Ramblings of a very tired puppy owner

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

It has been two weeks since we brought Auggie home and I feel like I have not slept for two full years.  I should have probably sent this as a private message to my DK friends in order not to incriminate myself, but who cares. I’m exhausted.

A while back we had a discussion about a TV show portraying dog owners willing to spend big bucks cloning their bellowed dogs. http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/did-anyone-watch-i-cloned-...   Silly, huh?

Well, if there was any truth in cloning, I wish I had the money to clone Monty. He was my first dog, and he will forever remain the best dog ever. Is he perfect? No. There was a lot of work put into his training, just like it is with any other dog. He was like an alligator snapping at everything around him when he was little. And since he was my first puppy ever, I did not know what to expect and thought I was going through hell. But I love him to pieces.

Then Auggie came aboard. One of the two mellow puppies in the litter. He did not jump up when we came to look at the puppies and was just sitting there sizing us up from afar. He would come wagging his tail after a while. The rest of his brothers were jumping up and down for attention. Easy decision, correct?  Well, let me tell you that the minute Auggie walked into our house, his mellowness disappeared. Maybe we got the wrong puppy, I don’t know what happened. If this is mellow, I’m worried about the people who got the other puppies. There was peeing every 15 minutes, jumping up and down, biting everything in reach, waking up every 2 hours at night for the first week.

All I was thinking about: what’s wrong with this little guy? It’s been a week and he still is not able to ring the bells to let us know he needs to go outside. Monty did that on day 3. I taught Monty to go potty only in the designated area in the backyard. This little guy just does not get it and pees and poops all over the backyard.  The examples go on and on. How come Auggie is not the same as Monty? My DH keeps telling me Auggie IS the normal puppy. Again, I’ve got nothing to compare it to, other than Monty. And I want to clone Monty so bad.

Many of you said raising a second dog is much easier. I don’t feel it that way yet. I’m exhausted. I’m tired. I feel like all I’m saying is NO the whole day long. NO peeing in the house, NO biting your brother’s ears, NO shredding the bush in the backyard, NO pulling on the drapes, NO trying to reach the kitchen counter. NO, NO, NO!

Yes, the pictures and videos I post are cute. Who would not love a puppy? And the fact that Auggie and Monty are getting along so well is fabulous.  There is just some strange feeling that I can’t get rid of and I feel bad about it. Monty sure spoiled me and I’m having a hard time now. I can’t relate to the little guy.  I feel really bad since Auggie has to “measure up” to Monty in my eyes. He should not have to do that, he is just a little puppy. He depends on me. But all I see is his mischief and the fact that he looks nothing like Monty. I suck as double doodle mom. I’m really exhausted and I want to cry. I want to cry a lot.

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

I feel for you Jarka. This has got to be just a phase and it can only get better from here. He'll outgrow some of this before you know it. I hope you get a chance to rest. Thinking of you!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Jarka, what you're feeling is so normal.  Raising puppies is not for sissies.....LOL....it's a tough, exhausting job.  The good thing is that they are so darn cute....I think that's what keeps us from sending them back.  I agree with F, use that crate a lot and get some rest yourself.  I was really worried about whether or not I could love Murph as much as Guinness.  We had such a strong, special bond and he was such an exceptional dog that I had some doubts.  What happened is that Murph was so naughty (and so needy at the same time) that my heart just went out to him and I fell in love.  I know you will too....it just takes a little time.  Keep sharing your thoughts with us....you know we really do understand and are here for you.

[Pam & Trixie]

Hang in there Jarka.  Some Puppies are soo much work! 

Others we luck out with & they are much easier to train & fit in with our routines very fast.

I once had a 2nd dog that was a Devil....She turned out to be wonderful...

[Bonnie and Kona]

I agree with Allyson.... as time goes by you stop comparing them. It's just at first when the contrast is so shocking. Hoping you are napping now.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I guess I was lucky in a way. Luca was about 10 weeks when I got him and I'd never had a puppy. The bites were horrendous and I didn't literally get a handle on hime for months when I learned a few things. I don't think he's spent a day without a collar since: ) Calla was 17 weeks when she came so she seemed comparatively easy. They are very different and I love them both! You will too.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Jarka, this is all perfectly normal. Monty did many of the things Auggie is doing but memory is selective. And puppies are very difficult. I think I've done my last one. You need a break. Put him in his crate and take a nap. It takes a while to feel the same about the second as the first. Maybe you won't quite feel the same but you will love him nevertheless. And don't blame yourself for your feelings. They are yours. They can change. You are a good doodle mom. I promise you that you will look back and laugh at this.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

I connected with this post on a couple of levels - neither dog related:

1.  I was the second child.  I can just imagine my mother thinking and saying some of the same things about me that you're saying about Auggie.  And of course, I turned out to be MUCH MORE PERFECT than my brother!!!

2.  My daughter and her husband are actively "planning" baby number 2.  The first is a pretty terrific little girl - smart, funny, cute, (mostly) well-behaved.  I'm panicked at the thought that #2 may be, as Karen said, a DAMIEN!!!

Hang in there, Jarka - Auggie will worm his way into your heart, and you'll soon be wondering how you ever got along without him!!! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jarka, this is why I only have one child, lol. Everyone tells you that if the first baby is easy, (and mine was a dream), the second one will be Damien, lol! I guess it works that way with dogs, too.

Seriously, hang in there. The others have given you great advice. As a lifelong one-at-a-time dog owner, I haven't been there, but I have had some fosters that hit every nerve in my body. Try to get some rest. Is Auggie old enough for doggie daycare yet?

This too shall pass. Hugs to you.

 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I have to tell you, the first 2 months we brought Peri home, I said multiple times "Why did I do this?...Taquito was perfect...Peri is a hellion..." You get the picture. I sort of didn't like her that much. I loved her, but I was exhausted from her antics.  You will get through this. NOW I love Peri just as much as I love Taquito, 100000000% I can assure you that.  I would NEVER trade her and dh and I have said multiple times, a few years later "she's the best thing we have done" and comments like that.  Sooo, you will end up loving him for what he is.  You will not compare him to Monty as much.  You will also probably find some qualities in him that are BETTER than Monty, believe it or not.  Hang in there :) :) :) :)

[Bonnie and Kona]

Jarka, I am so sorry. I have to tell you that getting Owen after our "perfect" Kona was the same cold water splash into reality. Seriously, I wondered every single day why we ever got another dog. Owen was a holy terror. He continues to be completely different from Kona in every way. He challenges everything we hold to be "good dog" instincts. BUT we are madly in love with him and you will fall in love with Auggie. I promise. I wondered the same thing, A LOT! To be honest I was the last one in our home to fall in love with him, but then I was the one who was doing all of the clean-up and most of the correcting. When I was able to stop and see what a tremendously funny sense of humor he has and how loving he could be, I made a turn around into loving this goofy guy. We thought we were getting a mellow one, too. NOT. I am pretty sure Owen will never be mellow. 

Watch for those sweet moments and savor them (even though they happen mostly when he is almost asleep).

Try to see the humor in his antics. 

Be so grateful that he and Monty get along (Kona just looked at us helpless to those puppy teeth as if saying, "Why did you do this to me?")

Just hang in there. Puppies are hard! I could only remember how perfect Kona was so I forced myself to think of somethings he did wrong as a pup. That helped a little bit too. 

Hoping Auggie gets with the program soon. At least letting you sleep through the night. It does help to change our perspective if we are well-rested. Lots of hugs, bonnie