Sweet Ruby

Yesterday Ruby had her second vet appointment for her second set of shots. Everyone there loves her, the techs always take her back to show her off to everyone after her appointment(s). Here are her current stats...

Age: 10 weeks
Weight: 8 lbs (she is up 2 pounds!)
Tricks: can "sit", "come", and "howl" on command
House training progress: I'd say we are 85%

Ruby's 1st week with us was a learning process for myself. I have never potty trained a puppy before so everything was new to me. I swear it was like reliving those first few weeks with Brooke (my first baby)and being excited and scared at the same time. I wanted to do everything right and not screw up. Ha ha! At her first vet appointment (about 4 days after adopting her) I showed up to her vet appointment with a list full of questions just like a new mom with a her first newborn!

Ruby's second week with us was a very hard one for me. I read many different articles on potty training a puppy and decided to bunker down and get serious. I spent the entire week in the kitchen training her. By Wednesday/ Thursday I saw the results of my hard work and dedication! Happy day! Ruby started to understand where her poops and peeps went...outside, and she quickly would alert me at the back door to go outside and potty. It was great.

Ruby's third week (this week) has been wonderful. It was time to establish a routine. My two children thrived on routine and it made for one happy and well rested mama and papa. This week I have established her potty times. I now know when to expect her to poop and to pee. Ruby will give me two poops in the morning at about the same times (give or take 1/2 hour and two poops in the latter part of the day. She will poop after I pick up Brooke from school and after dinner/before bedtime around 6:30/7. She will alert me when she needs to pee and I will also take her out to pee after her two naps. Yes Ruby takes about 2-3 naps a day. (How else am I supposed to get my housework done and spend time with Bo?) Each are about an hour, the afternoon nap is about an hour and 1/2. She loves her bed/crate and often times won't want to come out to play but I make her anyways. This week since she has been doing so well with potty training I have allowed her back in our living room as a reward. We have been accident free this entire week and that makes me very happy. I anticipate an accident in the future since she is still young but as long as I'm on top of it and watching her closely and keeping her on a schedule she has been thriving. We do still need to work on the chewing, she knows that she is not allowed to chew on anything except her toys but I do catch her trying sneak in a chew or bite on something that is off limits but she quickly gives up after my stern "No". Ruby is still not allowed upstairs and she knows that. She cries at the bottom of the stairs for Bryan but quickly gives up after I distract her with a toy.

If there is anything out sweet little Ru has taught me it is to learn to love being outside. I'm not an outside kind of person at all but I've learned to like it. We have not taken her on any walks yet, not until she is fully vaccinated at 16 weeks but I do let her play on our front grass and our backyard grass. Ruby loves being outside. I try to take her out to play and get exercise as often as I can since the weather has been so amazing lately and because those hot summer days will be here before we know it. Ruby still loves to cuddle and still remains calm but can get quite active if she wants too. She will only bark and howl on command but won't do it on her own. I was expecting her to bark and howl like a normal dog but I guess that's her personality. I think she's an old soul.
We sure love having her as a part of our family.