Whew... what a whirlwind of a week. As a first-time dog owner, I knew having a puppy was going to be a ton of work. But it wasn't until after she arrived and spent the first few days with us that I realized HOW MUCH WORK it was actually going to be. And being the impatient person that I am, I had episodes where I almost just threw my hands up in the air and gave up out of frustration (this was even while I was taking time off from work to take care of her). But, I'm slowly learning that it'll just be a matter of time for housebreaking and I just need to trust the process. So, baby steps!
Progress/observations this week:
- She is crate-trained now
- Learned basic commands: "Sit", "Down" (lie down), currently working on "Stay" - she's a smart cookie!
- She can follow/run with me on leash
- She lets Mommy trim her nails without much fuss (thankfully)
- She'll do almost anything for a Zuke's treat
- She loves peanut butter
- She loves mangos
- She loves giving Daddy kisses
- She likes Daddy more than Mommy, because Mommy has to train her and shoves her into a bag to go to the vet
- Vet costs are expensive! Sheesh.
- She sleeps... a lot! Even snores and dreams (her arms and legs wiggle)
- When she looks in a mirror, sometimes she'll think there's another dog and will jump up and lick it
- She's a fussy eater - doesn't always eat out of her bowl so Mommy has to hand-feed her
- Sometimes she goes bonkers at night and runs and runs and runs around in circles (maybe because of pent up energy from being crated)
- Overall, she's a friendly dog with a sweet personality - rarely barks nor shows aggression
I suppose at 8 weeks old, this is good progress, so I'm glad. But main thing we're focusing on now is having her learn NOT to voluntarily pee on the carpet!!!
Hi! My boyfriend and I are getting a corgi puppy next week and I've been reading your blog and LOVING all the information and stories you have! We are soaking it all up in preparation and are SO excited! :) We were wondering what the plastic-looking cloth is that Mollie is laying on that has the blue designs on it. We've set up a crate and exercise pen for her but on a carpeted area that we'd like to keep protected. I've been searching cloth-backed tarps and rubber mats but not having any luck! Could you please provide some info? We'd really appreciate it! Thank you so much :)
ReplyDeleteHi there! I basically used an old bedsheet and placed a huge, plastic tablecloth cover on top of it. The plastic cover is from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Heavy-Table-Cover-Protector/dp/B00104EC86/
DeleteThe plastic cover works great and makes cleaning up potty accidents a lot easier ;) Hope that helps! Good luck with the new puppy!! :)