Ahhh, puppyhood! Much like parenthood, Dottie's puppyhood has given me more joy than I could have imagined while simultaneously being more work than I bargained for.
Dottie has brought so much more joy to my life. That unconditional love is hard to beat. Her sweet enthusiasm and the sheer volume of kisses I receive each day really make me feel like I'm pretty special. The weight of her little body snuggled up on my chest while I watch tv on the couch is the best hit of serotonin out there.
Puppyhood is not without its challenges, however. When we got our first dog Jazzy, she was at least two years old. She was potty-trained and crate-trained, walked well on a leash and was content to sit on the back of the couch for hours on end. Dottie, on the other hand, needs so much more attention! I knew a puppy would be a lot of work, but it has surprised me a bit just how much work.
I was not prepared for how much I would say, "Get that out of your mouth!" Dottie usually has something in her mouth that's not supposed to be in there. I've pulled rocks, grass, some random person's used chewing gum on multiple occasions, mushrooms, socks, an entire branch of my hydrangea plant and gobs of other stuff out of her mouth. It's a wonder any dog survives puppyhood! I'm constantly worried she's going to choke or eat something that will make her sick. Her favorite thing to have in her mouth is someone's fingers. Her little teeth sure are sharp! I'm looking forward to teething being a thing of the past for sure.
And potty-training has been a bit of a struggle. She does pretty good when it's just me and her during the day while the kids and Adam are away. I can focus my attention on her and have her routine down. But add more people and take away some of my attention and it's a bit trickier. I know we'll all get this potty-training thing down eventually.
Other than chewing and potty-training, I'm truly enjoying having a puppy! And a large majority of people also love puppies. It is so much fun to take Dottie for walks around our neighborhood! People love to stop and visit with Dottie. I think because she's so tiny, that makes her extra cute. People have pulled their cars over to the side of the street and stopped mid bike ride to tell me how cute she is. There was also a tree-trimming crew and the guy way up in the tree with a chainsaw stopped cutting down a branch long enough to yell down to me that I had the smallest, cutest puppy he's seen. Despite being a more introverted person who doesn't love talking with people I don't know, I love sharing Dottie with other people! Perhaps people with opposing views could get along a little better if they were put in a room together with a puppy.
It's pretty amazing how quickly Dottie is growing and changing! When we first got Dottie, she weighed a whopping 2 lbs. 9 oz. She was tiny! She was so tiny that she could fit in between some of the fence slats in our backyard. Adam had to add some strips of cedar all along the bottom of our fence to keep her in. We have some large rocks strategically placed around some spots, too. Dottie also kept crawling under our living room sectional and would get way in the back corner so I couldn't reach her. There are cords from lamps and the router back behind the couch so I definitely didn't want her back there. I ended up just taking the legs off the sectional. Our couch sits a little lower now, but it makes it easier for Dottie to get up to her prime window viewing spot. The things we do for our dogs! Thankfully, she is getting bigger. I got a baby scale from someone on my Buy Nothing group so I can keep track of her growth. She's up to 5 lbs. and will hopefully keep getting a bit bigger. As cute as she is, I hope she grows a bit more so she won't get as tangled up in our feet and can withstand the kids' more rambunctious methods of play.
Watching Dottie experience new things is just precious. She's very curious about new experiences, but still a little cautious. I've read about how important it is expose puppies to all kinds of different environments and people and animals. So we've tried to expose her and include her in all sorts of different activities. I take her with me to pick up the kids from school so she'll be more comfortable in the car. She was a rockstar on her first road trip to visit my parents! We've taken her out on the porch when it storms. I vacuum with her close by and brought her outside while Adam was mowing the lawn. I let her explore things like ice cubes and toilet paper rolls and the hose while I'm watering my flowers. We let her greet people on our walks and she's gotten to know our neighbors. Dottie loves our neighbor who works in his yard everyday. She sticks her little nose through the fence slats and wags her tail until he comes over to pet her. It's so sweet. She'll be all caught up on her puppy vaccines in a few weeks and then she can be around other dogs. I can't wait to introduce her to all the neighborhood dogs we see on our walks!
Speaking of walks, she's getting much more comfortable being on a leash. It doesn't take us quite as long to get around the neighborhood as those first few walks took. We're working on stopping and sitting when we come to the street and waiting until I tell her "free" to cross. And despite her little legs, she's more than happy to walk most of the route! I do pick her up from time to time to give her a little rest. Sometimes she even wants to run a bit, which I'll give into every once in awhile. I'm sure our neighbors have some excellent doorbell camera footage of me running behind Dottie. And I can only imagine the conversations they hear! I tend to talk to Dottie throughout our walks. Actually, I tend to talk to Dottie throughout most of the day.
One of the things I've enjoyed most is working on her commands and tricks. She adores treats and picks up on things very quickly. So far she knows sit, down, come and shake. There was a big celebration when Dottie finally figured out how to shake. Dottie is a very smart girl and I can't wait to add more tricks to her repertoire.
I am really soaking up these puppy days! I'm looking forward to all that puppyhood has to offer. I can't wait until she can be around other dogs so she can make some doggy friends. I'm also going to try to plan a playdate with her siblings. Dottie's foster mom arranged for the owners of all three siblings to be in a group chat so we can keep up with each other, which is just the sweetest. Watching Dottie learn new things and gain more confidence is such an honor. I'm truly lucky to get to call her my puppy.
