How many times have you seen a box of puppies being given away in a shopping center or at a flea market? There they are for the taking, adorable little fuzzy, whimpering, begging, cutie pies that no one can resist; except me. I have to think things through, every aspect before I make a move like that. I have to pass.
And so it was that I had a lot to consider if I really had what it takes to raise another puppy. It’s been a really long time since I went through all that. If I did it again, I’d be on my own without the help of two little kids to run interference for me. I’ll be so tied down. Do I still have the patience? Do I need another animal around here? Can I afford the expense? Do I really like my new furniture that much? How hard can this really be? I sure do miss having a dog under my desk on my feet. I sure do miss having a dog to ride around in the truck with me. I sure do miss it all, so I imagine, if one really wants to reap the rewards of a loyal constant companion, then somehow you can convince yourself that it won’t be as bad as you think.
Welcome to the wonderful world of PUPPYHOOD!
It’s only been a few days that she has joined the family, or that anyone has had any sleep in this house. She has been Jordan, Sierra, Abbie, Foxy, Aspen, Harley, Amy, and Halley. She still does not have a permanent name.
I like crate training a lot. It’s been a while, so I did some crate training research and puppy training research to brush up on my very rusty training skills. Crate training has saved the old homestead and its humble furnishings on many occasions, so I’m crate training once more. It’s just not going too well. She is supposed to spend a few minutes at a time in the crate, during the day and then all night long and consider it her den. She hates her crate. She hates her crate so much that she has decided to eat it. That’s right, she bites the metal bars like Jaws in pursuit of Richard Dreyfus (Matt Hooper) in the shark cage. She has all the comforts in that crate that she could possibly want, and within 5 seconds, she is loosing her mind and screaming and screeching for help…….non-stop. Then she tries to topple it over banging and clanging. Bamn! Crash! Scream! She makes more noise in that crate than a million drunks gathered at Time Square on New Years Eve.
This little pup has had more accidents in my house than you can even imagine. Probably ten times a day; no twenty; make that thirty. I’m not quick enough! Boy am I glad we replaced the living room carpet with hardwood. I never knew that besides this pup, my new best friend would be the mop. I had three rolls of paper towels and gone through two of them in 24 hours flat. So much for Viva, I have to get serious now and buy Brawny by the case. We walk and walk and walk forever outside. She’s not interested in doing anything out there except chasing a leaf, a fly, playing with a blade of grass, you name it. No matter what I do, she comes in from her very frequent walks and deposits right on the floor as soon as she comes inside. Other times I am throwing the ball for her in the kitchen, we’re playing having so much fun, and she stops dead and takes a pee right in front of me with no warning whatsoever. I try to grab her and put her outside but it’s always too late. She’s finished before I can get her out the door. Tuesday, she was in my lap and I put her down on the floor so I could get up and answer the phone, and kaboom…..we made wee wee again in a split second. Heck with the phone, I picked her up mid-stream and was running her out the door while her dribble was backdrafting all over me! Ugh! She doesn’t get this part at all. I have a designated area in the yard for her to due her duty. I call it the Promised Land.
It only took a little while to figure out that she wants to get out of the crate because she does not want to potty and soil her crate. Ok, that part she’s got down pat. I think. Now, she has to go potty at 2:30 AM! Ok this is great. I open the crate, rush to get the leash, grab my jacket, slip on my shoes, and by that time, she has already peed on the floor before I could even get her out the door. Not to worry, I’ll try again.
Now this must be a sight to behold in the middle of the night: Woman with bed hair, worn out tattered nightgown with baseball jacket and rubber shoes in the yard in the middle of the night, freezing, getting soaking wet in the pouring down rain, which has to turned to snow of course, begging this little doggy to urinate. Here’s me with a puppy who insists that she wants to play and jump up and down and grab the leash instead of doing her business so I can go to sleep. Will this puppy ever sleep? She never sleeps! Why doesn’t this puppy sleep! I’ll try again.
1:00 AM the next night she is screaming so we walk and don’t make potty. 2:00AM she is screaming so we walk and don’t make potty. 3:00AM she screaming so we walk and don’t make potty. No sooner than we come back inside, yeah, you guessed it. I have Lake Erie all over my living room floor. Soaking wet, frozen to the bone, sleep deprived, bed hair frazzled woman with a mop, trying to remove the evidence that one of the Great Lakes has arrived in Tennessee and can be viewed gushing in my living room. Since the living room floor to this old mountain home is on a slight slant, this body of fluid found its way to run down and spill out like the Amazon into the kitchen floor. And here’s me, chasing the elusive run-away lake with the mop, while puppy is skidding and sliding through it all trying to attack the mop, all at 3:45 in the morning. And oh, and she’s not done playing. No worries, I’ll try again.
