Meet Puppy Walt

Walt and Me

Currently, I'm sitting on my couch, typing away on my iPad, taking small sips of my coffee and putting the mug down without a sound. A few minutes ago it took me 7 minutes to start a load of laundry because I tried to adapt to my kitty's ability to move with silent stealth.

Why all of this quiet? The puppy is asleep.

If he was awake, there is no way I would be writing this blog. In fact, I've even considered crating him for an hour or so to get some work done around the house. I know some would chastise me for it, saying I am an awful puppy mom, but work has got to be done.

We've had Walt/Walter/Walt Whitman for 2 weeks now. Last week, I said to E, as he was chomping through his waffle, that we'd had Walt 1 week, and he stopped mid-chew and looked at me with awe.

"It's only been 1 week?" Even at 2 weeks, I still feel the same way.

It seems like yesterday that my friend, Anna, and I drove up to Statesville and brought home this ball of fluff. This ball of fluff that has grown in the 2 week we've had him. He is now 10 lbs and eats like a hog. He also chews on everything. It seems like we just got him and yet it seems as if our life has always been like this.

Some things we've learned in the last 2 weeks:
1. We understand why homeowners don't want to rent a house to someone with a pet. If we weren't so careful, Walt would chew up everything, but he hasn't chewed anything yet. He did attempt to chew the tile floor in the kitchen, which was laughable. I stopped him merely for his own sake.
2. Puppies are sad their first night away from their parents/siblings and cry all night long, preventing anyone in the house from sleeping.
3. Praise works best. Food too.
4. When in doubt, take them out. Walt hasn't had an accident since last Thursday.
5. Watch out for tiny feet when going out the back door. Poor Walty got his foot stuck in the door and we had serious confusion about whether or not he was ok. My thoughts? "Great, we've had the dog 4 days and have already broken him."
6. E and Walt are BFFs.
7. By the time 10 pm rolls around, Tyler and I are exhausted.

But Walt is so cute that all of it is worth it. He is so much fun in moments when he's not biting my pants, shoes, socks, fingers, face, etc., and we are so thrilled to have him. I'm pumped for the day when he's big enough and vaccinated, so I can take him running with me.