Do you know what is involved in housebreaking a puppy? We didn’t. In fact, during the first 24 hours of our life with Jolie, we tried about five different strategies, fretting the whole time because the one thing that everyone agrees on is that consistency is crucial.
Right.
Anyway, we’ve been reading up almost nonstop on this since Sunday morning, and discovered that the sites we liked the best all tell us to take her out every 1-1.5 hours. And after she eats or drinks. And if she looks fidgety.
We have a puppy who fidgets nonstop, and prefers to eat or drink right after she comes in from a walk. When Nick first read me this advice, I thought that he was joking.
Compounding our problem is the sleep thing. She slept through the first night in the bathroom just fine, but last night she seemed to have a panic attack or something. She began all but howling, and when Nick finally went in to get her (I know, I know, but we have neighbors) he said that she just lay in his arms, whimpering inconsolably. We moved her bed to our room, and had to cover it in Nick’s laundry before she would settle in it (otherwise, she just kept going back to the laundry).
“So the stealing my clothes to sleep in is just a general girl thing?” he moped.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a crate yet, so this all meant that I was up with her at 4am. And at 6:15. And at 7. And 8, of course, although that was when Nick woke up, too, so I did eventually get a shower. Which was good, because Jolie and I had a date at 10.
Honestly: she’s wonderful. Nearly every time we go out, someone makes a fuss over her (although these people were notably absent at 4am). She likes to spend most of her outside time chasing our heels or hiding behind our feet (she’s a little shy), and her inside time sleeping on one of our laps. She does, however, still set aside a small part of her day to drag her giant rope toy around.
The scary thing, though, is that the slight kennel cough she had yesterday has gotten substantially worse. Since it’s Easter Monday, our pharmacy is closed, so I called the pet shop–they had assured me that they were open even on Christmas Day. The vet that they work with does not have a similar policy, though, and is apparently off playing golf. But the owner was happy to tell me what children’s cough syrup to buy, if we can.
“Does she seem more lethargic to you?” Nick asked anxiously, before leaving to hunt for an open pharmacy (and maybe a crate). She might. I can’t tell. And it might be a normal part of her infection, or maybe just that it’s only 1pm and we’ve already walked her about 25 times. It could be anything.
There’s a reason they tell you that a dog is a good way to know if you’re ready for a child. I’m not sure if we’re passing or not yet.