Back in the crate and she’s not having any part of it. Out of complete desperation I swoop down and scoop up my bundle of joy and set her on my bed in hopes that she will like that and decide to cuddle up and sleep. No such luck. She found my toes! OUCH! Those sharp little jagged puppy teeth HURT! So I’m kicking my legs back and forth so she’ll leave my toes alone, and she decides to steal my covers. Now I’m wrestling her for my covers because it’s cold and she thinks this is yet another big game. By 4:00 AM I am now dying a slow death. I pass out. Only to be awakened at 5:30 AM by the Hus who points out what historical landmark is now residing on the floor at the foot of my bed. And there it is……. Mount Vesuvius, in poopy form. Yup, right on my berber carpet. The stinkiest pile of poop you could ever imagine has been strategically built by this puppy and is on display in my bedroom. Not to worry, I’ll try again.
Well it’s been an exciting few days around here. So far we’ve had three baths in baby shampoo because she rolls in everything nasty and gross outside that she can find, and she hates the bath. We practice riding in the truck every day, going up and down the road for a few minutes while she cries her heart out the whole time. She hates that too. She comes to the barn to feed the horses and gets to ride in the Rover and help with barn chores and she very much hates that. She is nestled on the front seat with me in my armpit and cries in the Rover and tries to jump out of it while it’s in motion. Never fear, I will try again.
Devin hates her with a passion and therefore cannot be left alone with her for a minute or he’ll take her out. She is not afraid of his warnings to stay away by his growling, snarling, or fangs, and she still insists on running up to him full speed and pouncing on his tail. Could she have a death wish? We’ve had a few close calls but no injuries thank goodness, we were quick. He has begun to accept her presence, but does not want her to touch him. I have written to Cesar Milan for this one!
I do love to play dress up with her. So far, I only have one tee shirt to fit her. She needed a medium and Petco only had one left in that size, but it was perfect. A pink tee shirt that says “Princess†on the back with diamond studs on a crown. I am having a blast showing her off to everyone on the mountain. True to form, she bites everyone she meets! Atta girl!
Slowly but surely I think I’m still in the game. Since the weather has cleared up, we are spending more and more time outside so she can get plenty of exercise that will make her tired, eventually and maybe. I have her blocked off from going down the hall to the bedrooms so she can only go in the kitchen, living room and mud room where I can see her easily. We are working desperately on establishing on a potty pattern. The minute she drinks, she’s out, and 45 minutes after she eats, she’s out! I walk her until she performs her duty outside no matter how long it takes. However, we are still having multiple accidents daily, but with any luck, she will get it before I’m in Depends. Her feed times have been adjusted so that she is not fed any more of anything after 6:00 PM. Her water bowl is removed by 8:00 PM. Everyone joins in during the evening, taking turns throwing the bally and playing with her in hopes of wearing her out. This will help her sleep through the night. We’re all trying!
I now think we are having a breakthrough! To date, I have had 3 full nights of sleep. She has actually ran to the back door twice today and sat there, which told me she needed to go outside! I rushed to get the leash and hurried her to the Promised Land and Halleluiah; the eagle landed! We christened the Promised Land with Mount Vesuvius twice in one day! Things are slowly falling into place. Except of course we are still peeing on the floor, but it has been reduced to 50%. No, don’t think she has an infection. She plays hard and drinks a lot and just gets way too sidetracked.
I must admit that this is indeed a labor of love. No matter what it takes, I know she is going to end up being the companion I miss so much. Yes, I know we have much to accomplish and get ironed out, but it will, in time. Besides, I haven’t had this much exercise in years. I didn’t know how fast I could really move when I had to!
Puppyzilla is up and bouncing around at 5:30 and that’s when the Hus is up and walks her immediately. We have been very successful that way because she has to go as soon as she awakens. When she comes back in, she rushes to my room, bites my toes and pounces on me as if to say “Wake up mommy, it’s me!†And that feels good. She follows me from room to room on my heels and that feels good. She has spent the last 3 evenings under my feet at my desk and that feels really, really, good; even when her razor sharp teeth sink into my toes. OUCH! She finally earned herself a name: Say hello to “Shark.†Well, that’s her name of the day anyhow, so do keep those name suggestions coming!
