It's officially the start of Spring Break. And it couldn't have come at a better time! We did plan on getting Benny around Spring Break so that I would have time with him and to work on all the "puppy" stuff. These few days since he's been home have been non-stop. It will be so good to have some time off from school to be home with the dogs. Not that I won't have anything to do. I brought about 15 pounds of textbooks home so that I could set up my lesson plans for when we go back. And the house is in a dire need of some Spring cleaning. So that combined with the dogs will keep me plenty busy.
So far Sammy and Benny are getting along well. They chase each other all over and wrestle. They also love to steal each other's bones and chew toys. Not that there's not a million to choose from, they just want the one that the other has. So one will sit and watch until the second there's an opening and then run over and take it and this cycle just continues on and on. There's been a few dominance scuffles. I let them work it out on their own. The jealousy, however, I correct. Sammy seems to be fine when I pet Benny, but if she is on my lap and he comes up for attention it freaks her out. She also seems to be territorial of her bed. She doesn't like him even acting like he's going to jump up on it, not that he could anyway. She doesn't hesitate to lie in his bed though. They do share the front room chair that has been Sammy's designated chair, so I thought that was nice of her.
Some parts have been getting easier and some still seem to be a struggle. The first night I couldn't leave them alone, I was just too nervous, not knowing how Sammy was going to react to him. It was not fun standing out in the cold watching over them. Now I can let them run outside and I don't really worry about them. They get rough but nothing that neither of them invites. The potty training is getting slowly better. Benny slept through the night the first two nights. It was amazing. And no mess in his crate in the morning. Last night, however, I was not so lucky. This is when it gets tricky having two dogs. I get up to take Benny out but Sammy has to come out too, but then all they want to do is play. So the next time I get up I leave Sammy inside but then they're just crying through the door at each other. I also need to figure out a way to make Benny do his business first. When Sammy was a puppy I would take her outside on a leash. She couldn't run and play until she did her business. I tried putting Benny on a leash last night but then Sammy keeps jumping all over him. It's going to have to be a lot of separating between the yard and the house until he gets this potty training thing down. He is getting better. The first day home I would take him outside, he would pee and then come inside and pee not even a minute later, literally. He did really well yesterday, not going once in the house. But then this morning while I was in the bathroom he decided to do his business in the living room. The food is another issue. He wants so badly to eat her food. So I have to keep her outside to eat while I bring him inside to eat. Won't it be nice in 9 months when they can eat the same food? So there have been some struggles with have a puppy, as to be expected.
They are funny to watch when they play. And he's just so cute! I forget all the things he doesn't understand or know, like the sounds of the ice machine or blow dryer. He's a little skittish, but I think he'll learn and get used to everything. I have to remember it's only his first week home. The first day we brought Sammy home she sat in the kitchen and cried for the longest time.
I took them for their first walk together today. What a mess! They kept changing sides and I had to keep crossing the leads over each other so they wouldn't get all tangled up. Benny still doesn't understand how to come back around a mailbox or pole so I have to drag him back around. I might need to take the dogs on some solo walks once in awhile so that Benny can learn how to walk on a leash.
It will be nice when Michael comes home so that he can help with some of this. It's a little overwhelming to have a new puppy and student teaching and no Michael to alleviate some of the responsibility even for a minute. My goal is to have Benny potty trained by the end of next week (ha ha) or at least before Michael starts mob'ing. That in itself will help tremendously.
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