It has been six weeks since Oscar the puppy has joined our family. He presence has both melted our hearts and turned our world upside down.
I suppose we could blame Santa but really adding another dog was my idea. I started looking around at dogs last spring after I noticed Archie was sleeping through porch visitors and package deliveries. Archie has been our faithful doorbell and extra set of eyes and ears for over 10 years and is slowing down considerably. How grateful I am for all he has offered our family and now wish to allow him rest and comfort in his old age.
In the past our dogs have been adopted as adults. First Molly the golden lab who was picked up from a shelter a month before we were married, then Archie who was from a breeder who needed to re-home him because of his hips and then Polar who was no longer cooperating as a show dog. Each of them joined our home and family without too much trouble or disruption to our daily routine.
I thought adding another adult dog would be no trouble at all. We looked on petfinder.com, craigslist and visited shelters with hopes to find the perfect match. I had my heart set on a German Shepherd because I grew up with one, Hedi, I remember laying on her warm belly and riding on her back and feeling a strong connection to her.
I corresponded with an owner who had to re-home her German Shepherd immediately because of life circumstances. I invited her out to bring her dog for a visit to our farm and not 15 minutes into it the dog growled at the little ones, chased a chicken and attacked Archie. That was all I needed to push the idea of another dog far into the future.
Oddly, even after such a bad experience the thought of another dog continued to surface in the weeks that followed. Late one evening I decided to search for a puppy, I have never raised a puppy but I certainly have experience with children - how could it be any harder? The first available litter that came up on my search was 8 available Bernese Mountain dogs, just listed that evening. I was totally unfamiliar with the breed but with only a few pages of skimming had a feeling it would be a good fit on our farm and with our family.
I called the breeder first thing in the morning and told her our situation - all the kids, the animals, the farm and a new baby on its way. She reassured me that these were great family dogs, that she had 4 very young children of her own and with the help of a few older children a puppy would be manageable. 8 weeks later Oscar popped out of a wrapped box under the Christmas tree. It was a magic moment for sure, the girls wept tears of joy and the boys laughed and cheered.
The first two weeks were more than joyful. We took turns snuggling him all night and carrying him around like a stuffed animal during the day. He followed us everywhere and never left our side. It seemed we just got lucky.
Not sure exactly when it happened but the following two weeks were more than painful. His playing was no longer fun and turned to biting and the night time snuggling turned to taking turns on the couch to let him out every two hours and cleaning up poop when we were just not quick enough.
We cleaned up so much poop! These two weeks coincided with the coldest weeks of the year - it was not fun begging a puppy to poop at 4 am knee deep in snow at -10 degrees (and very pregnant).
Honestly, I felt I had made a huge mistake. I began to doubt the feelings of peace I had around making this decision. I prayerfully asked for wisdom, understanding and direction.
My next midwife appointment I think we talked more about the puppy than anything else. I cried about it - my midwife went above and beyond her duties and in sharing her puppy raising experiences and lending me a training book.
I then talked to a handful of trainers and found one who would come to our house to train us on how to raise a puppy. I aligned with her training philosophy and we both agreed that with so much going on both inside and outside the house the puppy needed a strict schedule and clear boundaries. I realized that this was an opportunity to gain wisdom and experience that would benefit not just puppy but also my children. And it would not be easy - it would require a new level of calmness, presence, organization, structure, discipline and boundaries. These are areas that have been calling my attention even before the puppy arrived.
After almost 3 weeks of practiced discipline it is paying off. We rarely have to clean up accidents and we have a much calmer puppy who is eager to please and eager to learn.
I also learned that I don't have to do everything. I have turned almost all of the puppy care and training over to James and William. They are doing an excellent job.
As for the cats.....they are not so sure. I find them hiding in the strangest places these days.
And as for the other dogs, it seems to be a good match. Archie seems to have more energy now that he has a puppy companion and Polar enjoys daily playtime in the pasture with Oscar.
Doesn't seem this winter, pregnancy or puppy stage will ever end, it's been long and memorable for sure. It seems the snow piles, my belly and the puppy are all growing daily. Doing my best to capture it and not wish it to end too soon.