I have to go now and start mopping again. Have a great day!
And so it was that I had a lot to consider if I really had what it takes to raise another puppy. It’s been a really long time since I went through all that. If I did it again, I’d be on my own without the help of two little kids to run interference for me. I’ll be so tied down. Do I still have the patience? Do I need another animal around here? Can I afford the expense? Do I really like my new furniture that much? How hard can this really be? I sure do miss having a dog under my desk on my feet. I sure do miss having a dog to ride around in the truck with me. I sure do miss it all, so I imagine, if one really wants to reap the rewards of a loyal constant companion, then somehow you can convince yourself that it won’t be as bad as you think.
Welcome to the wonderful world of PUPPYHOOD!
It’s only been a few days that she has joined the family, or that anyone has had any sleep in this house. She has been Jordan, Sierra, Abbie, Foxy, Aspen, Harley, Amy, and Halley. She still does not have a permanent name.
I like crate training a lot. It’s been a while, so I did some crate training research and puppy training research to brush up on my very rusty training skills. Crate training has saved the old homestead and its humble furnishings on many occasions, so I’m crate training once more. It’s just not going too well. She is supposed to spend a few minutes at a time in the crate, during the day and then all night long and consider it her den. She hates her crate. She hates her crate so much that she has decided to eat it. That’s right, she bites the metal bars like Jaws in pursuit of Richard Dreyfus (Matt Hooper) in the shark cage. She has all the comforts in that crate that she could possibly want, and within 5 seconds, she is loosing her mind and screaming and screeching for help…….non-stop. Then she tries to topple it over banging and clanging. Bamn! Crash! Scream! She makes more noise in that crate than a million drunks gathered at Time Square on New Years Eve.
This little pup has had more accidents in my house than you can even imagine. Probably ten times a day; no twenty; make that thirty. I’m not quick enough! Boy am I glad we replaced the living room carpet with hardwood. I never knew that besides this pup, my new best friend would be the mop. I had three rolls of paper towels and gone through two of them in 24 hours flat. So much for Viva, I have to get serious now and buy Brawny by the case. We walk and walk and walk forever outside. She’s not interested in doing anything out there except chasing a leaf, a fly, playing with a blade of grass, you name it. No matter what I do, she comes in from her very frequent walks and deposits right on the floor as soon as she comes inside. Other times I am throwing the ball for her in the kitchen, we’re playing having so much fun, and she stops dead and takes a pee right in front of me with no warning whatsoever. I try to grab her and put her outside but it’s always too late. She’s finished before I can get her out the door. Tuesday, she was in my lap and I put her down on the floor so I could get up and answer the phone, and kaboom…..we made wee wee again in a split second. Heck with the phone, I picked her up mid-stream and was running her out the door while her dribble was backdrafting all over me! Ugh! She doesn’t get this part at all. I have a designated area in the yard for her to due her duty. I call it the Promised Land.
It only took a little while to figure out that she wants to get out of the crate because she does not want to potty and soil her crate. Ok, that part she’s got down pat. I think. Now, she has to go potty at 2:30 AM! Ok this is great. I open the crate, rush to get the leash, grab my jacket, slip on my shoes, and by that time, she has already peed on the floor before I could even get her out the door. Not to worry, I’ll try again.
Now this must be a sight to behold in the middle of the night: Woman with bed hair, worn out tattered nightgown with baseball jacket and rubber shoes in the yard in the middle of the night, freezing, getting soaking wet in the pouring down rain, which has to turned to snow of course, begging this little doggy to urinate. Here’s me with a puppy who insists that she wants to play and jump up and down and grab the leash instead of doing her business so I can go to sleep. Will this puppy ever sleep? She never sleeps! Why doesn’t this puppy sleep! I’ll try again.
1:00 AM the next night she is screaming so we walk and don’t make potty. 2:00AM she is screaming so we walk and don’t make potty. 3:00AM she screaming so we walk and don’t make potty. No sooner than we come back inside, yeah, you guessed it. I have Lake Erie all over my living room floor. Soaking wet, frozen to the bone, sleep deprived, bed hair frazzled woman with a mop, trying to remove the evidence that one of the Great Lakes has arrived in Tennessee and can be viewed gushing in my living room. Since the living room floor to this old mountain home is on a slight slant, this body of fluid found its way to run down and spill out like the Amazon into the kitchen floor. And here’s me, chasing the elusive run-away lake with the mop, while puppy is skidding and sliding through it all trying to attack the mop, all at 3:45 in the morning. And oh, and she’s not done playing. No worries, I’ll try again.
