In general, things with Bistro are going well. He is a bit more of a puppy than we had originally anticipated (he is 3), but if we walk him enough he does well. I'm a little nervous about tomorrow as he seems to really hate his crate, but he's not ready to be left alone out of it yet.
1) He's wearing a cone collar thing to stop him from licking a wound on his leg. He needs it. But it makes him really awkward.
2) The cats are still unsure about him -- especially the girl cat -- and I want them to be able to have free reign of the house and to be able to see him and get used to him with a wall between.
3) Because of his 'puppiness' he needs lots of walks and while we're at work we're not going to be able to walk him nearly as much which means he'll be less tired which means more chewing/wrecking type behaviors.
We've had him 48 hours so far, and he's generally doing great. He definitely has some separation anxiety, but it seems exacerbated by the crate. The first night he slept in the crate and I slept downstairs with him and he barked a lot. Last night we let him sleep downstairs outside of the crate and he did great! He barks sometimes, but he mostly seems to bark when he's in his crate, whether we're home or not.
I am the biggest worry wart in the world. I think this is what I've gotten out of all of this. I'm already thinking of what it will be like to have both a dog and a newborn. You know how you can usually leave a baby on the floor in the car seat? I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. We'll have to put the baby on the table.
I'm insane to be thinking of these things. I'm already worried that I won't be able to handle both the dog and the baby. I thought about this before, but I thought it would be okay. Thousands of people handle both a dog and a baby. Why am I any different from those people?
What is wrong with me!?!?
Life as an adoptive family.
My Story
- Rachel
- 4 miscarriages, 3 failed IVFs with PGD, 2 different sperm donors, 1 diagnosis of balanced translocation. Now we are the proud parents of a boy via domestic infant semi-open adoption. We had a failed match for kid #2 and are now matched again.
8 comments:
Adding a dog to your household is a huge change and your concerns are legitimate, but you can do this. Sign up for an obedience class ASAP - it will help you build your confidence as well as Bistro's.
Rachel, you have only had Bistro for about 48 hours! You need to give yourself some time to get used to him and vice versa. Plus, rescue dogs can come with some baggage, etc. Could you baby gate him into a bathroom or a laundry room or something so he is confined, but not stuck in his crate? When you bring home a baby, Bistro will probably be much calmer and you will do fine! :-) Don't get down on yourself or Bistro!
Give yourself a break :) Bistro is getting used to his surroundings. You'll be fine with a dog and a baby. By that time, he will have learned his boundaries and his anxiety will have been a thing of the past.
You can do it!! Pretty soon you will be an old hand at it. It sounds like Bistro is at home and loving his new family ;-)
You can do it! You have to give it some time...BTW, a friend of mine takes her dog to a doggie park after work...it totally tires him out. Maybe you can find one near you?
Wishing you luck!
Honestly I've had dogs since I was 12, and I still worry *all* the time about how on earth I'm going to manage our dogs and a baby. It's normal (to worry, that is). And I guess we'll just have to figure it out as it comes.
And like others said, everything is still new for you and Bistro, he should calm down significantly before a baby comes along. Even our wicked crazy shepherd *has* calmed down a lot.
For dealing with his energy, try buying treat balls and such.. things where he has to work hard to get the treats out. It exercises their mind and keeps them occupied. Also even just practicing commands like sit/down/stay/come for a little while can tire them out pretty good.
You know how you can usually leave a baby on the floor in the car seat? I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. We'll have to put the baby on the table.This is exactly what my brother and his wife did with their baby because of their adorable, but needy, dog. It worked out just fine.
Welcome, Bistro!
When we first got our greyhound we tried to put her in her crate. She howled a lot when we left so we just left the door open. She seemed to like the couch better than her crate and howled a lot less.
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