There was a moment a couple of weeks ago where I realized… Ham’s not really a puppy anymore. He doesn’t have accidents in the house anymore. He graduated from his Foundations 1 dog class. He’s bigger than Teddy!
I have to say… I’m so glad the puppy phase is behind me. It’s my least favorite part about having a dog; thank goodness puppies are cute because otherwise, I couldn’t do it at all.
I get a lot of questions about why we got a second dog and for tips. Since I work from home, Teddy wasn’t that used to be left alone. When we would leave the apartment, even if it was just to get the mail downstairs, he would lose it. The very bottom line is that they both are great when we leave because they have each other. (On the other hand, I hate leaving them. Whenever I lock the door I tear up.)
But how’s it going with two dogs, really?
It’s so much harder than I ever thought it would be. I naively thought that since I had done the whole puppy thing once, that the second time would be a breeze. Nope. It was harder. Partly because there was already another dog with his own needs (which I expected), but also because I knew how great it was to have a trained dog. I’d been there and done that and couldn’t wait for Ham to catch up. It was frustrating.
Teddy is my little angel dog. I know he was hyper as a puppy, but it was always good spirited. Ham, on the other hand, has a devilish streak. He looks you right in the eyes and just goes crazy. But he’s also the cuddliest wanting to get as snuggled in as physically possible. You never know which version of him you’re going to get at any given moment.
I also underestimated the power of “puppy blues.” This is a real thing. Throwing Ham into the mix threw off my regular everyday routine. When I got Teddy, I had just quit my job, and my life felt super unstable. I wrote off a lot of my fear of having a new dog to the volatility of my life, but looking back, I think it was a lot more about the dog. I witnessed the same thing with Hamilton when I first got him. The frustration of constantly cleaning up accidents, running a dog up and down the stairs to go out every hour, not being able to leave the pup alone for that long, all that alone is a lot. And then I had to factor in all kinds of additional emotions: guilt that Teddy wouldn’t get as much individual attention, fear that I had made a big mistake, and feeling overwhelmed with this new responsibility.
Phewwwwww.
And somewhere, Ham grew up. And he’s not so much a puppy anymore. I didn’t even notice, as I said before, it dawned on me one day that I was just completely and utterly in love with this dog… and wasn’t frustrated or overwhelmed anymore. (Until he tried to drink a cup of coffee on the coffee table…. 🙄😉😂)
So there’s the puppy update! It’s not a walk in the park, but I finally feel like we have a good sense of normalcy again!! (Thank goodness for that.)
My parents are probably really glad they didn’t fall for me and my brothers begging for puppies! They knew what they’d be getting themselves into, but we sure didn’t 😛 They are so adorable though! I get my fill during review and finals week when the community around my college bring their puppies and other pets to campus for us poor stressed out college students to pet and cuddle! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
They are so cute! Also a bonus that it looks like they would be the kind of dogs that don’t shed, that’s my only compliant about my dogs! Nothing is more frustrating than being covered with white hair when you wear black leggings like 24/7, lol!
xoxo,
Abigail
http://www.belleofthebrier.com/
YES! They don’t shed… I’m not deathly allergic to dogs by any means but pet hair really irritates my eyes. (Even my parent’s beloved cats… I have to wash my hands when I bed/cuddle with them.) I knew I couldn’t have dog hair in the apartment without vacuuming or washing my hands every two minutes!
Definitely missed a trick – pupdate! 😛
This is such a cute post – I love when you chat about your pups! My dog is used to being home alone but loves being home with his sister even more. It’s amazing the bonds dogs make with each other. My dog is the same when it comes to being a little devil – he will look me straight in the eye and do something he knows he shouldn’t. He’s so lucky he’s cute.
They are so darling! The puppy phase is soo rough, but it’s worth it, and thank God it doesn’t last very long, right? Thanks for the update!
xoxo,
Catherine
http://www.classiccatherine.com
When we got our dog I was just finishing my sophomore year so I was home studying for finals sitting by the back door to the back yard so it made potty training a snap! By the time I had to get back to my summer job we’d leave him in his crate whenever we weren’t home and he learned very quickly not to potty in the crate… hearing about you running up and down the stairs of the condo sounds like a nightmare so you can definitely chalk up the struggle to that! Having a backyard vs having to run down the stairs would make a world of a difference especially since you’re already working from home! You are a superwoman Carly!
I am so wanting a puppy, but my schedule doesn’t really permit it. I do get my puppy fix by looking at yours though! 🙂
So cute Carly! Ham and Teddy seem like the happiest dogs! I don’t have a dog yet (hopefully soon!) but I did get a second kitten for my other cat, and feel much better now that they have each other 🙂 Animals are the best!!
XO Lauren
http://www.loveandlauren.com
Having a dog is a lot more work than some people expect. I grew up with dogs and knew I didn’t want to go through the whole puppy stage when I adopted my own dog. So I decided to adopt a dog that was already 6 months old and mostly trained. I only had to teach him to walk on a leash properly. I got to skip right over the potty training, worrying about leaving him, or him chewing on things he shouldn’t.
Ham and Teddy are absolutely adorable! Definitely thinking of getting a toy poodle when I graduate 🙂 You’ve done a great job training them!
Kendal // Life With Kendal
We adopted two dogs, both of whom were at least one year old so we skipped the puppy phase. However, any bad habits they developed as puppies are harder to unlearn as adults. I would have loved to have known my dogs as pups and maybe nip some of their undesirable qualities in the bud.
Also, your dogs are SO CUTE.
That’s a really good point. I hate the puppy Phase but it is a really great bonding period!
You have a beautiful family, Carly! I’ve never had a dog so I can’t share my experience. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever have one because of my fiance’s allergies.
I so hear you on the puppy phase thing! But they are such great company, and even better company once the puppy phase finally ends…
Lauren,
http://www.atouchofsoutherngrace.com
I can totally agree with this when we first got my puppy (Lucy, mini labradoodle) it takes a lot of adjustment. My grades were even dropping because I had to implement taking care of another living thing into my life other than myself. Puppies are definitely a big change but totally worth it in the end.
aww… your dogs is really really cuteee