Puppy Fever

Let me list the reasons why I have sucked at doing a weekly entry in this blog.

1. School is busy.

2. Report cards are imminent.

3. Sometimes I forget I even have a blog.

4. We got a puppy.

Chewie. Short for Chewbacca. He is fluffy, he is sweet, he loves to Chew (which is basically our fault as we named him Chewie) and he is all ours.

I am completely in love, and completely overwhelmed.

Everyone tells you having a puppy is a big deal. Everyone says it is like having a baby. Everyone says it is time consuming. Everyone says you have to be ready to dedicate a huge portion of your life to this little animal.

Everyone was right.

Getting a puppy is a big deal. For an undetermined amount of time you have to clean up poop and pee.

It has been 4 days since our last in house accident.

Getting a puppy can be stressful. For the first two weeks we didn't sleep through the night, and the crate training was not exactly what I would call successful.

Now he sleeps in the hallway in his crate with a sheet draped over top. We had our first full night sleep last night.

Getting a puppy can be a wonderful bonding experience for a couple. And an opportunity to learn. James and I have had many discussions about how this is good practice for when we decide to have kids.

Thank all that is holy we haven't got children also. Chewie is our fur baby and that is good. That is enough.

Cats do not like puppies. Especially when the dog barks and chases the cat. I want them to snuggle each other but that may just be a pipe dream.

Suggestions for people getting a puppy: 

Take them to puppy class. 

Tire them out with play time. 

Introduce them to kids who are good with dogs and let them run around. 

Introduce them to other dogs and let them run around.

Tire them out with car rides.

Cuddle them when they are tired.

Listen to the teacher in puppy class.

Take them out to poop a half an hour after they eat their food.

Take them out to pee, a lot.

Buy a good jacket if it is winter.

Buy easy to slip on shoes.

Read books, but don't believe everything you read.

Listen to advice, but don't believe everything everyone says.

Look on the internet, but don't freak out if you are reading too much.

Love.

Love.

Love.

Cry if you have to.

Ask people to play with your puppy so you can have a nap.

Leave the puppy in a safe place while at work with nothing to destroy.

Buy toys.

Live your life, and love the dog.

Be nice to your spouse.

Try to talk about something else to your friends and family.

And take lots of pictures.

Adopting a Puppy

"Let's just meet puppies" I said. "We will wait to take one home until we find the right one" I said. 

This is easier said than done. 

What James and I want: a medium sized puppy, good temperament, and we want to adopt it. Preferably from an organization called "Victoria Humane Society"(check their Facebook group). We have filled out an application and we went to visit some puppies today. 

We knew that these doggies were going to be a bit too big for our needs, so we decided to just go meet them and talk to the foster parents. 

Then they were adorable. They had wonderful, sweet personalities and I wanted to take them both home. 

When we left the foster parents, my heart hurt. I could hardly tear myself away from them. 

James and I talked at length. Then I texted some friends. Then I was sad. We decided they would be better with a family that wanted a big dog. 

What scares me is how hard it was to NOT adopt the first dog we see. This process may be more difficult to complete with a clear mind. My emotions are pretty strong when it comes to sweet little puppies. 

Anyways, here is a picture. As you can see, this puppy isn't really little...