Given the lifespan of a dog, this is pretty much a one time shot at a childhood dog for the girls and we want to do it right, so we had a big talk with Sierra about what's involved with taking care of a dog. She will be spending some of the money she's saved up to contribute towards the cost of the vet, food, collar, leash, toys and puppy classes. She will be attending puppy training classes too(as much for her as the puppy). There wasn't much time last night to do much, but starting today, she will be putting food out and taking her outside and poop scooping. I know she's just a kid and at the end of the day, I'm the one who has to make sure the puppy's taken care of, but I've learned kids are largely capable of meeting your expectations, so I'm setting them slightly high. Obviously, we'll do the middle of the night potty breaks and things like that and she will handle (with guidance and supervision) all the daytime stuff she's physically capable of.
So, without further ado....Carly!
3 comments:
I was still pondering your decision!! Since we lost our dear Shania dog last month (the Miniature Pincher we've had for 14 years), I was really leaning toward getting the puppy...heck, I'm having a tough time not keeping one of the pups from the litter we have right now! You were a bit concerned about travel, but I've found that our dogs travel quite well and love to go camping/hiking. It also makes me feel better to have a dog in camp to let us know if anyone is approaching after dark. She's a cutie pie! It will certainly make the transition easier for both kiddos...a good distraction for sure!
Cute puppy, but I cannot get over what a mini-Kimberly Sierra is! Oh my!
Steph--I'm sorry to hear about Shania! :-( My childhood dog was a minature sheltie that lived to 14. Angel's 11 and I don't think she's got much time left--the cataracts and joint discomfort is setting in. I'm thinking of making this dog a "take along" when appropriate. Angel was a stray I found when she was past that prime socialization stage and she's just not a good "out in public dog"--sweet, but no manners and I'm not going to foist a 70 pound ill-behaved dog on other people/animals, ya know? I'm the only one she listens to also (I had her before I met Josh) so that makes it even harder. I'm excited about starting with a young pup and doing the best we can with the socialization/training aspect.
Rachel--absolutely! And it goes beyond looks....she's totally a little mini-me. In a way it's good because I can understand just how frustrated/upset she's feeling. On the other hand, I want so badly to make that easier for her and I didn't figure it out until my early 20's, so I'm not sure what to do for her! I start with the parenting/education I thought I wanted when I was little and tweak liberally where needed! ;-)
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