Bringing Home Bonnie

It’s only 7 days into being a new dog mom and I’m completely “head over heels” for our new fur baby! My husband, Ty picked up our new German Shorthaired Pointer puppy last Tuesday in Cullman, AL and surprised me when I got home from work. We were supposed to have gotten her Wednesday, so our routine changed a day earlier than I was anticipating; meaning, I thought I would have one more night of full sleep before going almost three days without. But, it’s all been worth it because she is the sweetest thing y’all!

Getting this puppy wasn’t a snap decision though. We have been married for almost a year now and while we are both big dog people, we are also major social butterflies. So, our weeks and weekends mostly consist of friends, outings, and dinners along with a very strict TV-watching schedule that allows for zero interruptions (Game of Thrones, Real Housewives, This is Us). Anyone else? 

Not to sound selfish, but we enjoy our pickup and go lifestyle, and when you add a dog into the mix things get a little less spontaneous. After a year of being newlyweds, we finally started to feel like maybe a slow-down wouldn’t be a bad idea.  If you or someone you know is thinking about making a new 15-year commitment to a new best friend, here are some questions and situations to ponder.

Do you have the right accommodations?

• • We were living in a 2 story townhome for a little over a year and just recently moved into our own house with an amazing backyard. The townhome was great for us, but we didn’t have any yard space of our own and we knew that we wanted a big dog and that just wouldn’t be fair to them.
    • If you live in an apartment there are a few dog breeds you might want to rule out.

Does Your Daily Lifestyle Fit into Caring for a Puppy?

Do you work from home/live close to work? Will you have easy access to the puppy? Thankfully, Ty is in sales and his schedule allows him to work from home and only sends him out for short periods during the day. Also, our new house is only a 15-minute drive from my office so I am able to go home and let our dog out on my lunch break when Ty can’t be there. It’s still so hard to leave her during the day! The first few days I really felt sick about leaving her at home all alone. I can’t speak for my pup, but into my second week as a new dog owner, the separation anxiety is getting better.

Is (Dog) Mom Guilt a Real Thing?

I’m really considering asking my employer for Pupternity Leave. I actually Googled yesterday if it was a real thing and Google says, YES it is!! In the UK they call it Pawternity Leave and employers are actually allotting time to their employees so they can acclimate their new dogs into the home. You guys, the dog mom guilt is real!

We’re feeling like we’re almost ready to add a dog to our family, but we had one final contingency to consider and we think it’s pretty important.

When is the Best Time of Year to Get a New Puppy?

What’s the best season to train your new dog in? Do you have big travel plans coming up? We knew we were going to Ireland for eight days this summer, so we didn’t want to get a puppy and then have to leave her right away. We also knew that the fall would be ideal for potty training and other forms of training since the weather in the South is delightful during these months. Taking the dog outside to use the bathroom every two hours in the freezing cold of winter… no, thank you.