"Puppy X" has been with us for a week and 1/2 now. For the most part it, has been rewarding seeing her trust a little more and to see her as a “normal puppy” playing mainly with Rio and even laying down quietly to chew a bone. I wish I had one of those cameras that you put on a helmet to record her progress every step of the way.
Her successes though have not come easy for her or for me! At times I have been so freakin’ frustrated with her barking at the top of her lungs and the banging of her smallish body on the door wanting out of “solitary-puppy-confinement”. I’ll tell you the sound of her crying full throttled had me reaching for earplugs and attesting to the fact that situations like this could very well be implemented as torture.
Not only was I frustrated because there was no way I could keep her contained without her throwing a massive fit, I was also feeling really bad for her. I was thinking of how scary, frustrating, etc. it must be for a young animal that does not have the coping skills or impulse control skills to be kept in isolation so that they do not get into trouble, destroy our precious property, or have accidents inside. How can you explain all these things to the pup? My frustration pushed me to think outside of the box and to try another approach. So I became very observant of what she did when she was just hanging out with Deuce and Rioja and I noticed that she would either:
a. Engage in play - LOTS of play.
b. Lay around chewing one of the many items left around for this purpose.
c. Took every opportunity to go outside AND eliminate - even at the young age of 3/1/2 months!
So the adventure began. I stopped putting her behind the 6ft baby gate that she can climb with no problem (so much for that confinement) and allowed her to hang out with both my dogs even when I was not fully supervising. Now she is happy, stress free and enjoyable.
One for "Puppy X"! She spent the night sleeping next to Rio (BFF) in my bedroom or gravitating towards Rio’s crate in my office and kept Deuce company.
Since that night I have been able to leave her outside the puppy-confinement with my dogs watching over her. I cracked open the back door (still working on the doggie door) so that she can go outside and eliminate.
There you have it. I did what I would never advise anyone to do with a young pup! Yes, I did take some precautions such as unplugging cords of lights she could reach, offering lighting and keeping doors closed to rooms not being used.
"Puppy X" in her frustration has taught me that we must see our pets as individuals and that we must keep our eye on the bigger picture. For this puppy the bigger picture is to decompress enough so that she can begin to enjoy the company of people – now that she has discovered how much fun dogs are!
Every day, with more of a set routine we jointly work on her approaching us and not having to move away when we walk in her direction. Handling her and even walking on a leash - all foreign endeavors for “Puppy X”.
Yesterday afternoon we hit another landmark with "Puppy X" engaging with me (she actually ran towards me!!!!) wanting for me to pull on the tug-toy that I had in my hand.
While her progress is still uncertain, I do feel much better about having taken some non-popular steps to help her feel comfortable and safe. So far, my home has remained spotless with the only damage done to a pair of flip-flops that I removed when I was watching TV. Now, can someone please explain to me why puppies and dogs in general LOVE to chew on flip-flops?????
Her successes though have not come easy for her or for me! At times I have been so freakin’ frustrated with her barking at the top of her lungs and the banging of her smallish body on the door wanting out of “solitary-puppy-confinement”. I’ll tell you the sound of her crying full throttled had me reaching for earplugs and attesting to the fact that situations like this could very well be implemented as torture.
Not only was I frustrated because there was no way I could keep her contained without her throwing a massive fit, I was also feeling really bad for her. I was thinking of how scary, frustrating, etc. it must be for a young animal that does not have the coping skills or impulse control skills to be kept in isolation so that they do not get into trouble, destroy our precious property, or have accidents inside. How can you explain all these things to the pup? My frustration pushed me to think outside of the box and to try another approach. So I became very observant of what she did when she was just hanging out with Deuce and Rioja and I noticed that she would either:
a. Engage in play - LOTS of play.
b. Lay around chewing one of the many items left around for this purpose.
c. Took every opportunity to go outside AND eliminate - even at the young age of 3/1/2 months!
So the adventure began. I stopped putting her behind the 6ft baby gate that she can climb with no problem (so much for that confinement) and allowed her to hang out with both my dogs even when I was not fully supervising. Now she is happy, stress free and enjoyable.
One for "Puppy X"! She spent the night sleeping next to Rio (BFF) in my bedroom or gravitating towards Rio’s crate in my office and kept Deuce company.
Since that night I have been able to leave her outside the puppy-confinement with my dogs watching over her. I cracked open the back door (still working on the doggie door) so that she can go outside and eliminate.
There you have it. I did what I would never advise anyone to do with a young pup! Yes, I did take some precautions such as unplugging cords of lights she could reach, offering lighting and keeping doors closed to rooms not being used.
"Puppy X" in her frustration has taught me that we must see our pets as individuals and that we must keep our eye on the bigger picture. For this puppy the bigger picture is to decompress enough so that she can begin to enjoy the company of people – now that she has discovered how much fun dogs are!
Every day, with more of a set routine we jointly work on her approaching us and not having to move away when we walk in her direction. Handling her and even walking on a leash - all foreign endeavors for “Puppy X”.
Yesterday afternoon we hit another landmark with "Puppy X" engaging with me (she actually ran towards me!!!!) wanting for me to pull on the tug-toy that I had in my hand.
While her progress is still uncertain, I do feel much better about having taken some non-popular steps to help her feel comfortable and safe. So far, my home has remained spotless with the only damage done to a pair of flip-flops that I removed when I was watching TV. Now, can someone please explain to me why puppies and dogs in general LOVE to chew on flip-flops?????
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