figuring it out...

First came the change, now comes the figuring it all out. The impact of having a new puppy is of course huge. I could (and did) plan for some of it, but much has to be thought out anew with each day. For example, I would not have anticipated that Millie would roll in with an upset tummy that only got worse as the day and night progressed. It's hard to house break a puppy who has a constant urge to do something. I've been using a lot of enzyme puppy accident treatment! Luckily she has kept it off the carpeting upstairs, but still, the surprises keep coming.

This problem made for an interrupted night. She just had to go at 3 a.m. Knowing that she was in dire straits, I threw on a jacket and grabbed her from her sleeping crate. As I stood outside in the drizzle with bare legs (who wears long stuff to sleep these days!) I had to smile at the ridiculousness of it all. 

In the morning, she woke before me, but this time, I managed to pull on my sweatpants in addition to my jacket. The workmen had started their construction work across the street. It wouldn't do to repeat the nocturnal disrobement.

It's a cold morning, and Millie was not going to be cajoled into a longer walk. Just a visit to the grassy spot by Sally's House, thank you.

(where are those eyes??)

When I knew I was getting a pup on April 4th, I resisted the urge to buy doggie sweaters. First, I thought, it'll be April, so a good bit warmer, and, too, she has all that fur! I realize now that this was a mistake. We're in for some pretty cold mornings. And her fur seems to not offer enough protection. She doesn't expand enough energy to stay warm. When the wind picks up, she is shivering from the cold. Back to Amazon we go. Something cheap, something that will come in the middle of the night so that we can at least be ready for tomorrow's walks.

Since Millie was not gaining control over her digestive issues, I switched her food to a prescription diet left over from the days of Henry's stomach problems and called the vet requesting more of it. Millie seemed delighted with the wet food option. Maybe a win for now?

And in general, she is starting to relax more, play more, find joy in the small world around her. 

(is that a smile I see?)

And it is a small world: she can do a handful of steps, but as yet, she hasn't attempted the stairs to the second floor. Nor is she eager to visit the front room where the kids often play and where the big two dogs hung out to bark at anyone doing anything outside. Millie limits herself to the kitchen and the living room, a.k.a. places I hang out in.

Breakfast? She rests at my feet. Routine established.

 

The biggest challenge comes with errands I have to run and kids that need after school care. I'm hesitant about shuttling her to seven different places (yes seven!), with a 40 minute "layover" at my daughter's house (especially with Millie's tummy issues). But this is Monday for you. Until she is well and potty trained, I cannot leave her with anyone and certainly not the doggie daycare, which would totally overwhelm her. So it's travel with me or stay in a crate. That second option may work down the road, but I do not want her to grow to hate the crate and I do not want her to have accidents in the crate, so here I am being the chauffeur to my passenger extraordinaire. 

The kids, of course, are happy to see her. 

 

 

 

And it's good for her to be with them too. That goes for my errands as well: visits to the vet pharmacy, to the UPS store, to the pet store -- all new for her. I carry her in --- my light little butterfly -- and I feel her relax. She's learning to trust other people, to face new adventures with greater confidence.

 

  

 

(Sparrow is determined to teach her to "stand-up," with some modest successes!)

 

 

 (Snowdrop prefers to just snuggle...)

 

 

It was in the end a great day. Millie's number of accidents is going down. Her tummy is mending. She saw a bit of the world today. And the kids were happy campers. 

Because we're all never satisfied, let me put in a plug for warmer weather. Millie is not a fan of gusts of wind messing with her walks. And her hair!

with so much love...