As is probably evident from the previous posts and the mere existence of this blog, we have found a way to “make it work”. We are on our way to becoming the proud owners of a Lakeland terrier pup! And the cats will gain a new playmate (well… that’s how we’re pitching the idea to them anyway… they might decide not to embrace this new family member with open paws, but they’ll adjust, I’m sure!). Our decision to go ahead was a combination of 1) having a good experience at the breeder, 2) meeting the puppy’s adorable father (We really lucked out that the dad happens to be one of the breeder’s dogs. Usually people only get to meet the pup’s mother, because the father is merely a drive-by sperm donor! As for the mother, we will be meeting her in August, when she is brought to Belcarra in time for delivery.) and 3) it turning out to be relatively easy to adjust our lives so we can take proper care of our new quadrupedal family member!
Now we are the kind of people that like to be prepared when we know that change is on the horizon. Therefore, not surprisingly, our dining room table is sporting all sorts of Lakeland and terrier books, our browser history shows lots websites that contain “dog” somewhere in the title and a lot of adjustments are being tried, tested and carried through in and around the house. Our kitchen trashcan, for instance, is trying out a new home, because it might be making room for a dog crate. Also, the office upstairs is being rearranged, so our cats’ food-bowls will have a new, dog-free spot. And last week, our yard underwent a mini facelift to better accommodate canine inhabitation…
We’re pretty low-maintenance when it comes to our yard. Living in Vancouver, it is either raining or too cold to sit outside the majority of the time. All we want from our yard is for it to be tidy and to offer a place to sit those couple of weeks it is warm enough during the summer. But now that we’re becoming dog-owners, we need the yard to accommodate our pup as well. Because from October on, our yard will have to serve as a washroom (only until the pup is potty-trained!), a playroom and (eventually) a training facility for our four-legged friend.
First, we made sure that our gate will remain closed at all times:
We wouldn’t want the puppy to wander off! The coyotes in the park behind our house might get to him/her… There are still a few parts where the fence needs to be extended (downwards, that is… Lakelands are excellent diggers!), so a trip to Home Depot remains in order.
Secondly, we’ve had the ivy trimmed:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
This was like killing two birds with one stone (minus the bloodshed), because now the garden beds are easier to maintain and the puppy can’t hide under the ivy, causing me to have a heart-attack, worrying whether we’ll ever get him/her out of there!
And lastly, we’ve had the stepping-stones removed that used to run from patio to gate, and replaced them with a proper path:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Simple, but practical! Keep in mind that we will bring the puppy home in October… October in Vancouver means rain. Lots and lots of rain. The grass will be soggy, so a dry path from gate to patio will be much appreciated!
Een warmer welkom kan een pup zich niet wensen. Let op de poort, daar zit nog wel de nodige ruimte onder……. Ik denk dat de grasmat een geweldige ontdekkingsreis wordt voor de nieuwkomer. Ik zie het helemaal voor me: springend, huppelend en hier en daar stil staan voor een grasspriet die wat langer is en…(oei spannend) beweegt! De katten voor de tuindeuren met grote ogen, elke beweging volgend van de pup. Hopelijk wordt het deze herfst niet zo nat, zodat de pup vaak buiten kan genieten.
We kunnen de tuin jammergenoeg niet volledig dicht bouwen… De poorten blijft een probleem, maar de pup is natuurlijk altijd onder supervisie! En uiteindelijk luistert ‘ie uiteraard naar ons… tenminste, dat hopen we dan maar!
Er zijn nog twee plekken (rechts direct naast de poort en links van de poort in de hoek van de tuin, maar dat is niet te zien op de foto’s) waar we even wat hout tegenaan moeten timmeren. Dat doen we denk ik komende week.
En inderdaad… laten we hopen dat de regen een beetje uit blijft in oktober!