We've had dogs all my life with my Mum and Dad so I thought I knew what I was getting into when we brought Brodie home on Christmas Eve. However, being responsible for a tiny puppy full time is a whole other set of skills. A lot of them I thought were unique to being a parent but it turns out they will apply to your fur baby too.
So to celebrate having a dog in our lives for 3 months I wanted to share some of the things that surprised me.
1. Learning To Do Tasks One Handed
It turned out if I needed to do anything in the first few weeks it was easier to keep him in my arms and out of trouble so I quickly learned to do things one handed. At least I knew where he was and I wouldn't stand on him by mistake.
2. Cups of Tea Going Cold
I lost count of the number of times I'd just poured a cup of tea or served tea when he was desperate to go outside... then we'd spent 15 minutes in the cold until my tea was cold too. Thank goodness for the microwave!
3. Waking Up Multiple Times a Night to Clean Up Poo
There were some nights when there were multiple accidents. Poor boy struggled with finding the right food and feeding schedule in the beginning so there was a few stinky nights. After a few days on rice and chicken he was a different dog who loves his food again.
4. Putting The Washing Machine On Everyday
Linked to the last one the washing machine was on everyday washing the towels we kept in his bed and used to clean up the accidents in the house. Who knew one small dog could make so many things dirty.
5. Whispering In Bed at Night
When Brodie slept in our room (because it was warmer and to keep him settled) we'd turn off the light and whisper to each other so we didn't disturb him. It was ridiculous but sleep was important to everyone.
6. Extra Cuddles After Being Sick
The night he was sick in his bed (still no idea what caused that) he was obviously distressed and kept trying to climb onto my knee so we sat on the sofa in the middle of the night for an hour until he was settled enough to sleep.
7. Not Getting Five Minutes to Myself
Any time I'd sit down to do something non-dog related I'd realised he wasn't with me anymore and had to find him before he caused trouble somewhere in the house he shouldn't be. It was really difficult to have adult conversations with my boyfriend.
8. Buying New Toys... Every Trip to the Shops
Every time I'm in a shop that sells dog toys I have to resist the urge to buy him something new. In my defence he is always so happy with a new toy and making him happy makes me happy.
9. Watching Him Breath While He Slept
When he was really tiny and we were still trying to get him up to a healthy weight I found myself just watching him breathing when he was asleep wondering if he was okay. Puppies hearts beat really quickly which I only learnt after a worried google.
10. Being Thankful for Nap Time
And finally when he is tired and will happily be shut in his crate for a nap it's heaven! Especially when it gives us enough time to tick off a few chores or watch an episode of our ever growing backlog of TV shows.
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