New Family Member

Here's a little synopsis about how the first week with the new dog has went.
I wasn't sure I really wanted to get such a young dog, only because I was vaguely aware that it would be a lot of work. But my husband fell in love at the pound (a place I am too big of a wimp to go because I cry) and brought Pepper home. She is a chihuahua mix and only about 10 weeks old. First off let me say that she is adorable, I love her, and I am committed to doing the right thing involving training. The only problem was that I had no idea how to do that.

So I hit the library and learned TONS.

I came away from the books with an idea of what to do first. Most important to me was potty training. So here's what I gleaned from the books. A puppy has to go out at least once an hour. My puppy occasionally has to go three times an hour. To prevent puddles I'm finding that she needs to go out at least every 30 minutes when she is actively playing or exploring. I'm also finding that I need to be on her constantly to supervise. That means if I want to play a computer game, wash the dishes, or pee she needs to in my arms or in the box. It's exhausting!!

Also, the books suggest getting her on a little puppy schedule. One books schedule looks like this:

Early Morning: water, go outside, go back in box.
Morning: feed, water, go outside, play for 15-30 minutes, go in box
Mid-morning: water, go outside, play for 15-30 minutes, go in box
Lunchtime: feed, water, go outside, play for 30-60 minutes, go in box
Mid afternoon: water, go outside, play for 15-30 minutes, go in box
Dinner: feed, water, go outside, play for 30-60 minutes, go in box
Mid evening:water, go outside, play for 15-30 minutes, go in box
Evening:go outside, go back in box.

I'm trying to stick (sort of) with this schedule, but I'm feeling a little guilt about box time. I hate to have her staying in the box for so long, although two different books suggest this and say NOT to feel guilty because it's good for them. So I tend to have her out and supervised a little more often. In my mind, this makes up for the days that I'm out or at work and she spends MORE time in the box.

So potty training is a chore, but will be more than worth it when she is housebroken.

This week we've also dealt with: tapeworms, giving cold medicine 2x a day, more carpet cleaning that I thought possible, more laundry than I thought possible, teeth that are surprisingly sharp, and interrupted sleep.

All in all it has been a long week, but I've enjoyed having an animal back in the house. I'm hoping that me and hubby can keep up the good work and help Pepper grow up to the best behaved and well trained dog possible.