The Trials, Tribulations and Successes of Puppy Training

 It has been almost 7 weeks since Zoey came into our lives. Getting a puppy can be as joyful as it can be frustrating. Zoey would be our 7^th puppy in our 35 year marriage. We have never had the same breed twice; a Basset Hound (Daisy), a Springer Spaniel (Jake), a Chesapeake (Packer), Golden Retriever (Bailey), Mini Beagle (Cinders), a Mini Dachshund (Mario) and of course our beloved Puggle, Daisy Mae and our Lab, Dakota.   All but 2 of these we got as puppies and had the pleasure of going through the dreaded puppy stage of their lives.

We have had varying success throughout the years and can make a couple of quick observations based on our experiences. The first two that come to mind are; big dogs are easier than little dog and females are easier than males.  Our hardest puppy by far was a double whammy, our male Mini Dachshund named Mario. I swear that dog had a screw loose! He would never listened and peed everywhere. Two of his favorite places to pee were my briefcase and my pillow and he would do it while staring at me like a challenge. He was walk up to my briefcase, turn around to make sure I was looking, lock eyes with me and lift his leg.  Frustrating!

Having gone through the puppy stage with 6 others, we were not looking forward to it but felt we were prepared. So how is it going? So far so good. Zoey is far from house broken and we cannot leave her uncrated when we leave but so far I would rank her in the top 3 just below the other two big dog breeds.

So far she has only tried to chew on the couch once. Barb scolded her, she has not tried since. We provide her with plenty of chew toys and she seems content with those and so far has not chewed on anything she shouldn’t.

Potty training is an ongoing battle. Well, I would not classify it as a battle but more of a journey. We take her out every couple of hours, maybe a little more and watch her like a hawk. We have a baby gate on across the hallway so she is confined to the living room/kitchen area. Luckily she is a dog that likes to hide when so goes so anytime she intentionally walks out of our sight we are on it. Before we had the baby gate up she would go into the laundry room and do her thing, now that we have the gate up, she tries to hide behind the couch.

Even with all that, there is probably one accident a day when she sneaks back there when we are not looking. Now this week, she walks to the door and lets us know she needs to go out. We cannot hesitate however as she only give us like a 15 second warning before she squats and goes right next to the door. At night, she will last anywhere from 4-6 hours before she gets up and starts stirring. She peed in the bed once early on but nothing since. We have left her in her crate for up to 4 hours and very rarely has an accident in her crate. The great thing is that she is perfectly content in her crate and does not whine or scratch to get out. 

Oh, she can be a rascal. She loves to find Barb's slippers and shake them like they are a wild animal and one time when Barb was in the kitchen she turned around to see Zoey help clean the dishes!

As far as socialization with other dogs goes she is doing great! She and Dakota are becoming best buds and she has met three other dogs on play dates. Speaking of playing, here are a couple of short videos of Zoey and Dakota playing....

Zoey loves going for walks and keeps up with Dakota with her tiny little legs. But when she gets home she is ready to lay back and relax.

Another one of her pass times is watching the deer and birds outside the window.

Their ears are about the same size!

All in all, that is not too bad compared to other dogs we have had. So what do we attribute this initial success to? Well, three things…one is luck. You just never know when you are going to get a puppy with a loose screw and it seems we dodged that bullet. The second we attribute to the love, care and attention Foster Lake Frenchies gives to their pups. Zoey had been loved and socialized at an early age and as a result was not afraid of anything and has adapted into our family seamlessly. And lastly, it is the time and love we have been able to give her here at home. It is still early, but so far so good!

On to the nondog related news, we had visitors this week when Guy and Sue stopped by for a visit! The picture did not turn out very well but I assure you that is them live, and in person!

They brought Lacilou and Teddy with them. Lacilou, who is 11 was not impressed by Zoey but Teddy loved to run around and play with her! If you look closely, you can see Lacilou and Teddy peeking out of the bed on the left side of Sue. 

Teddy and Lacilou snuggled up 

At a combined weight of probably less than 10lbs I think Zoey already outweighs them combined! Guy and Sue are staying in the area this summer so hopefully we will be able to get together with them again in the next couple of months. 

The weather here this past week has been wet, foggy and cooler. I think it rained almost every day. Our pond went from bone dry to this in just a couple of days…

Zoey overlooking the pond

The day after the pond got water the frogs started singing! Curious, I went on line to see how long frogs can lay dormant in the dirt waiting for moisture. Some can lay in the mud for years waiting wait to bring them back to life. Truly amazing!

And the food plots already are sprouting!

The girls checking out the food plot

On the work front we spent most of the week at Kevin and Cheryl’s getting ready for their inspection on Tuesday. We got the siding done on Thursday and moved on to smaller jobs inside the house. Putting in doors, trim and the kitchen cabinets. It was a push with Kevin working some very long hours but by Monday afternoon they were ready for their inspection! Here are some pictures of the finished product….

Living room

Fireplace

Dining Room

Kitchen

Bath and Shower

Loft Area

It has been a lot of work but Barb and I are happy that we were able to be there for our friends and got several good ideas on how we want to finish our house. With some friends arriving tomorrow and the the Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, it is time for some fun!