Hiatus

I've been missing from a lot of things since the end of March. Yes. We do have a new German Shepherd pup who is now four months old. Let me just say, puppies are hard work AND it's advisable to have a fenced in area to make your life easier when it comes to potty time. Live and learn but right now I'm very tired of linking up Pup to her leash to take outside to do her business up-teen times a day. 

We live out in the country and over the years we've had no need for a chain link fence. We have board and rail out by the road. We don't have much traffic because it's a dead end, except on the weekends when ATV riders invade. I should have planned better. Hubby is in the planning stages for a front porch and fenced in area for Pup. I hope my patience holds out.


All in all she's housebroken. She enjoys her den (large crate with comfy cover) at night. She has never cried or whined when put to bed or when put in her den because I have to leave. However, I can honestly say, puppies are much more work than babies. You have to plan for everything, every day. Something I haven't done for a very long time. I haven't even spent this much time with my horses which makes me sad and irritable at times. She's a smart pup, but she's still a pup and all that brings into it. This is the first time we've had a pup living in residence. The majority of our dogs over the years have been adult rescues. We have two older dogs who run the other way when they see Pup outside. They are both outside dogs. 


I was ill with some mysterious ailment the week she came home. Made dealing with a new 8 week old pup much, much harder. I had to ask Hubby to take a few days off from work.Took me over two months to feel right and my endocrinologist re-adjusting my thyroid medication. Having had thyroid cancer three years ago I've been kept at a suppression level which evidently had me finally hitting a proverbial wall when I stressed myself to exhaustion. I'm also a T1 diabetic, on an insulin pump, but D actually leveled out and wasn't much of a problem. Probably because I didn't feel like eating! I've lost twenty pounds. The scary part, I wasn't trying. 


Hubby is the playmate she looks forward to seeing each evening. He plays with her off leash. I'm the disciplinarian. I keep her on leash through the day and we walk around the property.At least I feel I have to establish all the rules and boundaries day in and day out. I can say that things have gotten better, but many days I look forward to her sleeping all afternoon. The weather has been pretty good for us this spring which makes me inwardly grumble that I haven't spent more time with my two horses. 


I tried to take Pup to puppy classes but she kept getting car sick during the twenty-five minute drive and after three classes I was tired of cleaning up messes. Plus it was during the time I still wasn't feeling so great myself. I tried various methods people told me about and I read on line to help Pup through car sickness. So far, nothing worked. I'm hoping she outgrows it. I'm also hoping the long three hour drive when we brought her home hasn't ruined her for life with car/truck rides. We'd hoped to have a truck riding dog. We can't even get her comfortable riding in our side-by-side utility vehicle around our property. She is visibly scared and uncomfortable.


Pup has learned a lot in these four months. She's very good with basic commands. She plays catch. She enjoys running an old volleyball around the yard. She is not very good with our old Buddy cat which has been a major source of tension. She doesn't hurt him but in her puppy way she just won't leave the old guy alone when he simply wants to sleep on the chair. I've resorted to leaving him in the bedroom with the door closed when he wants to be in the house. I just don't want to deal with the aggravation.

All this puppy raising is a learning experience. I've learned a great deal about myself through it too. My husband posted a note near the computer:  Nan kuru nai sa which he told me means It'll all work out.  That's my current mantra.


On a happy note, our youngest son got married on June 2. We now have both our sons married off and out on their own. Well, youngest son was already on his own but when your son takes a wife, you realize THIS IS IT, my job is pretty much done now. I'm so happy for my son and his bride because they were best friends before becoming husband and wife. That is something I'd always told both sons over the years. Oldest son is going on four years of marriage. Both he and his wife call each other "best friends" too.  Nice to know the kids sometimes listen!