I think I need to clarify yesterday's post before I start talking this bundle of fur who has quickly taken over our lives house. I've never been refused a military discount by a business (except United Airlines, but that's another story). What I should have said more clearly, I guess, is that I was told by people who are in the military that I am exploiting the military by using the discount that my husband is granted. Make sense? Because, in their opinion, spouses take advantage of the ability to use military benefits and shouldn't be given those privileges. My Banana Republic example was real....I used the discount they offered me when they saw my USAA card, and then it came up in conversation later with others and it was mentioned that I should not have taken the discount and/or I was taking advantage of something I didn't deserve (even if Scott and I share a bank account).
Anyway...that's been my major gripe for the last month or so, and I just needed to get it out. Thanks for "listening"!
I never intended to write about my dog all the time. However, I don't really know what else TO write about at this point because he consumes every hour of every day. We (or, rather, I) have been very lucky in the sense that Scott's dad is visiting us right now. So he plays with Scout and takes him outside and keeps him occupied while I go to the gym, the pool, the store, etc (you know, continuing my life of leisure...). I mean, I'd still be able to do these things with a puppy..I just feel bad locking him up in a pen (we have a pen, not just a crate) for multiple hours a day.
-Scott came up with the name "Scout". We had a girl dog name picked out, but when it came down to it, we decided on a male dog instead. I suggested "Bran" as an ode to Game of Thrones, because I like names that have significance. We were going to go with that, until a week or so before when he brought up "Scout". It's definitely an appropriate name for a hunting dog. His AKC registered name is Cross Creek Scout after the kennel we got him from, and I think it fits together nicely.
He wasn't pleased when I hosed him off. Also, Scott was away for the weekend. Little guy took it personally. I told him, "It's good you weren't around last year!"
-He is 8 weeks old today and we've had him for 2 weeks. On Monday, he goes to the vet for the rest of his vaccinations. We actually were given medicine to give him (since he was so young) when we got him so we've been torturing him for 2 weeks now with pills at dinner time.
I took a picture before I helped him. Teaching independence, right?
-We are on a SCHEDULE. He eats breakfast at 7am, after a trip outside and then followed by a trip outside. He gets Cheerios as treats and for when I want him in his crate (i.e. bedtime). He eats dinner at 6pm. I take him outside (or someone does) at least 12 times a day. I carry his crate into our bedroom when we're ready for bed. I wait til he falls asleep inside of it and then I zipper him in. He usually doesn't wake up until morning.
His access to water is strictly monitored (by me). Otherwise, this will happen every 20 minutes.
- I secretly love cleaning his ears. I'm obsessed with ear cleanliness (a fun quirk about me). I peroxide my own often. I get a kick out of (gently) getting the grime out of Scout's.
We watched Horrible Bosses on Saturday. He fell asleep.
I really wish he'd stop looking so sad all the time. He's got Carey Mulligan eyes.
As I'm trying to make dinner most nights, this is what I look down to see:
Yesterday morning, Scott took Scout downstairs to his office (where he gets the privilege of sitting on the old loveseat), while he finished some schoolwork. It was about 6am. Well, Scout thought it was breakfast time, because that's where he eats. He spent the next hour ticked off, at me I assume, because he didn't get his breakfast until 7:00.
Food is, obviously, his favorite time of the day. He's definitely our dog.
Any puppy-rearing advice?? The best tip I've gotten so far came from a friend at the gym: Put him in his crate while you take a shower. It's a short amount of time, but will get him used to the crate. I took it one step further...I haul the crate into the bedroom and leave the master bathroom door open so I can hear if he starts whining. I also turn the t.v. on so he can hear voices. The first two days of this were rough, but now he likes playing in his crate.
Also, his new favorite things are sleeping in my lap and peeing on the floor when he hears the vacuum cleaner. Both of these are kind of hindering because he likes to sleep a lot and I like to vacuum a lot.
