Battle Scars

One week ago, Sage and I took the plunge we had been pondering for months and adopted a puppy. We had decided on a Vizsla, a breed I have wanted for years. A smaller version of a Weimaraner, they are known for their calmer temperament. Took us a few days but we finally came up with a name, Bill. The last week has been an adventure to say the least. Although Bill is a quick learner, he still is a puppy and we had jumped into this thinking we would come up with a training plan as we got to know him. We have taught him to sit and come and more or less pee outside but I have had this constant worry in the pit of my stomach every since we got him. Like he came to us this perfect little puppy and our actions have the opportunity to chip away at this perfection day by day. Sleep has evaded me most nights as I check on him every time he shifts in his crate by the bed, wondering if he is happy or his bladder is about to explode.

It has definitely been fun though. Taking him to the dog park and dog beach, watching him play with every single dog he encounters. His charm even inspires the most tired old dogs to playfully hop around with him. Despite his energy outside, at home he is a totally couch potato and loves inserting his body into whatever space he can find between us or just spreading his 24 lb. body out across as much of the couch as possible when sitting alone. Most nights we find ourselves in a 3-some embrace on the couch with small puppy head and legs sticking out in every direction.

Still, it is work and has completely staved off any desire I have had for a real human baby. After a completely sleepless night on V-day (spent arguing with sage about training tactics and checking on the Bill), we groggily dragged ourselves to a local outdoor breakfast joint with doggy in tow. We picked a table next to an older couple with a cute spaniel and Bill and he made googally eyes at each other across the aisle. The couple left and was replaced by a young hip couple with two huge dogs, one a very solid tiger-print pitbull and the other an unusually heavy yellow lab. The pit seemed sort of interested in Bill and his playful sniffing but the enormous lab curled her lip at him and then sat down. In hindsight, I should not have ignored this but at the time I just figured it was an initial dislike that would not amount to anything. The dogs kept shifting around and after 15 minutes I hear a loud snarl and horrifyingly, the desperate yelping of my new perfect puppy. I grabbed him and held him but he was wiggling and crazed and continued to cry hysterically for at least a minute. When we finally calmed him down we found a cut on his lower eyelid and the top of his head. The lab had chomped him and he was lucky he did not lose an eye! At the end of my wits in my sleep deprived state, I started bawling and told sage i was taking him out of teh restaurant. I cradled him in my arms tightly to calm him down b/c he was still shaking and walked to a bench at the other side of the park. Restaurant patrons, park goers who had overheard literally followed me to see if he was ok. Then the cops pulled up and kicked me out of the park which apparently did not allow dogs. Amidst it all I was still crying and surely looked like one of those crazy dog people. I just could not calm down. After I had settled down further away, a homeless man approached and said he had also heard and wanted to check on Bill. He reassured me that motherhood was tough but that Bill would be ok and things would get esaier. Then he gave me the peace sign and strolled away. Sage finally joined me and said we should get him to the ER vet (since it was the weekend) and that the owner of the lab had paid for our breakfast and said he would pay any associated bills.

Once at the vet we found a cut inside Bill's ear and he had developed a bloody nose, which was kind of freaky. The vet did not seem worried and patched him up and checked for eye ulcers and we were on our way. I got a much needed nap while sage hung out with Bill, who seemed completely recovered and was romping around the yard within minutes of being home.

We are finally settling into a groove with the training and I am feeling less nervous about screwing him up. It will just be how it is I suppose. I have the Monks of New Skete guiding my training program and we also start puppy pre-school next saturday where he will be able to socialize with other pups and we will all learn some basic obedience stuff.

I woke up this morning confident that we would have no accidents and i would actually be able to get some writing done at home while he peacefully slept in the kennel. While I was preparing his breakfast, I looked at him on the couch to make sure he wasn't doing anything bad and low and behold he was in the process of drenching the couch in pee! It looks like a fire hose (ok, a tiny fire hose) was let loose in here. Jeez, will it never end?