The Joys of a New Puppy

Well we brought our new red merle Mini Aussie puppy home on November 30, 2008. He was tiny at only 2 lbs and only 6 weeks old. I would have left him at the breeders longer but wasn't too impressed with the living conditions or care so decided he was better off with me...It's not that the dogs weren't healthy, because they were, it just was..not up to my standard of living I guess.

The first week has been a LOT of work! He came home and got a bath in the sink, which was pretty easy considering he is so small. Housebreaking is coming along, I am trying to get him to use puppy pads as it is too cold for him to go outside and he shivers :( Can't have that! If I leave him alone he cries and cries, and I really can't take it! I tried putting him in his crate overnight but just can't leave him there when he cries for so long...so I ended up sleeping with him on the couch most of the week. I tried putting him in his crate on a table by the couch so he could see me and I could put my fingers in his crate. Whoever suggested that was nuts...I'd just fall asleep and he'd chomp on my fingers! OUCH! He'd usually sleep in the crate until 2:30 then wake me up so he could go potty...then he wanted to play and I couldn't seem to get him to go back to sleep...so I played with him because the only other option was putting him back in the crate and he'd just cry and I'd be awake anyway...So back to sleep around 4:00am only to be woken up at 5:00 when DJ leaves for work. Then I'd take him upstairs and he'd sleep in bed with me until 9:00 or 10:00, I never sleep that late but boy I was just so tired from being up all night! Really made it hard with work and school and riding to find time for everything.

He is getting a little better. We had one pretty good night of sleep in his crate, and one pretty good night of sleep in my bed. Last night I tried to let him just sleep in bed with me but he wouldn't lay down and wanted to play, and peed on the bed so all the blankets are in the wash.

It was also hard finding food that he liked. I picked up some Beneful on the way home after we got him and mixed it with formula...he ate it alright but wasn't too eager which I didn't like. After researching what I should feed him I picked up some Natural Balance and he ate it better than the Beneful but still not as good as I was hoping he would. I found that if I added formula he would drink the formula and leave most of the food. So it has been kinda hard getting him to eat all week. Yesterday after yet another trip to the pet stores I picked up a sample bag of Orijen to conduct a "taste test". The Orijen won HANDS DOWN! My little puppy ate and ate and ate, even if I mixed the Orijen with the Natural Balance he would pick it out. He was attacking his food! I was so happy to see him eating vigorously that I think I overfed him and he drank a lot of water...which led to issues during the night, of course. He went in his crate twice last night, which normally he wakes me up so I can take him to his puppy pad. He also peed on the floor and on the bed...I think I counted 7 pees from 10pm to 7am! Jeeeesh! He is tiny I have no idea how he can hold that much but apparently he just had to go...and go and go and go and go and go... I think today he won't gorge himself and hopefully will be more regular...

Also started clicker training him two days ago. He is SO smart that I think it will be fairly simple. He is already getting "sit" very well, and this morning seemed to start getting "down". He loves the clicker game and his focus is unbelieveable for such a young pup. He can be pretty darn hyper but when we are working he settles down and pays very good attention.

His energy level is up from a week ago. He has had one play session with a toy fox terrier pup that is 12weeks old and 4lbs and he definitely held his own! It was great for him (and for me...finally someone that can wear him out!). He also loves my little sister who is 11, almost 12. I think he is pretty sure she is a big squeaky toy, his little tail wags the whole time she is here. I can't wait til the weather is better so I can take him outside, but right now he just really doesn't like it (even with a coat).

He has gone everywhere with me for the last week, I got a little puppy bag, the kind where just his head sticks out. I have been putting my hand over his head so no one can see him :) We have been all over!

When I go to work during the day I really can't leave him crated because I don't think he can physically "hold it" for that long yet. My grandpa built me a 3' x 5' puppy pen so Finn can have a potty area, play area, and sleep in his crate during the day. When he is older I will increase the amount of time he is crated because I really do think that works best for potty training.

And that's about it for now...Only other thing I can think of is that he is SOOOoo cute when he "talks" when he is excited that I get home. He has a certain whine and it's really adorable, his "I'm so happy your home! I'm so happy your home! Don't leave me! I'm so happy your home!" So so so cute :)