This first weekend with Lulu has been so much fun. She is definitely my little shadow, following me EVERYWHERE, including the bathroom. 😉 We had a really sleepless night (maybe 2 hours of sleep total for both of us), on Friday, but on Saturday I read up on some websites and downloaded Cesar Millan’s How to Raise a Perfect Dog to the Kindle (which was a godsend, in this situation, since I couldn’t leave to go to the bookstore). I learned that it’s normal for her to cry when in the crate in the beginning and to just ignore it and let her calm down. It took about 15 minutes, but she eventually quieted down. I absolutely hate hearing her cry, but I know this is all part of the process. We got about 6 hours of sleep on Saturday night and the same last night (progress!). Other than not really enjoying her crate or being without me, she’s doing absolutely wonderfully. She plays and cuddles, and she’s just an absolute doll. Potty training is going pretty well too. Only a few accidents, which is good for her first few days in a brand new environment. She’s getting the hang of going outside to go potty, which is fantastic. She really is a smart girl.
This morning I had her go in her crate (making sure she had toys and her favorite chew stick) so that I could do a bit of the Wii Fit. She was good for the first two minutes, before she realized she was going to be in there for a while. Then the crying started and increased, but I just ignored it and went on with the workout. The hilarious thing was that once I started doing the Advanced Step, she completely stopped. I’m sure she was thinking to herself, “what the heck is she doing?” with her head cocked to one side. 😀 Too funny. I got in about 10-15 minutes of the Wii, which isn’t great, but we’re making slow progress.
One thing she actually loves is going in the car and being in her car seat. I’ve taken her on two drives, and she seems to have a great time. I haven’t put the top down on the convertible with her in the car, but might try it and see how it goes. The cool thing about the Outward Hound doggie car seat is that it completely straps her in. I used a harness for extra security and to avoid any sort of choking incident, should we need to stop fast.
Today we have her first vet appointment, and I’m hoping she’ll get a clean bill of health. Once he clears her to go on longer walks, I’m planning on taking her to my favorite spot, the Rose Garden, which has tons of grass and trees, so she should love it. We could both use a good, long walk. I just want to be sure that her vaccinations, especially Parvo, are all good to go before exposing her to the “wider world.”
Tomorrow will be the first test of her crate. I have a nail appointment and will be gone for two hours. I’m sure she’s going to be whining in the beginning, but I really hope she’ll calm herself down after a while. I was planning on leaving the t.v. or radio on for her, for some company. My dad was saying that I might not want to start that habit, because when work starts up again and I have to leave her all day, I may not want to have the t.v. or radio on all day long. Do you guys think that’s a good idea?
Overall, Lulu is a little lovebug. A bundle of joy who I know is going to bring so much to my life. If she’s this good right now in her “terrible twos” of puppyhood, I can’t wait to see what she’s like once she’s a little older.
Lulu playing this morning. Notice she's right outside her crate.
Bella on the Beach 
Sounds like youre both doing fantastic! It’s certainly a period of transition for both you and the dog, and t here will be highs and lows, but you’ve really done your research, so I personally think youre doing a fantastic job!
what a cutie
Such a cutie, I want to bite her! 🙂 Re the tv/radio… if you have a ‘sleep’ feature you may want to turn the t.v. on, set it to turn itself off after 30 minutes or so, it might be enough to let her relax after you leave. I used to leave the t.v. on for Basil, but then he seemed to not really care (as he got older).
Joy, what a great idea! I think the t.v. does have the timer feature. This is the perfect solution.
So cute! I agree with what Joy said about the sleep timer, if you have one on your TV. That way the TV won’t be on ALL day but it will help Lulu transition to being alone some of the time.
I just got your comment about belly dance class; right now, I’ll say that I absolutely LOVE it, and I think you should try it! haha A post devoted entirely to belly dance class is in the works, so keep your eyes peeled. 😛
Great, I look forward to that post!
She’s adorable! I’m so glad it all went well and you’re enjoying her. I think your dad’s right about not starting the habit of her needing noise while you’re gone. It’s always hard in the short term when you’re training them to something they don’t like. But it’s well worth it in the long run!
She is soooo cute!!! Can’t wait for more lulu stories!!
Xo
Awe! It’s like having a baby! You’re making a great mommy! When we first got Thumbalina, she HATED the crate! When she saw that we (or I) were getting ready to leave, she would hide, and we’d have to find her! It broke my heart to see her give me those puppy eyes, as I placed her inside. Any who, I started giving her a special treat, that she only got when she was in her crate. Now she LOVES going in there! When she sees that we’re getting ready to leave, she hops right in, and eagerly awaits her treat! just a little tip, in case you need it 😀
It’s good to hear that Thumbellina (SUCH a cute name, btw) eventually got used to the crate. I’ve been doing that with the treats, too, so hopefully she’ll also learn to love it. I really appreciate the tip!
How Cute! I don’t have a puppy but I do have a cat that seems to act like no other, haha. I had a lot of problems getting my cat adjusted when we moved a couple of weeks ago and the one thing that really worked to help keep her calm was to leave a radio on. I just put a little clock radio in the loft with the volume down kinda low and she totally calmed down at night and now I can sleep. It’s worth a try and takes less electricity etc than a tv. Good luck 🙂