pooping means you feel at home
It has been nearly three weeks since Lucas came home, and we have witnessed a shy and timid puppy morph into a little tornado. He spent the early days checking things out: smelling the grass on our lawn, getting used to the sounds of the city, and distinguishing carpet from wood floors. He was so scared of the tiles on our owner’s bathroom floor that he wouldn’t dare cross the threshold between the bedroom and the bathroom. I have all these fond memories of sitting on the carpeted floor of my closet with Maris, having sleepy early morning mommy-doggy bonding time while I got ready for work, so I really wanted Lucas to learn to love my closet. But he had to learn how to cross the tiled floor of the bathroom to get to it. And there it was, as wide and as long as the Red Sea, and no Moses to part it for the poor puppy.
The present time is also an important point in Lucas’s life for socialization, and how perfect, it is holiday shopping season! I popped him into the car seat, in which he would cry and cry (I can’t tell if he hates being strapped in or if he just misses me holding him), drive him to a fun outdoor mall, and walk around while carrying him in this puppy sling I got from Amazon. I must confess, I have never gotten this much attention from strangers in my entire life. Even the most tough looking guy would soften up upon seeing Lucas’s face and beg me for a moment with him. People wanted to pet him and talk to him. I welcomed it because that’s the whole point of being socialized! We walked into the Apple store, where people forgot what they were shopping for because Lucas shined brighter than the latest Apple product. North Face, Orvis, Barnes and Noble, Crate and Barrel, Arhaus, Dick’s Sporting Goods, etc… in all stores, he was a hit! He also met a few dogs that were being walked but from a distance – Lucas is not yet fully vaccinated. But the dog owners were happy to get to know Lucas up close. I am so happy that everyone was friendly, and that Lucas was able to add to the holiday cheer for these shoppers.
As Lucas learns life with me, in our house and in our neighborhood, he is getting bigger, stronger, and more confident. Maybe I was too worried that he may not be independent enough. The crying in the crate has already gotten so much better during the day, although at night I am still sleeping inside that doggy playpen with him. My goal is to wean him off gradually by the end of the year when he turns 3 months. He is now 13.4 pounds, stronger, wiggly, and runs around the house like a pony. Becoming less timid means letting his curiosity express itself, so he is now pulling anything that moves from couches, benches, beds, etc. It is hilarious to see this little animal carrying an adult shoe in his mouth and bounding across the living room. So far, it’s cute because he isn’t chewing it… for now, I’m just having fun chuckling at it. Anyway, my house looks very different from just three weeks ago. But he’s so darn cute that I don’t even care.
One sign of a confident puppy is that he has learned to like our bathroom tile floor. In fact, he has crossed it many times now and made it to my closet. He comes and visits me when I get dressed in the morning and change for bed at night. In fact, he is so confident of this space that he sometimes leaves me little surprise nuggets in there, oh you know, since he’s not yet fully potty trained. While cleaning it up is annoying and gross, I can’t help noting the progress he has made in making this place his own home. If you’re comfortable enough to poop in it, that is a good sign as far as I’m concerned.
The Little One 