What was I thinking? Why did I think I wanted another puppy as we go into winter? Ron has taken it all in stride and never even said "I told you so" as we took Sparkle outdoors 150 times yesterday. But we're surviving, and Sparkle has been pretty good so far. The adults have all been great with her, even long-suffering Coral.
Ann arrived with Sparkle & Baci (Baci just along for the ride) on Saturday in a snow storm (I am so not ready for winter!). The pups were a bit overwhelmed by everything as this was their first long trip. Fortunately Ann has been working on housetraining, which is NOT easy with 5 pups, and the two girls were pretty cooperative. They all went along when I took Argus out to the training center (not an easy trip as the roads were crummy) and got some extra socializing.
We opted to walk down to Luci for dinner rather than braving the roads again, and saw a multi-car accident right in front of the restaurant. We had a particularly good meal though - maybe Ann brings the same kind of luck that Laurie does as we always get great food and awesome service when she is here! The pups slept with Ann in the guestroom, so we all got a good night's sleep.
Ann & Baci left for home on Sunday morning. Fortunately, they drove out of the snow & ice pretty quickly and made it all the way home. The first day/night with a new pup is always the toughest, and we all survived. Ron was good natured about the addition and took over puppy duties when Argus & I ventured out for a run (for him) and new shoes (for me). Because the puppy has excellent control, it's hard to know when she really needs to go out, so she gets taken out a lot and occasionally pees. It's almost easier to housetrain a baby pup who pees each time you take it out! But we got through the day with no peeing in the house - and a lot of fresh air! Bet the heating bill for Saturday and Sunday will be as much as for the whole rest of the month!
Because Sparkle is used to being crated with another dog, we had some crate issues and several "discussions", but got past that too and she slept through the night, by herself in a crate in the kitchen with Josie and Coral. We're on our way! Ron is in charge today and I hope he keeps a close eye on Sparkle as she is just as likely to chew a rug as a dog toy. We're spoiled by Letty who is not destructive and keeps herself amused with dog toys. This one will need some supervision for awhile. Each puppy is a new adventure!
Sparkle will likely be available in the future to the right home on a co-ownership. I'd like to show her, but she does not have to live with me, so if you might be interested in co-owning a showdog, let's talk.
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