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Last month I mentioned that we are now the proud owners of a brand new Newfoundland puppy named Tinkerbell. My husband and I are not inexperienced Newf owners, but we'd forgotten what it's like to live with a baby whose feet are bigger than yours.

In case you're in a similar position, let me remind you of the Rules for Living with Baby Newfs. You're welcome!

Keep your Dr Pepper cans out of reach • So yeah. It's true that I like the Dr Pepper. Not diet. Regular. And I like it cold. In a can. I crack one open and proceed to sip at it for most of the morning, leaving the can on the counter or the table or my dresser, depending on what I'm doing. (Don't judge.) Well! A certain puppy recently batted over a can and proceeded to lap up the soda, discovering in the process that Dr Pepper is liquid gold. So now Tinkerbell is on the lookout for rogue half-filled cans of Dr Pepper. She patrols the house with razor-sharp (sort of) focus, and if I leave one out within paw's reach, it's adios, Dr Pepper.

Don't allow them to jump up on you • It's one thing for my neighbor's black pug, Harry, to greet visitors by jumping up on them. It's another thing for a growing Newf to do the same thing. At almost 5 months old, Tinkerbell already weighs 45 pounds. And so like super responsible dog owners everywhere, we are doing our best to teach her not to traumatize house guests.

Be prepared for them to jump on you anyway • Look. Just because we're trying to teach Tinkerbell manners doesn't mean we've actually succeeded. Not yet anyway. And here's the thing. Tinkerbell's hits come out of the blue sometimes. There I am, just talking on the telephone, when suddenly Tinkerball lunges at me. Seriously. It's like standing on the sidelines watching a football game and suddenly being blindsided by a linebacker.

Keep the water bowl filled • Here's the thing. Newfs love to drink water.

Then fill the water bowl again. • Here's the other thing. Newfs love to play in water. Tinkerbell drinks her water and then sticks her paws in the bowl like she's soaking her feet at a dog spa in preparation for a pedicure. You almost expect her to choose a color of nail polish and bust out a Star magazine to read a story about one of the lesser Kardashians.

Tell your cats to shelter in place • Or at least shelter in place temporarily. Tinkerbell gets all crazy happy whenever one of our two cats saunters into a room. She expresses that joy by — you know — giving chase. I tell the cats that, eventually, Tinkerbell will calm down and stop trying to high-five them. Until then? It's every cat for himself.

Secure your garbage cans • Puppies are like the raccoons of the dog world. Actually, they're more like the dogs of the dog world. It's open season on garbage cans all year round. Make sure you batten down the hatches.

Hide all the decorative couch pillows • Decorative couch pillows = chew toys. So do a lot of other things. Socks. Shoes. Newspapers. Copies of Star magazine with stories about lesser Kardashians.

Remember that this stage doesn't last • Like human babies, Newf babies grow up. One day you're holding them in your arms. The next day they're graduating from Obedience School.

Remind yourself to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Ann Cannon can be reached at acannon@sltrib.com or facebook.com/anncannontrib.