Hanging out and settling in...

Okay - so now we have a puppy. It has been 23 years since I had a puppy, not quite as many for Mike, since Bixter was bred 16 years ago - but still a long time. When we last had puppies, no one had heard of crate training, and pop/jerk the lead was the accepted method of training. So much has changed.

So, what do you do with a puppy when no one is home? To keep him safe, he needs to be confined in some manner – especially since I am not a stellar housekeeper. One option is his crate, but his movement would be really restricted. So we built a condo by gating off the doorways of our laundry area.


Don’t let the sad look fool you. He has plenty of space to romp, food, toys, water, and a nice soft bed. He also has walls and woodwork to chew, so we may have to revisit crating during the day. He also has a dog sitter who came to visit three times a week during the fall semester and once a week this semester, since Mike is working at home on his fellowship. Still, one must try to look as pitiful as possible when being thoroughly mistreated by one's family.

At first Dash was content to chew on his gate - and whenever caught, Mom resprayed bitter apple - otherwise he would be free by now. What mom didn't notice was the attempt to eat through the doorway into the kitchen. So we are now sporting a duct tape patch until that can be repaired. Silly puppy! I wish it had been the drywall instead of the door frame. I know how to fix the drywall.