People keep telling me how good I'm doing with him. That I'm dedicated and how good it is I'm willing to put in the time.  The problem is, most of the time they see the good moments, because that's what I share to the world.   For the last couple of weeks I've been able to get a full 6-7 hour sleep; which has helped so much.   Potty training, however, feels like it's going no where. He was doing great for a while ringing his bell for number two.  Now it's hit or miss.  We are back to square one in that department. He seems to only ring the bell to go out and play now.

Then there's the rock obsession. I feel like some days my hands are in his mouth fishing out rocks more often than they aren't.  I can't get rid of the rocks, they are under the sand as part of our septic system and the rain has scattered the ones that have come up through the Florida sugar sand.

I have days where I think I made a mistake getting a puppy. I often feel like I'm just not up for it.  That's not his fault though. I made the decision, I was the only one in the house who initiated and followed through with getting him. No one else asked for this. The household pitches in when I'm not around, but ultimately he's my responsibility.

To be honest, I don't regret getting him.  Not all moments or days are frustrating and I'm sure the cloudy patches will pass by and we can have a better bond, and a better understanding on what's expected of each other.  I hope, soon, to have more days of joy with my puppy and less days of wanting to tear my hair out.

So, I got this puppy.  I wasn't looking for another dog, it just happened and I fell in love.

Nine years ago we lost our German Shepherd mix. We also had two girls, a black mouth curr mix and a chihuahua when he passed. They were both puppies. They are still with us just a little older, greyer, and maybe a little heavier.

The second week after I got him was a very hard week. Nothing really to do with him. Problems were hitting me at all sides, but all my focus was on training this puppy.

In one way that was good. I couldn't dwell on things I couldn't fix at the moment. However, I also couldn't deal with the problems being thrown my way. 

Since I was so focused on him I have discovered that puppies are sponges. He can sit, stay, lay down, wait for permission to eat, and now is learning to ring a bell to go potty.  I've only had this guy for about 3 weeks!

I still have to get up in the middle of the night to let him out to potty and I still have to watch him like a hawk when he's awake.  Still, this is a good experience at this time in my life. My first kid is about to leave the nest, and things will be changing around here. I hope to stay on a good track with this boy, and I hope he helps fill the hole that Bourbon left when he passed away.  He's looking like he's going to be a very good boy.