Saturday, February 25, 2012

Dog Diary

It's official. We have a dog now.  It's been one week since this little puppy bounced into our life. And it just goes to show that kids can talk you into anything.
 This was Kate's Christmas gift that took awhile to get here...She is a miniature pinscher or "minscher pinscher' as Bud calls her. Kate named her Jade.
 Having a puppy is like having a newborn without the benefits. She's a bundle of trouble. She pees a lot (mostly in the right spots.) She spends half her time sleeping and the other half playing, which now that she has gained some confidence in her new surroundings, means chasing our feet and chewing our toes. She is not quite smart enough to know that one mis-step from us and she'd be squashed.
 My old nursing pillow has come back to life as the dog's perfect curl up bed. The fold-n-go has been the perfect pen and our old baby blankets are getting used again.
The first night we had her she up was every hour on the hour. Brandon and I took turns responding to her whining, getting her out, letting her play and then putting her back to bed.  That's when we realized what the manual meant about not spoiling your dog.  Oops.We've since engaged in "sleep training" which is like baby training only quicker because dog's have shorter memories, and as a result we like her better now.

It has been great to watch the kids take some responsibility. Everyone has to take a turn with dog duty. They all know how to get her to pee and poop in the right spot, and if she doesn't they know how to clean it up. They know to give her toys when she starts chewing fingers. They can give her food and water and make sure to police her out of unwanted areas with a firm "no."

We've been getting her used to wearing sweaters and going on walks. Tons-o-fun. Even Adrie is getting used to her--although she prefers the dog's company best when it's asleep.
Now if I could just figure out what to do with her when we go out of town....

6 comments:

cold cocoa said...

your neighbors won't want a turn?

Cute pup. Sounds like you're doing great with your new member of the family.

Dallin said...

Neat.

Sherie Christensen said...

I was just wondering the other day if you ever got the dog. Jade is very cute. Still, I happen to know that Derek won't give in on dog babysitting. Sorry!

Megz said...

Thanks for all the reminders of why I don't want a dog. Though Jade is very cute and lovable, of course. But if I wanted a newborn I'd just birth one.
My kids really want a dog and I've been able to hold the whole 'you have to be responsible to have a pet' thing over them. But today Ethan remembered to return his school library book back on his own and I praised him only to have him respond 'now that I'm responsible, can we get a dog?' The irony is that he's deathly scared of dogs...

stephanie said...

looks like you are fitting in the world of dog people quite nicely. Very cute!

Megan Goates said...

I love rearing your astute observations and hearing about your super adorable family. I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom's health. I will keep her (and you) in my prayers. Thanks for being the kind of friend who makes me chuckle, and also makes me want to do a little better.