Rose Cottage Ltd

In the 10 years I had my last dog, CoCo, I became completely spoiled at this dog-owner gig. CoCo was so low-maintenance and our schedules and routines were so ingrained after a decade that I think I forgot how well behaved and smart he really was.

After the death of CoCo, on to the scene comes Puppy Cato and after two weeks, I am longing for the (hoped for) time he will have learned the ways of his new world.

Don’t get me wrong – Cato is a smart and fairly well-behaved puppy and a great addition to the house after the loss of CoCo.

However, I forgot that puppies don’t just have teeth, they have NEEDLE-SHARP teeth – and they like to chew – on anything and everything – including my arm! I went into the bank last week and had to wonder if they thought I had either just filmed a slasher movie or if I might be a needle-using drug addict with some really bad aim!

Cato also doesn’t yet understand the difference between “inside” and “outside.” Well, he does about 50% of the time, I just never know which 50% I am dealing with for which “event.” He’s getting better and I’m consistently using one door as “outside” for his bathroom moments. He seems to be getting the idea that heading towards the room with that door just might get him outside in time to do what nature commands.

I’ve had to puppy-proof my home again after 10 years of blissful ignorance. The good news is that in the 10 years since I got CoCo, there have been some products developed to make this initial puppy time much easier. During this week I’ll be shining a light on several that I wish I’d had before Cato’s arrival. Most are speeding my way today!

More tomorrow on some products that will make new puppy initiation a little less stressful for all involved.