These are exciting times we live in! Puppy is almost 4 weeks old now, which means we get to meet her in person soon. If all looks well during the meet-and-greet (i.e. if all necessary limbs are attached, if all sensory devices are working as they should and if puppy seems happy, healthy and enthusiastic), we will agree to take puppy home with us (after mommy London is done with the basic dog-to-dog training, when puppy is around 8 weeks old), and will vow to take care of her for as long as we all shall live.
Exciting as this may sound, there’s mucho work to do in the meantime! Once we know for sure that puppy will become our puppy (at which time I will also reveal her name… can you hear the drumroll starting in the distance?), we need to catch a ride on the doggy bandwagon. I already have a shopping-list prepared. However, since there are about ten-thousand different types of dog crates, three-million types of food-bowls and an even larger number of dog beds out there, it’ll be quite the task to sift through them all and find the diamond-tipped needles in those haystacks!
The entire process is mind-boggling! Getting a puppy is no joke. I figured it would be nice to give you all a week-to-week overview (full credit for this idea goes to Andrea – thanks, A!) of what has happened and what is about to happen for puppy as well as for us:
WEEK 1
Puppy: Cuddle up to mommy. Sleep. Eat. Pee. Sleep some more. Zzzz…
Us: Gawk at first picture. It’s a girl!
WEEK 2
Puppy: Start to open eyes. Greet outside world. Hello! Make first attempts to stand up. Wow… Feeling pretty wobbly.
Us: Omg! Omg! Omg! It’s alive!!!
WEEK 3
Puppy: Start walking and explore said world. Yay, toys! Take first steps outside the nest.
Us: Cannot wait to meet pup. The little movies Judy sends us are treasure and torture at the same time… anticipation grows by the second.
[This is where we are as I type this… at the end of week 3.]
WEEK 4
Puppy: Discover that the world is your oyster; run, play & learn. Teeth start developing. Yum, solid food! Wait… who are these new people?
Us: Finally! Meet-and-greet! Name puppy! Must not forget to count limbs.
WEEK 5
Puppy: Become less dependent on mum. Start socializing with humans. Get into mischief for the first time. Figure out that mischief is occasionally excused thanks to cuteness… hmmm… *revelation*
Us: Start shopping bonanza: 2 crates (one for home, one for travel), dog bed, outdoor run, height-adjustable food-bowl, toys (my favourite part!), leash, grooming supplies, grooming table, poop-bags… etc.
WEEK 6
Puppy: Learn about social roles and and pecking order. Show toy who’s boss. Terrorize mommy against better judgement. Oops!
Us: Find a way to close-off stairwells in anticipation of little rascal…
WEEK 7
Puppy: Plan great escape. Chase own tail. Fall asleep out of exhaustion.
Us: Try not to bite fingernails… get the last bits and pieces together… try to stay calm and collected… it’s just one more week!
WEEK 8
Puppy: Move into new home & meet feline housemates. Hi! Huh…? Where did you guys go…?
Us: Keep puppy happy. Try to make cats feel less unhappy. Have someone on potty-duty at all times.
So. Now you know what happens when.
For those of you that have made it all the way down to these last sentences, I will thank you by means of a short video. Please enjoy watching mother and daughter interact:
