weeks and months after to set both puppies and their people up for long-term success.

The Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine has created an online resource,The Indoor Pet Initiative, that helps with topics that detail the first weeks, to adulthood. Click here to access the site.

Lorrie Shaw is lead pets blogger for AnnArbor.com. Catch her daily adventures as a dog walker and pet sitter or e-mail her directly.