Sleepless Nights

Sleepless nights are a thing again for my wife and me. I have insomnia, so it isn’t a big issue for me, but the wife is not happy that Luna is not sleeping through the night. I also forgot how much a puppy sleeps. This spoiled puppy has to be snuggling someone or she will not stay sleeping and will cry. I work from home so that means sometimes I have to work from the recliner so that she will sleep while I am conducting online training. On the off time that I cannot sit with her, my kids are more than happy to be her snuggle buddy.

When you have a 10-week old puppy and a 2-year-old St Bernard/Golden retriever mix, it's hard to know what is playing and what is sibling aggression. The last week we have been getting our existing dogs adjusted to the new baby in the house. Lola, our 100lb Golden Saint, loves her little sister, but sometimes her way of showing love is the puppy’s entire head in her mouth and a not so gentle shake of the head. I cannot tell you the amount of anxiety this is causing me. Having a puppy is hard work. Having a puppy and a not so gentle giant is one of the scariest things I have ever witnessed. As the weeks go on they are getting better at playing and knowing each other’s limitations. Our Shi Tzu wants nothing to do with the puppy. He is a grumpy 7-year-old and could care less as long as she is not near him.

We have our first Vet visit on Friday. Luna’s current weight is 11.8 lbs, and she is growing quicker than we can keep up. I am not sure if it is because she will soon become my constant companion, but I am hyper-vigilant about everything that has to do with her. Even the growth that has caused her to seem too skinny this last week, has me researching her food intake and if I am caring for her properly.  My wife feels like the puppy is triggering PTSD symptoms and we are being cautious to make sure we are tracking the symptoms. I am not sure that I was fully prepared for the wear and care of a new puppy, but I don’t think anyone is ever fully ready for important things that come into their lives and change their world.

-Juan Perez