Hi Sunny!  

  Miss Pink is still doing well.  She's settling in and learning the new rules of the game.  She really enjoys playing in the yard, which is fenced with chain link, and we live in a nice residential neighborhood where people walk a lot so she's getting to observe all kinds of new things pass by on the sidewalk.  Old people with canes, babies in strollers, kids, etc.  She quickly adjusted to the noise levels - we have a cargo train track a mile away and a commuter train half a mile away, and we have neighbors much closer than yours, so it is definitely a different level of background noise!  She has learned her name and come, sit, down, and the command to eliminate.  She's really smart, and I will be the first to say, you were entirely correct when you said not to be fooled by her cute face!  She can be quite the little monster, but she is also very sweet and cuddly.  I hope her energy levels will be much more manageable when the weather warms up and I can play with her outside and really tire her out.  It has been unseasonably cold here (read 50 degrees!) all weekend, and it isn't much fun to be out and about.

 

   She's been sleeping nights in her shipping crate but she doesn't really like it.  She whines for a few minutes when we put her in and then quiets down eventually.  I think she'd prefer to be in bed with us, but barring that, she's got a nice LL Bean dog bed that she likes to sleep on.  As soon as I trust her at night I'll stop crating her and just let her sleep on the dog bed.  We have a wire crate in our living room and she seems to like that one well, as she'll go in and take a nap on her own accord.  She also likes to nap on laps or feet or any other available body part...  She enjoys playing with toys, but I think her favorite toy is hands and feet.  She's getting good at inhibiting her bite, so mostly she's just kind of mouthing, so it isn't too bad.  We have given her a few stuffed Kongs but I don't think her jaws are strong enough to chew the treats out, so she tries for 5-10 minutes and then gets bored when nothing comes out.  We'll keep trying that one until she gets it!

 

   I do have a couple of questions for you.  How long until I can reasonably expect her to sleep through the night?  So far I get her up every 2-3 hours, and she goes outside to pee like a good girl, and she slowly seems to be adjusting to pacific time.  Yesterday she was ready to go at 3:30 AM, today it was 4:30, so I'm hopeful that in another couple of weeks I'll be able to sleep from 10-6 like a normal person!  Also, do you have any good tricks for teaching a puppy not to jump on furniture?  She really wants to be on the couch with us but we're trying to discourage it given how big she'll be as an adult.  If you have any other advice about puppy raising or about anything we're doing wrong or should be doing differently, please let me know.  We're trying to do right by her but gosh is it a lot of work!
Thanks again,

Jen

 

Hi Jen,

Yes, it IS a lot of work -- just imagine those moms who have twins or triplets!!  I'll tell you what Ray does now -- he is sleeping in the laundry room which is between the kitchen and our 'family' room.  I have baby gates at either end so between the washer, the dryer and his crate he really only has a space of about 3 x 8 at night.  I'm usually off to bed really early since Jim gets up at 5 a.m. but right now I am up until about 9 p.m.  I make sure I've taken his food and water up at about 5 p.m. so when he relieves himself at 9 he will be pretty much empty for the night.  So far he has not relieved himself indoors at night since we are up so early.  As soon a Jim (or I) get up in the morning we zoom outdoors with Ray in hand or tow -- and wait until we see him at least pee before coming back indoors to make coffee/etc.  During the day we keep an eye on him like a hawk and take him outside every few hours just to make certain he doesn't need to go.  He had multiple accidents yesterday after drinking a LOT of goats milk (my granddaughter thought a puppy should drink about a quart and he agreed...)  but today he hasn't had any.  I recognize that our lifestyle is not what yours is ~ we have a fenced area outside the back door with the door cracked open today so that is helpful when I'm outside ~ 

As for jumping up on the furniture, yes, I'm sure she does want to be up there on the cushy cushions with you!  We have a zero tolerance policy here in regards to the dogs on the furniture ~ they are too often dirty from the barn or the river, etc.  Ray so far hasn't wanted to go up but his time will likely come and I will be very stern in telling him 'No.' and standing up and going away from the chair.  If he is a total pest I would put him in a crate.  Like some of the other pups in this litter, he has no great love for the crate yet but that will come in time.

Pretty much the puppy rule is that you don't allow the puppy to do anything you wouldn't want done as an adult ~ life in black and white at this stage :)

Give her a pet from all of us here and I hope this helps!  P.S.  I Always say "A Tired Puppy is a Happy Owner!"