Two weeks and she’s doubled in size!
And she’s always hungry. It’s making me very nervous. Is there some Great Dane there in her ancestry amongst the spaniel and poodle?
In general, things are getting easier. She’s reasonably well crate trained, and sleeping through the night. The schnoodles are still bitterly affronted by the whole business, but there’s definitely less growling, snapping, and leaving the room in a dramatic huff.
She’s chewing stuff more, any of my shoes as a preference, but her teeth are not yet sharp enough to inflict any real damage.
According to my brother who volunteers at a dog refuge, frozen carrots and broccoli are good for teething pups, so there’s always that as a back up (although the idea of fragmented remnants of rotting vegetables strewn about the floor doesn’t particularly appeal).
Toilet training requires constant vigilance. She’d always prefer to do her business out on the lawn where possible, which I guess is a plus – but if there is any sort of let or impediment, no matter how minor, she’ll just let rip on the most expensive piece of carpet she can find. So, it’s a work in progress.
I’m doing my best with the socialization – which I had thought meant hanging out with your canine buddies, but actually means exposing her to as many experiences as possible in the vital first four months – cats, loud traffic, men with hats, the lot. Our vet said that since they haven’t had a case of parvovirus in Karori (where her practice is based) for years , it would even be safe to take her for walks on the footpath up there, before she’s fully vaccinated. This sounds like a great idea, apart from the thought of actually deliberately driving to Karori now that I no longer live there and am not obliged to go there to get home. (With apologies to all the tormented souls who still live there) (“live”) However, these are the sacrifices I’m willing to make.