Going into week four of having a puppy, I have noticed many similarities between having a puppy and those toddler years.
The rocks, sticks and snack wrappers that are typically in my jacket pockets have been replaced by dog treats and things the puppy shouldn’t be eating (mulch is a big one).
There is a 50/50 chance I will call Roxy the name Emma especially when the pup is doing something wrong.
The toddler toys that used to clutter the floor have been replaced by dog toys.
I still haven’t mastered opening baby gates!
Just like a toddler, puppies like to put everything in their mouths.
Sleeping in is a thing of the past!
Toddler proofing= puppy proofing
Neither one of them knows how to close the patio door (or Emma just always forgot to).
The constant saying, “Let’s go potty,” or “Go potty!”
You go from checking if places are toddler friendly to if they are dog friendly.
Life sure has changed since bringing Roxy home, but certainly for the better! We look forward to lots of adventures, lots of snuggles and lots of fun with her!
AJ and I have always talked about getting a dog. There was always something getting in the way- travel, life, parenthood. At our old house, many people had dogs despite the small yards. We always talked about how we would get a dog if we had a bigger yard.
It was a cold night in November when AJ turned to me and said, “I think it’s finally time to get a dog!” I agreed, but we both thought waiting till spring would be best to get our pup housebroken.
We were having a lazy Martin Luther King day morning when AJ showed me a Facebook post about available Aussiedoodle pups. We had talked about wanting a hypoallergenic dog for both the lack of hair to clean up and for friends that have allergies. Aussiedoodles were on our list.
“Should we go see her,” I asked. On the fence a bit, we both thought I should first message the lady about the price etc. That night AJ and I talked a bit about names. One of the names we thought of was Roxy.
It took a day to hear back. I thought for sure that the pup was already claimed. I was on a break from subbing when I got a message back about coming to see the puppy. I texted AJ and said we were set to go see Roxy today after school.
In the meantime, we had kept it a secret from Emma. We told her that we were actually headed to a place to pick up wood for a school project. She seemed to buy it until we pulled up to the farmhouse. “What are we doing here,” she asked.
As we approached the house, there happened to be a pile of wood by the door. “We are really getting wood,” she said disappointedly. Despite hearing a bunch of dogs barking, we convinced her that all we were doing was grabbing the wood. With a sad face, I asked Emma to knock on the door.
Emma looked confused as we entered the house. We went into a room and waited for Roxy to come. She ran right up to AJ and Emma feeling safe and playful. Without saying anything, we played with Roxy giving her treats and throwing a ball.
As we talked with the owner about the breed, the parents and other important info, she mentioned, “We’ve been calling her Roxy.” AJ and I just looked at each other. We knew it was meant to be! AJ asked Emma, “Should we take her home?” Emma looked half like she was going to cry and half happy too. “Really,” she asked hopefully.
We went over the logistics and discussed picking her up the following week. Now it was time to get all the things we needed to make our home Roxy’s home.
Life sure has changed since we brought her home almost two weeks ago. It’s a lot like going back to the toddler days of proofing and time commitment. We are still learning. Roxy is still learning. But, we are doing it as a family. We couldn’t ask for anything more!
Adventures With My Little Ray 