Pup Update: Pebbles is almost 9 months!
The last time I blogged about my puppy Pebbles, I shared that she just arrived at home. Well now here we are seven months later and she’s very much settled into my home. She’s now 21 pounds and 22 inches long. She has a spunky, upbeat personality and still learning how to navigate her new world as a puppy. She definitely keeps me on my toes and is full of crazy puppy energy.
The first few weeks after she arrived home were rough. Lots of sleepless nights and getting used to having a puppy in my home. I also forgot to mention I started a new full-time remote role just three weeks after she came home.
Right after Pebbles received all of her vaccine shots we dived right into our puppy training sessions with our trainer Jordan. She now knows how to sit, lay down, she’s 80 percent potty trained, crate trained and knows what the word outside means. She’s obsessed with the outdoors and loves going on walks in the neighborhood. Pebbles also knows how to give a high-five. I am still working to get her to stop barking when she shouldn’t, getting her to take naps during the day, and stop play biting.
She was spayed in July and I’m hoping that will level out her personality and she will become a chill pup like her adopted mama. One lesson I recently learned last month was a tired dog is a sleepy dog and routines are important. Each morning after I let her out of her crate we go on a 20-minute walk then we come back inside for water and breakfast. It’s important that she gets at least three to four walks outside a day. I’ve also built in 10 minutes of playtime before I jump on a work call so she isn’t trying to jump in my lap mid zoom call. Before it’s time for bed, we play at least 30 minutes of chase the ball. On days when she doesn’t get enough outside time or time with chasing the ball, she’s a terror to get to bed at night. Imagine, lots of chasing around the house to get her to stop trying to chew on my furniture or run all over it. So if you are getting a new puppy, routine is important.
I was curious to know if Pebbles was truly a Cocker Spaniel Havanese mix because she doesn’t look like a traditional cocker. So a friend and follower recommended that I order an Embark dog DNA test. The results came back in late May and much to my surprise Pebbles is a Cocker Spaniel Shih Tzu Poole Mix. She’s 75 percent Cocker Spaniel, 14.5 percent Shih Tzu, 10.2 percent Poodle. The cool thing about Embark is that it’s similar to a human DNA test like 23 and Me. You can view dogs related to Pebbles and view health challenges in her DNA.
I have some personal goals that I’ve set to accomplish with Pebbles before the end of the year. I would love to have a few playdates with friends to get her acquainted with other humans and dogs.
While I was on vacation, she went to doggy daycare and boarding at a local place called Puppy Haven. It was definitely an adjustment for the both of us to be apart for an extended period. Pebbles sat in the corner by herself for the most part and didn’t play with the other pups. But I thought it was important for her to get used to socializing with other dogs because many of my friends have dogs and we plan to have playdates this fall and next spring.
Another goal, I have, is to get her to roll over and to learn a few new tricks. We are scheduled to have another six-week training session with our trainer, so hopefully this fall she learns a few new things now that the weather is nice.
If you are thinking about getting a new dog or puppy, it’s a joy, for the most part, to have another one love you unconditionally. When I’m away from Pebbles for a bit or when I wake up in the morning, she is super excited to see me. She definitely knows who her mamma is and is always right by my side.
I hope to share more updates about Pebbles more regularly but for now, you can follow us on Instagram.