Prepared! Ready!

Who says you can't teach an 'old dog' new tricks?

  The 'old dog,' who is me ... 

is being taught by a young dog, 

who is Ragnar - or Rags, my new grand pup.

Ragnar - Rags

My son and daughter-in-law will be out of town for a week starting next Thursday.  Rags and Liv will be with me.  In preparation for this week long event, I suggested that Rags spend this weekend with me - just so I could do a dry run and be ready.

So Rags came to my house yesterday afternoon.  The day-before preparation looked a lot like this:

• Vacuumed the whole first level - so that no small objects, or leaves, or dust bunnies, or anything that could be found and swallowed.
• Strategically positioned paper towels and Nature's Miracle Pet treatment around the house for puppy accidents.
• Covered couch with crib pads.
• Set out chew bones for a small teething mouth.
• Arranged pet gates.
• Planned easy heat up left overs for 2 dinners - no elaborate cooking.
• Cleared to-do lists of everything - except Rags duty.

I was prepared.  I was ready.  

The first day went fine.  So fine, that when I reported back to my son after about 6 hours his comment was ... "So you get the calm sleeping puppy and I get the hound from hell."  Ha!

Last night.  Peaceful Pup!

Secretly I thought ... I am prepared.  I am ready.

Publicly I said ... oh, there is only one dog here, and Rags got a chance to play with the neighbor dog  so he is tired, and it is all new so he probably is just off his game a bit, and ... and ... and ...

BUT secretly I was thinking ... prepared and ready. (insert smug tone of voice here.)

Even as early as 6:00 am this morning I was thinking ... this will be a piece of cake.

Prepared! Ready!

Then I opened the crate door and let the fully rested happy puppy free.

Honeymoon was over.

A partial play-by-play:

• Out the front door for pee and poop.  Good dog.
• Puppy eyes noticed a yard full of cookies (mulch) - yikes!  Not good.  Much digging in his mouth to remove stuff. 
• Back in for his breakfast (eaten with breath taking speed!  So much for my own potty break.)
• Opps.  Poop on the rug!  Lesson #1 - always, always, always take puppy right out after eating.  Always! No matter how much they pooped and peed outside in the last 10 minutes, always!
• Out the door to pee!  Another mouth sweep for mulch cookies.  Another poop!  (wow, 3 poops).  Clean bottom of shoe of poop. *sigh*  Bright side, however, pooping done!
• Back in for more play .. and water. 
• Play with Grandma as she closes the sofa bed and covers the couch.  Puppy eyes - New game!!  tug of war with couch cover.  Lesson #2 - crate the pup if you want to do something that normally takes 10 minutes but with 'help' ... takes 60.
• Squat to pee on the rug - Lesson #3 - set the timer for 15-20 minutes reminders to take the puppy out. 
• Ding!  Timer goes off.  Out again.  Pee again. Poop again. (AGAIN! - this little dog is all colon.) Mouth sweep - AGAIN!
• Back in for more 'games."  Re-set the timer.
• Puppy Eyes - New Game!! The 'attitude adjustment spray water bottle' ... never assume it will be taken seriously.  Lesson #4 - EVERYTHING can be a toy, even a spray of water in the face.
• Barriers are no barriers for big bull doggie paws.  *sigh* Lesson #5 - wedge barriers firmly - and hope that visually impaired husband doesn't trip because he forgot about the gates.
• Ding!  And we are off and running again.

Those are big doggy paws.  I wonder about them!

All that before my morning coffee!

Later, nap time on the couch with Grandma!  It is 10:30 am.  Busy, busy morning for all.

Playing with a toy that no one has played with for probably 2 years.

Just like child birth, however, you forget what a pain he has been when he sits at your feet and looks up at you with that sweet puppy dog stare and that stubby tail shake.  He follows me all over.  Loves to sit or play touching some part of you.  I suppose he might take me more seriously if I wasn't laughing the whole time.

He loves to stay glued to your ankles.

It has been just a wonderful morning!  

Really!  

Puppy love.  It isn't forever.  Enjoy the ride.

Nothing says "I love you Grandma" than those eyes!