Weekend With Bernie

That title is for the 3 of my siblings who texted and asked me if Bernie was named after Bernie Lomax from Weekend at Bernie's. Ha,ha! No, he is named after the Brewers mascot, Bernie Brewer. Seth says his name is Sir Bernard Henderson King Johnson but that is lame. It is just Bernie.

So let me tell you about the past few days of my life. After my last post it got worse, way, WAY worse. When Seth got home on Friday evening I handed him the dog, grabbed the keys and took off. I hear about people doing that with their babies but I never even thought about it. Babies were easy breezy for me, even the one who cried for a solid year never rattled me, but puppy man was a whole new bag of tricks.

Seth took care of him on Friday night and put him to bed. We thought he would at least sleep because he slept 8 hours the first night but on Friday night he howled. ALL. NIGHT. LONG. He slept for maybe one hour. Seth laid nearby but he was inconsolable.

On Saturday morning I got him out of bed and he was shaking for 2 hours. He would not eat that day and he was puking all morning. I am sure he was just scared to death and sad about leaving his momma but it still had me so unnerved. I had to lock myself up and cry for awhile and take deep breaths to keep from puking. Even Alyssa said she was worried we had made a mistake because he had everyone physically and emotionally exhausted. Chloe was acting jealous like he was a new baby and I was going through that horrible guilt you have when you do have a new baby and realize how much time it takes away from your other kids. I also realized how much my kids still rely on me. I thought they were somewhat self reliant but they kept needing my time and I couldn't get to them and it felt terrible.

But by about 10:00 on Saturday morning things started to get better. He decided that I was his new momma and he stopped crying. He started to pee and poop outside and he even went in his crate for 30 minutes. I had to put my foot in there and let him lay by it but he eventually let me shut the door and walk away. We took him to a church picnic and he was a hit. He really is a very sweet little creature.

By Saturday night he seemed pretty comfortable with us and went to bed with no drama. We have to calm him down before we shut the door to his crate but then he will stay in there without fussing.

Sunday was even better. He started to get playful and will run and play games with us outside. He went in his crate once in the morning for 30 minutes and then for 2 hours while we were at church (I didn't dare leave for 4 hours so I only went to teach my class) without crying. I guess he may have cried while we were gone but he was not crying when we left or when we came back. He was awake but calm and peaceful in his bedroom.

Potty training is going better than I could have hoped. He had 7 accidents on Friday, 2 on Saturday and only 1 yesterday. He pees on command most of the time, better for Seth than for me, and he even stood by the door twice when he had to go. I am sure we still have lots of accidents ahead but I think he is starting to get it already? Either that or he just has spastically observant owners who want to get through this particular obstacle of puppyhood ASAP. Of course while I am typing this I left Alyssa in charge. He was napping in her arms and I told her to take him out the second he woke up but instead she plopped him down in the kitchen alone and he had an accident. So much for a perfect potty day, and shame on me for shirking my potty responsibilities.

So anyway, things are looking up. He now loves me and Seth equally and is happiest when he is near us but if we need to leave the room he doesn't cry. We still don't leave him for more than a few minutes because of the whole potty thing. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. He is falling in to a routine. He is happy in his kitchen space so we have now allowed him in the living room but he can only come in there if he is in his space (a soft dog bed we have in there) or being held.

I still wake up with a pit in my stomach and I have lost 4 pounds in 4 days so hopefully my nerves will settle soon or I will have to market my anxious owner, new puppy diet and make a fortune.

I have learned so much in the last few days. I have learned that having a puppy is way harder than having a newborn. Someone should have told me to fly aunties or grandmas out here to help with the puppy because I have needed them even more than I did when I had a baby. When you get a puppy the church should bring in meals, and take your other kids. Okay, I am kidding but it really felt that chaotic.

I have also learned that having a puppy gets you invited in to a community of dog owners. You know how when you have a baby, you are suddenly connected to other moms and share birth stories and child rearing tips? Well, it is the same with a dog. The people down the street who I had never met came to ask if he was a Cockapoo and tell me about their Cockapoo. Then at the ward picnic all the dog mommies came and swapped dog stories. Thankfully they assured me that it won't stay this hard or else no one would do it.

I am also thankful for a good breeder who really helped me prepare and gave loads of advice. When I couldn't get him to eat all day her suggestion to mix in a dab of plain yogurt was magic. I did that twice and now he will eat when I feed him, without yogurt.  She helped me know what toys to buy, what to feed him (even sent home a bag of high quality food) and how to potty train.

The vet was also great and assured me that he is a perfect dog and also that a Cockapoo is an ideal "breed", which is why they charge you purebred prices for them. She told me to try bacon for potty training instead of his usual treat and that was magic. Who wouldn't pee if it was the only time they got bacon?

And hallelujah for books about raising dogs. I may have overkilled on the research but it has given me so much more confidence and taught me so many things that work.

So that is way more mind puke than I meant to dump on you but it is getting better. LONG way to go, but getting better.

Oh and if you are wondering if I like the dog? I do. I am a mommy so when a sad little critter without a mommy picks you it does soften your heart a bit. He is clean and fluffy and does not feel gross like other dogs. He does not shed, even when we brush him. I can hold him and carry him around but he is not allowed to lick my face and I am the only one who won't kiss him but I am doing better than I thought I would. I still think this will be the one and only dog I ever own. Cockapoos live 15-20 years (seriously, that long!) and I think that will be all the dog I ever need, but I do plan to keep fighting through the puppy challenges because I am awfully stubborn and I am pretty determined to make this work.