Musings From A New Puppy Owner

Day 1
Good morning, Jeannie,
Cosmo was a real champ last night. Only a little whining while he was in his wire crate watching me eat dinner.  Then, we fell asleep on the sofa watching TV — he was sleeping next to my head — and then I put him in his “traveling” crate near my bed at 1:30 am, and he fell back to sleep with no whining.  He woke up with a light whine at 6:30.  So, an excellent first night.  And he was ready for his breakfast.

Today will be lead training several times, as you suggested.

Dan

Day 2
Hi, Jeannie.
Night 2 was even easier than Night 1, though he woke up at 5:30 with a whimper.  So, I hauled him up into bed on a towel next to me (toward the center of the bed), and we slept for 2-1/2 more hours, thank goodness! He’s almost learned three slightly higher

steps in my garage, and he took his first pee and movement outside this morning.  And is using the pee pads (mostly) in the office.  Interestingly, he wasn’t motivated by
other dog markings at the park last evening, when it was just the two of us, but he was starting to sniff, so I expect progress on that soon.

His learning curve is steep.  I can only imagine the changes over the next 2-3 weeks.

Man and dog are happy today.

Thanks,Dan

Day 3
Good morning, Jeannie & Lorraine — Night 3 was a carbon copy of Night 2.  Cosmo woke up at 6:00, whimpering, I put him in bed with me, again, and we slept until 8:00 (otherwise, I’d be dead by now.  Lol).

You’ll love this.  Cosmo had been very tentative on the lead as we practiced yesterday during the day. Then, at 6:30 pm, we went across the street to the park, and, coincidentally, met two dogs back-to-back — one smaller than Cosmo and the other ten times as big.  Cosmo immediately began playing with each dog while on his lead,
and they seemed to know how to play with a puppy.  And Cosmo went unhesitatingly to each dog’s owners for a pet…and was rewarded with a treat from my pocket, handed
to him by the owners.  After playing for ten minutes or so, he forgot all about the lead and walked next to me on the track in the park.  So, I’m hopeful that when we try
again today, he’ll pick up where he left off.

And how about this?  He didn’t pee in his crate on either Night 2 or 3, and continued to hold it while sleeping next to me.  So, he held it for over 8-9 hours each night.  He hasn’t
gotten the connection to going outside yet, but he’s peeing consistently on the pee pads in the office and pooping near by.  So, he’s seems to be making progress on that front, too.  (We go outside many times each day, and I point him to his previous success outside, but no connection yet.)

I hope you both can stop by for a visit on either 9/27 or 9/28 when you’re at the Burbank K.C.  Just let me know when to expect you as the date approaches.

He’s a happy boy…and I am, too.

Dan

Day 4
Good morning, Jeannie & Lorraine,
Night 4 was identical to Nights 2 & 3, so I don’t think I’ll have any more to report on Cosmo’s sleeping through the night.  And he has adjusted completely to being in his wire crate while I eat — he just naps. And, as I hoped (expected), Cosmo picked right

up where he left off on the lead.  We went to the park at 6:30 again last evening, and he took to the lead right out the front door.  Then, I carried him across the street, and in the park, he met and played a little with 6-8 dogs and many people while on his lead.  Then, we walked around the entire perimeter of the park on the jogging path.  He’s lead trained, period.

Then, when we came back to the house, and for the first time, he ran like a Greyhound in the backyard.  It was such fun to watch him realize what he could do, and do it without my coaching or following me around.

We’re still working on the notion of going “outside” — this morning he pooped outside after he got up, then peed a few minutes later on the kitchen floor.  But I know this will take time.  (Any suggestions?)

In the next day or two, I’ll see whether he can understand the dog door — but it may be a week or two too soon for something as “complicated” as that.

Cosmo is the consummate IG — smart, sweet, affectionate, friendly to dogs & people, relatively low-key for a puppy, agile and learning to run fast.  Now let’s get this “outside” thing down — lol.

Dan

Day 5
Hi, Jeannie & Lorraine,
Another good day.  Sleeping, fine.  Eating, fine.  Walking on lead at the park, fine.  Meeting new dogs & people, fine.  And he’s peeing & pooping consistently (so it seems) on three pee pads now taped to the floor in the office, kitchen & outside off the back-door stoop.  I let him “tell” me where he preferred to go.  So, it seems to be a manageable process.  And we’ll keep working on the word & notion of “outside.”

I think he’s beginning to recognize his name…or at least the sound of my voice.  And he learns other small things each day.

We stick together right now, so I don’t plan to try leaving him at home while I go to the grocery store for quite a while longer.  I’m sure “separation anxiety” is one of those major hurdles to overcome, but will become easier as he matures.  In the meantime, I’ve put him in a small carrier, and Gelson’s didn’t seem to mind.  Hope that continues to be the case.  (However, Staples only allows service dogs in its stores, as I found out yesterday.)

Yours,
Dan & Cosmo

P.S.  If you ever think I could be doing something better or different based on your experience, please let me know.  Though I’ve read the AKC book on IGs, I’m basically making this up as I go. 🙂

Day 6
No report

Day 7
Hi, J & L,
In a few minutes (at 4:30), Cosmo will’ve been home with me for one week.  While I may have been a little anxious when I went to pick him up at Jeannie’s, after our first evening and night together, I knew I had nothing to worry about.

He’s going to get a quick bath this afternoon to be all fresh for our guests this evening — there will be six of us and two adult Chihuahuas (crate-trained) for a BBQ outside.  We certainly won’t need a sweater this evening.

My pace of updates will likely slow a bit now that Cosmo’s essentially adjusted to his new home and me.  He’s consistently using the pee pad outside and the one in the

kitchen, which is slowly inching its way toward the back door.  And he uses the “open” dog door all the time.  This morning, he poop’d outside and pee’d inside, the reverse of recent mornings, but he’s getting the hang of something!  (And to have it reasonably
contained already is marvelous.)

I just tried to weigh him on my digital scale — but he’s just too light.  However, he looks a little bigger to me, and his legs and snout seem to be extending in IG fashion.  So handsome. Hope you both have a pleasant weekend!

Editors Note:
We went to have lunch with Dan and Cosmo this past weekend and both couldn’t have been happier!  Cosmo has adjusted to his new home extremely well and we can see the love that Dan has for Cosmo, and vice versa!  This is a great match!

Unfortunately we had such a great time that we forgot to take photos.  However we will do so when we go back for a BBQ.