The first week with Kimmy
The first week we had to find a routine and let our new puppy settle in her new home and get used to living away from her Mama and littermates. It was a busy week, filled with many many potty trips to the back garden! I read that puppies pee a lot, but didn't think it was that bad... well, yeah, they do pee and poop around the clock!
Even with extra vigilance and taking her out to eliminate after waking, after meals, and every hour on the hour inbetween, we still an accident or two at home every day. I couldn't read her clues and so if she needed to go before the hour was up, I had no way of telling, and only realized when it was too late and she was already peeing on the floor.
Thankfully, most of our downstairs is tiled flooring, so cleanup is easy - but let me tell you, puppy poop stinks! She gets 4 meals a day, and poops after each of them, and during the night as well.
Speaking of night - puppies are like babies, they don't sleep through the night. Kimmy needed to go out at least once, but more often twice in the night. Coincidentally, this was the week when autumn definitely turned into winter in Luxembourg. Getting out with her in freezing weather, or in cold rain, and waiting for her to "do her business" so you can praise her for job well done, while you are shivering to the bone is not pleasant.
The smart books say that most puppies "get" the potty stuff by the time they are 4 months old. I selfishly hope it will be sooner rather than later than that ;)
Apart from this issue, we are absolutely delighted with Kimmy. She was a bit timid and shy the first 3 days of this week, she didn't even want to leave the area of living room and kitchen, but slowly she started gaining confidence and ventured out to explore our home further.
She loves playing with and chasing Ben, who is thrilled to have such a willing playmate.
She sleeps a lot, too. Even just a 10 minute leisure stroll outside wears her out and needs a good nap afterwards. Puppies sleep a lot! They also prefer to sleep with their favourite human (that would be me in Kimmy's case). So after walking Ben to school in the mornings, we would come back home, cuddle up on the sofa and have a lovely nap together. Hmmmm, a warm puppy is a great pillow ;)
Even with extra vigilance and taking her out to eliminate after waking, after meals, and every hour on the hour inbetween, we still an accident or two at home every day. I couldn't read her clues and so if she needed to go before the hour was up, I had no way of telling, and only realized when it was too late and she was already peeing on the floor.
Thankfully, most of our downstairs is tiled flooring, so cleanup is easy - but let me tell you, puppy poop stinks! She gets 4 meals a day, and poops after each of them, and during the night as well.
Speaking of night - puppies are like babies, they don't sleep through the night. Kimmy needed to go out at least once, but more often twice in the night. Coincidentally, this was the week when autumn definitely turned into winter in Luxembourg. Getting out with her in freezing weather, or in cold rain, and waiting for her to "do her business" so you can praise her for job well done, while you are shivering to the bone is not pleasant.
The smart books say that most puppies "get" the potty stuff by the time they are 4 months old. I selfishly hope it will be sooner rather than later than that ;)
Apart from this issue, we are absolutely delighted with Kimmy. She was a bit timid and shy the first 3 days of this week, she didn't even want to leave the area of living room and kitchen, but slowly she started gaining confidence and ventured out to explore our home further.
She loves playing with and chasing Ben, who is thrilled to have such a willing playmate.
She sleeps a lot, too. Even just a 10 minute leisure stroll outside wears her out and needs a good nap afterwards. Puppies sleep a lot! They also prefer to sleep with their favourite human (that would be me in Kimmy's case). So after walking Ben to school in the mornings, we would come back home, cuddle up on the sofa and have a lovely nap together. Hmmmm, a warm puppy is a great pillow ;)
posted by Katie @ 7:05 PM
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