Brunner Add...Off's???

Well it didn’t work out. That there is the cutest dog I’ve ever seen in my life I think but he made me nuts. He was healthy and sweet but he misses his mama something awful. At least all night anyway. People I hate to be callous but I raised 2 babies through the screaming period and I have no desire to do it again. I felt sorry for him but just resented him something terrible. The first problem was he was taken from his mama about 2 weeks too early. Weaning too soon is bad for puppies. I have never raised a puppy so I’m thinking ‘oh Karen, just love him through it’. My pitcher ‘o love emptied quickly after day 4. 

Here’s a summary of how the week went with the new puppy Opie.

Day 1: Isn’t he just the cutest thing? I will need everyone’s help making this a smooth transition from his mama to our house. Might be in for a rough night but only 1 or 2

Day 2: He’s cute but he don’t like to sleep at all!!! Maybe take the advice of my many dog loving friends and put a t-shirt of Jackson’s in the crate with him; bring him comfort.

Day 3: Someone else is going to have to take puppy out tonight. I was a zombie at work today and need more rest than I am getting. Now this is a partnership; all of us are Opie’s humans.

Day 4: Determination kicked in. I was going to raise this puppy to be a good, well rounded, pooping and peeing OUTSIDE member of this family if it kills me. Sleep deprivation is not an excuse.

Day 5: Someone better help me either sleep or train that dog!

Day 6 and 7 were hideous and only get worse from here. I got ZERO help with the dog, called in sick on day b/c I was literally sick from no sleep. I am not an old lady but I am no spring chicken either it seems. I need my rest too. Of all the animals to be dumped in my lap to care for and raise this was the worst example of being dog-slapped I’d ever experienced.

I learned this:

1. Don’t take the dog to the vet unless you are sure you are keeping it. $105 later I have one major regret.
2. Warn the kids of the helping thing and force it. If they do not help it just won’t work; plain and simple
3. Dogs are worse than toddlers without diapers. They just GO without warning.
4. Hubby’s who’d not proven to know what to do with dogs should not be allowed to bring them home because they are cute.
5. Get a dog who’s 3 and trained.

Opie is now back in the care of his mother at the house that hosted the fish fry. I am not sure if they were upset with us or not but they did say ‘if it doesn’t work out, bring him on back’ and that’s what we did. The kids are upset and I miss his presence too but we can’t raise a dog like this. Not successfully. Opie is a living creature that has needs that we are responsible for filling. If we can’t do that, we need not have a pooch then. 

Oh and another lesson learned. If you get a puppy, middle name him/her Mayhem. You will use that name before you reach the 2 week mark!!

  

 I love him to pieces, but from the view in someone else’s window.