Puppy Raising #RealTalk
I try to be as positive as possible when talking about my puppy on the internet, as I know things can be misconstrued in many different ways, that were not intended by the author. However I do want to keep this blog as "real" as possible when it comes to being a puppy raiser.
The truth of the matter is this, there are times when being a puppy raiser ISN'T fun. (All you newbies take notes!) Of course this is not specific to raising a guide dog, but just being a puppy/dog owner in general. There are times when your pup is going to frustrate the life out of you, and there are times when you just can't bare to let them go.
There are times when you have to put the dog in his/her crate for your sanity sake. There are times you have to call another raiser to take your pup for a couple of days for the sake of your sanity.
This doesn't mean that you don't love your dog, or that your dog isn't going to make a good guide dog (hopefully, eventually) but that sometimes your toddler/teenager is in need of a change of pace.
I'm getting closer to that point at the moment. Over the last couple of weeks David has discovered some new talents, annoying talents if you really want to know. This is completely normal, all my dogs went through "brain farts" and we lived through them (by the hairs of our chinny chin chins) but that doesn't mean going THROUGH them was a piece of cake, or the mild annoyance we made it seem like online.
Sometimes I do feel as if I want to pull my hair out.
Sometimes I feel as if we can last another day.
Sometimes I don't care if he even makes it as a guide dog.
Sometimes I feel if one more thing happens I'm going to loose it. (I don't know what loosing it exactly, looks like..but I'll let you know if it happens)
Sometimes I don't know if I can keep the line in the sand as deep as it needs to be.
Then I remember, this is number seven Erin. Yes he's completely different than any other dog you've had in your home to date, but they weren't all same, you've made it through them, you can make it through another.
Times like this is when I reflect on the pre-teen stage. The calm compliance, the eagerness to be with us, the playing with actual dog toys. Sigh. Once whatever demon has possesed his mind at the moment subsides I know he will be great...
But until then, I just try not to kill him.
The truth of the matter is this, there are times when being a puppy raiser ISN'T fun. (All you newbies take notes!) Of course this is not specific to raising a guide dog, but just being a puppy/dog owner in general. There are times when your pup is going to frustrate the life out of you, and there are times when you just can't bare to let them go.
There are times when you have to put the dog in his/her crate for your sanity sake. There are times you have to call another raiser to take your pup for a couple of days for the sake of your sanity.
This doesn't mean that you don't love your dog, or that your dog isn't going to make a good guide dog (hopefully, eventually) but that sometimes your toddler/teenager is in need of a change of pace.
I'm getting closer to that point at the moment. Over the last couple of weeks David has discovered some new talents, annoying talents if you really want to know. This is completely normal, all my dogs went through "brain farts" and we lived through them (by the hairs of our chinny chin chins) but that doesn't mean going THROUGH them was a piece of cake, or the mild annoyance we made it seem like online.
Sometimes I do feel as if I want to pull my hair out.
Sometimes I feel as if we can last another day.
Sometimes I don't care if he even makes it as a guide dog.
Sometimes I feel if one more thing happens I'm going to loose it. (I don't know what loosing it exactly, looks like..but I'll let you know if it happens)
Sometimes I don't know if I can keep the line in the sand as deep as it needs to be.
Then I remember, this is number seven Erin. Yes he's completely different than any other dog you've had in your home to date, but they weren't all same, you've made it through them, you can make it through another.
Times like this is when I reflect on the pre-teen stage. The calm compliance, the eagerness to be with us, the playing with actual dog toys. Sigh. Once whatever demon has possesed his mind at the moment subsides I know he will be great...
But until then, I just try not to kill him.
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