Got a new puppy!!!

...sorry, I had to say it. I haven't told family members yet and I'm exploding.

He's an eight-week-old black and tan Miniature Pinscher. Curled up in a ball with his legs tucked in he's about the size of a pound of butter, plus a head. I think I'm going to name him Donnie, but I need to talk to my mom about it because she lost a teenage family member named that in a car accident. He's so cute! And hyper and bouncy and awesome. The only sucky thing is it's bad weather right now and even with a sweater (I cut head and leg holes in a fuzzy sock) he's freezing after a minute outside--bad time for housebreaking.

I have a six-year-old Yorkie X Maltipoo that I've had since she was eight weeks old as well. She's VERY jealous, and it's hard to prevent that because I have to be watching him ALL THE TIME until he's fully housebroken. When I went to get Donnie a collar/leash/etc. I bought her an enormous bully stick and cut it into pieces to chew, I'm hoping to keep her entertained enough that she'll forget about the attention he's getting.

I haven't told my parents yet, as they (mom at least) will disapprove, thinking it's bad timing. Partly because I haven't told her I got a job, and she'll think I can't afford him (I'm working as an escort and don't really want to tell her), and partly because training him will distract me from my schooling. I'll admit that it's bad timing where school is concerned, I'd be better-off mid-April after exams...but I'd never see this kind of deal again.

I got him from a friend of a friend, about my age, with two min-pins that she decided to let have one litter before she fixed them. There were four puppies, extremely well socialised (I picked the shyest one and he's not shy, just not quite so in-your-face). They'd all been spoken for, but the people who were getting the two boys had a family emergency and backed out at the last second. I got my pick of the two--two days after I heard they were available. She was only asking $200, including first shots and a starter kit (food sample, toys, flea-treatment, brush, toothbrush, brochures, and a couple of pee mats that I'll try to avoid using as I don't want him going inside at all. Usually they'd be $500+, and you don't see min-pins that often! He's not "technically" purebred, no papers, but the parents look pure and he'll be neutered as soon as he's old enough, so it doesn't matter.

It was a bit impulsive, yes, but I'm not ignorant of the work that goes into raising a puppy. I got my other dog when I was only fourteen, and she was not only the shyest of the litter--she'd run away when we went to visit. My younger sister and I got two puppies from the same litter. We didn't socialise them properly, allowed them to sleep in our beds from the start and had to back-track to crate training, and weren't strict with rules. It was the whole family's fault, our parents were involved in the choices too--I remember begging dad to pay for puppy classes but he didn't see that the socialisation was that important. We were lucky neither puppy was dominant--mine's the underdog, and hers is very easy-going. We still had a difficult time housebreaking them, they have been known to bite strangers' ankles when together (they never do it apart), and both are fear-biters towards other dogs, terrified of any of moderate-high energy. Only in the last couple of years have I managed to get mine enough exposure that she voluntarily greets other dogs. I'm determined not to repeat the same mistakes with Donnie. I'm already signed up for weekly puppy socialisation classes with a trainer.

...that was really long. I'm just excited. Sorry.

Anybody else have puppy experience? Literally nearly as much work as a human baby (crawling-toddling stage) for the first few weeks.

 

You can NEVER let them out of your sight! They'll rip things apart, eat things they shouldn't, and pee on the floor. You only get to relax when they're crated or sleeping, and you'd better be able to see where they're sleeping.