Do you ever look back and think “What have I done?”
Well, that thought has crossed my mind more than a few times within the past few weeks. Let me catch you up.
For over ten years, I have always wanted a Great Dane. I am a lover of giant breeds, whether that be horses or canines. As of recently, events sort of fell together and I became the proud owner of a Great Dane pup, an 8 week old female I’ve named Kenzie
I had a few weeks to prepare for the new arrivals homecoming. I busied myself puppy proofing the house, the yard, purchased a variety of toys, feeders, containments, etc for the pup. I even had a few chats with my older dog giving her the heads up of what was coming. I’d like to think it helped prepare Kayley (my older dog). Either way, she’s fully aware of the situation now.
Now…I haven’t done the whole puppy thing in a very long time. Let me just say, there is a reason puppies are so frigging cute. It’s a facade for the hair pulling moments you will have, and trust me, you will have them. I faintly remember being sleep deprived with Kayley’s puppyhood and saying the word “no” to exhaustion. By night two, let me tell you, all those distant memories became a hard reality.
Sleep deprivation is a real thing. Every bone in my body ached. My eyes burned from sleep exhaustion and nausea followed me around for awhile. My brain was in a constant fog and I wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and sleep. But, that would not be happening anytime soon. Instead, I had to be alert and follow around a bundle of energy that consisted of oversized paws and legs.
Kayley also had a bit of an adjustment. On the first day she was thrilled with her new pup. All the old girl wanted to do was play with her. By day two, once she realized she wasn’t leaving, she began to sulk. By that time, Kenzie assumed they were now best of buds and lines had to be drawn.
The first week was rough. And I mean, rough. I had many moments of "what the hell have I done?” Kenzie screamed for the first few nights. I remember lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling in horror and doubt at what I had gotten myself into. Not only that, but it was tiring getting up every few hours to take Kenzie outside to keep up with house training. Kayley abandoned her pillow in the bedroom and sought refuge in the silence of the living room. I can’t say that I blamed her.
We are now on week three and I am happy to report things have improved drastically. Kenzie now sleeps through the night (in fact, she snores like a log) and she is learning her boundaries with Kayley. I take the girls out every day on the trails and they have bonded through our adventures. Kenzie is on her way to learning the basics: sit, stay, shake, lie down and wait. We have been accident free in the house for about a week now. None of the furniture has been destroyed (knock on wood) and Kenzie now sits at the door when she needs to go outside. Yay for the small victories!
Kenzie and I begin puppy kindergarten classes in mid June. I’ll do a blog post and update how the training is progressing. Since Kenzie is going to be a very large dog, I want her to be as well behaved as possible. I will say, for anyone who is thinking about getting a puppy, keep in mind that they are A LOT of work. And I mean a lot. Please be willing to put in the time and be consistent with them. It will make for a much easier life in the long run even though some days you may feel like you are going nowhere. Keep on going! Everything eventually clicks and there will be an “aha” moment!
So, as we near the end of week three with the pup, my earlier regrets are gone. I am beginning to see progress and Kenzie has adapted to our “life” routine. She is a very, very sweet girl and is so eager to please. It really has me looking forward to our future together and all the adventures yet to come.
I will say, that for every frustrating moment we face, the smiles and laughter she brings outweighs that by a long shot.
xx Katt
