Another day in the life of a woman with a new puppy.

First, I'll let you know my husband went for his first radiation treatment this morning, because husbands top dogs in importance.  I won't be going along for the ride most days, since our Little Princess is usually here on weekdays.  Today, though, is a rainy day, there's no child here, and yet I'm at home.  Why?  Because at 5 AM I decided to make my favorite honey-wheat bread in the bread machine, forgetting how long it takes the bread to get done.  Twenty minutes sooner and I'd have gone with him.

On the puppy front, though, my being home may be a good thing:  Gabe is doing fine in the crate beside the bed at night, but I know if we leave him in there at a different time, without my voice to comfort him, he'll be whining and crying for quite a while before he wears out.  I hate to do that to him so early in his time with us.  Not to mention puppy diarrhea!  

Yes, I took him out as soon as I uncrated him this morning and he did all the business a puppy should and could do.  It was dark, so I couldn't monitor everything closely, but I do know he pooped (straining for quite a while) and peed.  I'm glad that when he has to go, he doesn't mind rainy weather and soaking wet grass.  

After I brought him in, he didn't do his usual eating, running, and playing.  He only wanted to lay on my lap.  Odd, I thought, but maybe he's just now settling in.  I took him out again when I went to feed the cats after waking Cliff up.  I put him back inside before I started to distribute the cat food, since I couldn't feed them as usual outside on their table because of rain; I opened the door to the back porch and let them eat there, on the floor.  As I put Gabe inside, I told Cliff, "He just peed, so he should be OK."

When I came he was at the north window watching outside, but five minutes later I saw him sniffing around at the front door and figured he might want out.  That's when I saw poop puddles all around the vicinity of the door.  At that point I realized why he hadn't been so perky earlier:  bellyache!  On the bright side, he chose to do this at the front door where I generally let him out, so he may have already learned where to go when he wants out.  I cleaned up the mess with some Spic-and-Span and Spot-Shot.  

Once this incident was behind us, Gabe got the burst of energy he usually has right out of bed.  I have no idea what brought the tummy issues on, since he's on the same food he's always had at his birth home.  Perhaps the cat poop he ate didn't agree with him?  Or maybe the roly-poly, ugly white worm he had as a snack yesterday.

Yesterday we took him to the local vet for his first visit; one of the breeder's requirements, if we wanted their health guarantee to hold up, was a vet visit within the first seven days.  I had Gabe chipped, and got his first application of Ivermectin.  The lady at the front desk remarked that he was much calmer than most puppies; I told her he seems very smart, and already knows his name and the meaning of "no".  She was quite impressed when later, as we were getting ready to leave, he began chewing at my finger, I said "no", and he immediately stopped chewing.  I felt like a proud mom (I know what you're thinking as you read this last statement, Cliff... don't judge).

Both Cliff's sisters, even the one in St. Louis, swear by the vet at Lexington because he charges so much less than city vets; that's what took me in that direction.  Honestly, I think I like the ones in Odessa better and the prices probably are no higher.  But now that I've started, I'll stay put unless there's a reason to switch.

Once again I'm wondering how people can afford to have two or three dogs:  The maintenance is higher than a non-pet-owner could ever imagine, or maybe they know, and that's why they are pet-free.  I haven't yet priced grooming, four or more times yearly.  I don't have a comb and brush for Gabe yet, or even a real dog bed!  All this expense comes as no surprise, though.  I thought it through before getting a dog and decided it was worth it at this point in my life.  I didn't want a dog that sheds, and grooming is just part of the expense.

I promise this isn't going to be a blog all about my dog, but I'm on a journey I haven't been on since I had my mongrel puppy, Mandy, and she was an inside/outside dog; so there wasn't really any housebreaking to be done.  

So I leave this with you and hope those of my readers who aren't crazy about dogs will put up with my enthusiasm for now.  I'm sure the puppy-blogging will fade into the background eventually.  

Peace.