Living with a Puppy means...

Life with Rex is like living in a perpetual revolving door.

Each day revolves around the following activities:

Standing outside waiting for puppy to go potty countless times a day and in all kinds of weather!

Having to step over dog squeaky toys, chew toys, bones and other puppy paraphernalia.

Lots of play, (remember all that puppy paraphernalia)

intermixed with a little sleep here and there,

And the occasional bath.

No wonder I feel a little dizzy and like I'm not getting anything accomplished.

All I can say is it's just a good thing he's so cute!

It's Up to Me

I am grateful for the lessons even a puppy can teach me.

We are in the middle of crate training at night.  T-Rex is not yet sleeping through the night consistently, and, honestly, it is getting old.  I feel like I have a new baby again and I am too old for the sleep deprivation that brings!

Last night he was up at 1:06 am (yes, I remember the exact moment!).  We first thought we could tough it out, ha!  He had a Urinary Tract Infection a couple of weeks ago and I was wondering if that was back, so Dave (thank you!) got up and took him outside.  Rex went back to his crate

I didn't hear from him again until 6:12 am.  After I took him outside since it was still so dark and cold I decided I wanted to crawl back under my covers.  So, I put Rex back to bed.  He was not happy about that, but I was determined to exercise some tough, I'll-show-you-who's-in-charge, kind of love.  I knew all his needs had been met and he just wanted to play.  I stayed in my bed and listened as he complained loudly, hoping to capture anyone's attention.   He protested off and on (mostly on) for over an hour before I finally got into the shower so I didn't have to hear him anymore.

While I was lying in bed trying to ignore his complaints I was reminded of a valuable principle - We do not have control over another's actions, only over our responses.   I could not control Rex's complaining (getting him out of the crate was not an option) but I was able to control how I responded to his incessant barking and howling!  I was not happy about his actions, but I did not allow my emotions to be taken hostage by a little puppy!  What could have been an incredibly bad start to a day (I know, because it has happened before!) was instead an empowering lesson on the capacity I really do have to control my thoughts and thereby my emotions, actions and results -  even when the world around me is bidding me do otherwise.

For all you animal rights activists that might be reading this:
Rex was totally fine when I finally released him from his crate!
Oh, and I do plan on contacting the vet to get her take on whether that UTI could be acting up again.