Miss Ivy Rose

Little Miss Ivy Rose is a handful! She was 10wk old and 7lbs when we picked her up from her foster home on Friday June 15^th. It was a two hr drive of anticipation to meet her! Her foster parents were so sweet and she was the smallest one they had at the time. We were shocked by how small she was! We have never had a puppy this young or small before! The two hr ride home she slept and only woke because she had to potty!

Now a week later we are all adjusting fairly well to each other and the daily routine. She is doing better at night in her crate—she sleeps with a Snuggle Pup and has two night lights and a sound machine. Her crate is in our room so she doesn’t feel so alone. She is getting on a schedule of only waking once at night, after holding it 5hrs and wants to get up to play at 6:30am. She goes out for a long walk and plays until around 7:30 and then likes to sleep for an hour or two. We are trying to encourage her to take naps in her crate but most of the times she has a different plan. We have also started crating her for short times during the day when neither of us can be home with her. She does very well during the day! We always make sure she has gone potty and is worn out by lots of play before she goes in. We have learned there is a balance of naps –too many or too long and she keeps us up all night, too few or not long enough and she isn’t happy. So we are still learning! We are working on not chasing the ducks or chickens and about 90% of the time she does great. She is still learning her boundaries with the outside and inside cats; they are quick to remind her. Ivy is getting better at walking on a leash and learning what certain words mean. She is very close to being house trained. She will not potty in her crate, in the car or on furniture but when she is playing in the house she won’t always let us know when she has to go. We are working on this by following her around the yard and giving her treats when she “goes” outside. She has quickly caught on and will look up at you when she is done, waiting for her treat. She also learned her name by the second day! She is a really smart girl

and I think she will take to training really well!

Ivy Rose starts Puppy Preschool Thursday July 5^th! We are so excited! She will also be going to Doggie Daycare once she has had all her puppy shots and is 4 months. We thought that would be a great way to get her socialized with other dogs. After she starts Daycare we will enroll her in Beginner Obedience Classes. She is a very busy girl but we are hoping all this will help her be a good girl and help us be better owners. We are also reading lots of Cesar Millan books!

We are eager to see what she looks like when she gets older—how tall when she be, what will her face look like?

I am really trying hard to go with the flow of things—my anxiety is still a little high from all the stress of the last few months but I am doing my best. Sometimes the anxiety still gets the best of me but I am a firm believer in “Fake it till you make it!” Meaning if I go through the correct motions at some point that will become the new normal and feel more natural, it has worked for me many times in the past!

Duste has been wonderful through all my issues and reactions. I don’t know how she does it—sometimes I act so bipolar it is crazy. But those are the times I am trying to fake it then my anxiety takes over. She is always right there with me doing her best to make things better and to make me happy, taking all the crap I give her when my true issue is with myself or someone else. I hate that I put her through so much. I am seriously considering going to a Dr to get a better grip on this. I don’t want to be put on pills, I don’t want to have to take another pill but I can’t keep doing this to her. I love you Duste and I am sorry I am such a mess~I am trying to fix it, I swear! I would be so lost without her….