Puppies are a lot of work. I know that; this isn’t my first rodeo.  But the piece I had forgotten was the “wearing down” part.  Where you are consistent….so consistent!  The first day.  The second day.

And then around Day three, you find yourself letting a few small things go.  Maybe not-too-important rules that you had said you wouldn’t break. This time.

For example, I don’t really want Dice going into Brito’s pen.  That’s Brito’s private space!  And yet, I have removed him from that space many times and now…I’m tired.  And Brito’s not actually here to see it right now.  And nothing bad is actually happening there.  Except – I said I wouldn’t allow that.

And that shoe he took from the bedroom?  When I should have been watching or remembered to shut the door?  Yeah, that shoe.  I could get up for the 30th time in 45 minutes and work it out but…so very tired.

And there it is.  A normal person, a dog trainer at that, doing their absolute best to balance out their personal needs for a few moments of peace with their puppy’s need to explore, use their mouth, get exercise and freedom and develop their minds and bodies. I mean – I did choose a high drive puppy.  A busy one who seems to do quite well with extremely little sleep.

So he got a shoe.  And I should take it away.  But I won’t.  I will add that to the list of things I’ll deal with on another day.

Fortunately, I have a pretty good sense of what REALLY matters and those rules will be enforced every single time, under all circumstances, because I can see the damage that would be done otherwise.  Up on my kitchen table?  You will absolutely and positively be removed every single time, without fail.  It is inevitable.

But that shoe.  It seemed more important before the puppy arrived.

I’ll deal with it later.