Miss Lily

Miss Lily has been with us just over two months now. Our neighbors are dog people (complete with barking all night dogs at times) and we have been conversing with them often as we are trying to figure out this little pup. They have two larger dogs (one's a pit bull) that were a real problem when we first brought Lily home. After some MAJOR socialization lessons, they are now all best friends. If either Lily or the neighbor dogs are out, everyone is whining that they aren't together. And Lily has learned how to get through their fence to go over for a visits whenever she wants. It's really strange to see how they are so attached to each other now.

We are amazed at how much she has grown in two short months. I'm not sure how much she weighs since we haven't been to the vet in a little while (even though she's due again), but looking at pictures makes it obvious.

House breaking has definitely been an adventure. And not in the good sense of the word. Every time we think we've got it under control, she back slides again. It gets very frustrating. She does great for so many days in a row, and then blows it. I can say happily that she has not gone Number One in the house in several weeks. It seems that whenever she goes Number Two, it's when we were busy with something else and not watching her signals, so I can't FULLY blame her.

Our neighbors warned us that right about the same time we get housebreaking under control, Miss lily would enter her Terrible Twos. Boy were they right! The little stinker will not leave ANYTHING she finds on the floor out of her mouth. The good thing is that it makes the boys pick up their stuff since they know Lily will eat it if they don't.

She is also becoming a MAJOR stinker to Minnie The Cat. She jumps at, nips at, and paws at the poor cat. I would feel really bad for Minnie, except for the fact that Princess Minnie can go ANYWHERE in the house, unlike to the dog, to get away from Lily and instead she just sits there staring at her.

Like I don't have enough problems with sibling rivalry with the boys, now I have it with the animals too.

Things got better when I'm on the computer, since I gave her one of the old laundry baskets with a blanket and all of her toys right on the floor next to me. Since she follows me around everywhere I go (ALL THE TIME) this way she has somewhere cozy to sit while I'm at the computer.

I got a temporary fence up in the back so Miss Lily can run around on her own, but if I'm not back there, Silly Lily sits at the fence and barks instead of running around. I really hope she grows out of this phase.

I think she has fleas again. I'm not sure. My other neighbor assures me it's because she spends so much time outside, but it really does freak me out if we're going to have BUGS all the time. I feel so dirty when we have bugs in the house. So I got some flea spray for inside the house and also treated the grass with bug stuff.

I also struggle with the fact that no matter how I CONSTANTLY clean, the house smells like dog. And Lily smells like dog. I really don't like the smell of dog. Not much more to say on that except for...Yuck!

She used to walk nicely on her leash and now she just wants to pull on you the whole time we're on a walk. My back has been hurting pretty badly again the last couple of weeks and it doesn't help to have the dog pulling me along, putting more stress on the already painful area.

Yes, Lily is fully part of the family. But I also have quite a few concerns coming up in the next few months. We're on borrowed time until her first heat comes, in which case we need to squeeze blood from a turnip and get her fixed. I also don't know what to do about her when I get a job this fall and I really don't know how to get her to go to the bathroom outside when it snows, considering she won't even go now if it's raining.

Would I do it over again? Believe it or not, I'm not sure. I am a person who likes things cut and dry and NOTHING with this puppy has been that way. Nothing is the same from day to day and she is not consistent or reliable in any way. But nevertheless, Miss Lily is here to stay. As much as she's driving me nuts, the house would definitely feel empty without her.