Raising a Puppy
Brandon and I ADORE our puppy. Her name is Ava and she has been a wonderful introduction to parenting before the real deal. We were definitely a little nervous since neither of us had directly raised a puppy before, but after moving into our first home, we could not have been more excited to make our puppy parenting dreams come true.
Adopting
We looked around at many local rescues and adoption centers, applying and visiting here and there. I felt all the feels for so many dogs but when Brandon came across photos of rescue puppies online, the cuteness was just overwhelming. They were mixed German Shepherds, which was our top preference if we had to choose.
We knew they'd go fast, so we applied with reservation and hope. Within a few weeks, they came to assess our home and we were approved shortly after. At this point, Ava (named Jamaica at the time) was the only one left of her litter, so we jumped on the opportunity to meet her.
We met Ava when she was 3 months old:
To be honest when I first met her, she was very cute and all(holy ears!), but there wasn't some instant emotional connection. She seemed naturally inclined towards Brandon but still not super interested in us. To be fair though, it was dinner time so her foster mother had the majority of her attention. A part of me was doubtful, wondering if we should keep looking, but the other part of me sensed that she was smart and particularly calm for her age. After having her in our daily lives for the past 4 months, I couldn't be happier that we had decided to adopt her that night. She is loving, affectionate, and brings us so much joy.
Advice: If you plan on adopting a dog, apply and get approved as soon as possible! You can keep an eye on shelters' websites so that when you see one you're interested in, you're ready to scoop 'em up.
Training
We completed a 9-week puppy obedience training course where Ava got to interact with other adorable puppies once a week and learn the basics. It costed us around $175. We found the training and socialization to be worth it, however Ava still struggles with jumping on people (she just loves everyone!) and biting when she gets excited. Hopefully she grows out of that...
Here are the puppies playing with each other on the last day of the program--they all graduated!
Preliminary Parents
There's a lot of decision making involved. Which vaccinations should she get? Should we let her up on the couch or our bed? Should we leave her in the crate or is she ready for free-range? How can we stop her from jumping on people? Brandon and I have to discuss and agree for all questions regarding Ava.
More recently, she's damaged a few things around our house when left alone for a short amount of time. Coming back home to piles of cumin around the kitchen or a ripped up rug is not a happy reunion. Following a couple incidences, Brandon recognized that his reactions were more inflammatory than mine. It made me wonder how often this self-awareness would occur when we eventually raise children. What's the right or wrong reaction? What if I'm supposed to be more upset?
There will be many questions and I know it's all situational, but I hope that when the time comes, we'll be able to recognize when we respond inappropriately and learn how to correct ourselves. What Ava has taught us so far: as long as we can communicate and/or compromise our values and expectations, we'll be alright parents.
Adding a fur baby to your family will be a different experience depending on the personalities of both the owners and the animals themselves. It's definitely not easy but as long as you are patient and willing to learn and grow with your pet, it is totally worth it.