Two more sleeps til we pick up Tess Cupcake. Two more sleeps til life as I know it is gone forever. I’ve never been a dog owner. Never had the desire at all. Not really a “dog” person. I mean, I like dogs, but only if they’re small and well behaved and belong to someone else. Dogs get in your personal space like nothing else can. Except small children. And I’ve certainly had enough of that lately.
But we are taking the plunge, we have purchased the puppy. Saw her the day she was born and have been watching videos and looking at pictures and seeing her grow day by day. Baby Girl is ridiculously excited. She has wanted a puppy since the day she was born. She has volunteered to give up her paccy to the paccy fairy the first night that puppy is home. Daddy and I are certainly not going to let her forget that deal. I think we are more excited about that than anything else.
We have purchased a crate, a collar, a bed, two hopefully indestructible toys, a tag that says Tess Cupcake and some tooth cleaning paste. When that puppy licks my face at least her breath will be minty fresh. I’ve got horse shampoo I can use to bathe her with. I’ve got a special brush just for her long fur. I’ve been told I won’t need a flea comb as long as I keep her groomed.
And still. I’m worried. I am not ready for this. My best friend told me that this is possibly the worst timing for me to have a puppy. But she still went with us to see her at four weeks old. She’s adorable. At four weeks old she was the size I was expecting at eight weeks old. I have no sense of how big she will be. I am told up to 40 pounds and 20″ tall. 20″ is more than 18″ crossrails and less than 2′ verticals. That’s all I can figure. 40 pounds is less than a bag of grain. But certainly more wiggly and awkward to carry.
Many friends have told me about chewy.com. Holy moly dog food is expensive! I wasn’t prepared for that. How much will she eat? I read a book that I bought especially for this purpose and I have subsequently forgotten everything it said. She will chew on things, Baby Girl will have to keep her toys picked up. And I’ll have to actually put all my shoes in the closet. Egads! I wonder how much flea medicine and heart worm medicine and shots and grooming will cost. It’s like a new small pony. Except she’ll be in the house. Sleeping in Baby Girl’s bed (we hope). Getting fur and puppy drool everywhere. I am so not ready for this.
She’s not a cat. I’ll have to crate her when we aren’t home and be prepared to take her places. I’ll need a traveling crate so she can go to horseshows with me. My car is going to get dog fur and muddy paws all over it. Sooooo not ready.
I have to GET UP to take her potty outside. In the dark! Another friend told me about teaching the dog to ring a bell attached to the doorknob when she has to go out. A great idea for sure. I will probably never see either of my cats again. One of them for sure will stay under Sissy’s bed for at least a month. The other one will be so pissed at me he will probably start throwing up on every piece of carpet he can find. He will artfully dodge any surface that can be wiped up easily.
We are not getting a rescue because I would be even less prepared for that. The baggage! The instant ownership and overwhelming needs the dog would probably have. I needed to buy a puppy – I needed to. For the express purpose of getting eight weeks of watching her grow and waiting til she was big enough to bring home. Like a newborn, I need to bond with this puppy. I am already committed to her – as unprepared as I am – she is still ours. And it was good for Baby Girl to wait. To understand that not everything in life is instantaneous. You have to work for things, you have to prepare by reading about dogs and psych yourself up. Oh wait, that’s just me.
Well I am not ready for this, but Baby Girl is. She has been waiting a long time. And if we’re very lucky, Tess Cupcake will do exactly what we anticipate – she’ll be Baby Girl’s best friend, and sleep in her bed with her, thereby keeping Baby Girl out of my room and in her own bed. All night long. A gamble to be sure but one we are certainly committed to now.
And, as with all things that I am not ready for, I will just wing it. That’s what I have been doing since Baby Girl was born after all. How hard can one little puppy be?
a dog trainer really helps a lot. So much better control. I learned a lot!
If you really want the dog to be bonded to baby girl and sleep in her bed etc. make sure she is the one who feeds the puppy! That is how they bond and determine the alpha order of the house. I also recommend crate training for potty training while you sleep. Also have heard the bell thing works, might be worth checking out!
Julie. Take a deep breath and relax. It’s not as bad as you think. I love my Boo so much. He is the best companion I have ever had. You will be fine!❤️