Back in the crate and she’s not having any part of it. Out of complete desperation I swoop down and scoop up my bundle of joy and set her on my bed in hopes that she will like that and decide to cuddle up and sleep. No such luck. She found my toes! OUCH! Those sharp little jagged puppy teeth HURT! So I’m kicking my legs back and forth so she’ll leave my toes alone, and she decides to steal my covers. Now I’m wrestling her for my covers because it’s cold and she thinks this is yet another big game. By 4:00 AM I am now dying a slow death. I pass out. Only to be awakened at 5:30 AM by the Hus who points out what historical landmark is now residing on the floor at the foot of my bed. And there it is……. Mount Vesuvius, in poopy form. Yup, right on my berber carpet. The stinkiest pile of poop you could ever imagine has been strategically built by this puppy and is on display in my bedroom. Not to worry, I’ll try again.
Well it’s been an exciting few days around here. So far we’ve had three baths in baby shampoo because she rolls in everything nasty and gross outside that she can find, and she hates the bath. We practice riding in the truck every day, going up and down the road for a few minutes while she cries her heart out the whole time. She hates that too. She comes to the barn to feed the horses and gets to ride in the Rover and help with barn chores and she very much hates that. She is nestled on the front seat with me in my armpit and cries in the Rover and tries to jump out of it while it’s in motion. Never fear, I will try again.
Devin hates her with a passion and therefore cannot be left alone with her for a minute or he’ll take her out. She is not afraid of his warnings to stay away by his growling, snarling, or fangs, and she still insists on running up to him full speed and pouncing on his tail. Could she have a death wish? We’ve had a few close calls but no injuries thank goodness, we were quick. He has begun to accept her presence, but does not want her to touch him. I have written to Cesar Milan for this one!
I do love to play dress up with her. So far, I only have one tee shirt to fit her. She needed a medium and Petco only had one left in that size, but it was perfect. A pink tee shirt that says “Princess†on the back with diamond studs on a crown. I am having a blast showing her off to everyone on the mountain. True to form, she bites everyone she meets! Atta girl!
Slowly but surely I think I’m still in the game. Since the weather has cleared up, we are spending more and more time outside so she can get plenty of exercise that will make her tired, eventually and maybe. I have her blocked off from going down the hall to the bedrooms so she can only go in the kitchen, living room and mud room where I can see her easily. We are working desperately on establishing on a potty pattern. The minute she drinks, she’s out, and 45 minutes after she eats, she’s out! I walk her until she performs her duty outside no matter how long it takes. However, we are still having multiple accidents daily, but with any luck, she will get it before I’m in Depends. Her feed times have been adjusted so that she is not fed any more of anything after 6:00 PM. Her water bowl is removed by 8:00 PM. Everyone joins in during the evening, taking turns throwing the bally and playing with her in hopes of wearing her out. This will help her sleep through the night. We’re all trying!
I now think we are having a breakthrough! To date, I have had 3 full nights of sleep. She has actually ran to the back door twice today and sat there, which told me she needed to go outside! I rushed to get the leash and hurried her to the Promised Land and Halleluiah; the eagle landed! We christened the Promised Land with Mount Vesuvius twice in one day! Things are slowly falling into place. Except of course we are still peeing on the floor, but it has been reduced to 50%. No, don’t think she has an infection. She plays hard and drinks a lot and just gets way too sidetracked.
I must admit that this is indeed a labor of love. No matter what it takes, I know she is going to end up being the companion I miss so much. Yes, I know we have much to accomplish and get ironed out, but it will, in time. Besides, I haven’t had this much exercise in years. I didn’t know how fast I could really move when I had to!
Puppyzilla is up and bouncing around at 5:30 and that’s when the Hus is up and walks her immediately. We have been very successful that way because she has to go as soon as she awakens. When she comes back in, she rushes to my room, bites my toes and pounces on me as if to say “Wake up mommy, it’s me!†And that feels good. She follows me from room to room on my heels and that feels good. She has spent the last 3 evenings under my feet at my desk and that feels really, really, good; even when her razor sharp teeth sink into my toes. OUCH! She finally earned herself a name: Say hello to “Shark.†Well, that’s her name of the day anyhow, so do keep those name suggestions coming!
I have to go now and start mopping again. Have a great day!
Can't wait to hear her final name!
