7 Quick Tuesday Takes - Buster Back Home edition

Having Buster back hasn't been as bad as I had anticipated (so far, anyway).  Here is a further attempt to stay positive about him.

1. Every morning I walk him one mile, first thing when I get up.  (Today is Tuesday, so this is the third day of this new routine.)  As much as I don't like getting up early for this purpose at all, once I get going I don't mind it so much.  It wakes me up, gets my blood flowing, and lets me start thinking about my day.  Also, I've learned that my walking pace has slowed considerably.  I need to switch from boots to sneakers and up my pace.

2. Walking Buster lets me take a leisurely look at the houses in our neighborhood, which I love because they're all different from one another.

3. I took Buster for a two mile walk Saturday night and really enjoyed the opportunity to be alone (okay, semi-alone) with my thoughts.  When, these days, do I ever get to just think for more than 10 seconds without being interrupted by a baby or a student or something?  That two mile walk reminded me of the life I used to lead a few years ago.

4. Buster has peed in the kitchen four times so far, but three of those four were our fault for not taking him out when we needed to.  He also needs to learn how to hold it, but he first needs to be sure that we will take him out when he needs to go if he just waits a little bit longer.

5. Because Buster has never really been given table scraps, he doesn't care when we eat dinner.  He just wanders off and lies down somewhere.  As someone who is used to getting a pupper stare-down during dinner, this is amazing to me (and real incentive to make sure he doesn't start getting table food regularly).

6. Nate absolutely loves Buster.  He smiles when he sees him and laughs hysterically when Buster licks him (ew).  I don't love it when Buster licks him, but I'm glad Nate is building a positive impression of/association with dogs because that's something I think is very important.  (He cries when Buster barks, especially if it wakes him up, but Buster hasn't barked much and I know Nate will adjust with time, as well.)

7. The in-laws, after threatening to drop Buster on our doorstep multiple times over the past few months, now say they miss him.  So for all his Busto Destructo-ness, there has to be something loveable about him.

Extra points for me?  I told the in-laws that if they want to see Buster, all they have to do is come over and visit.

I'll be over here, waiting for sainthood, thanks.

Comments

[Stacey]

Glad it's going better then anticipated! Colin LOVES when our dogs lick him, and I just try not to be grossed out. I agree with you a positive association with dogs is good, I was so scared of dogs as a kid I'm glad Colin and Nate won't have that. I think the barking thing is just it being loud because Colin still gets upset if the dogs bark, the little woofs or whatever don't bother him but if someone comes to our door our dogs don't know, the whole house goes crazy because all 3 dogs freak and then Colin screams. At least no one sneaks up on us :). And good for you for staying positive and enjoying your quiet time, it is a rarity once motherhood sets in.

[Lori @ I Can Grow People]

I'm glad things are going okay with Buster! I also think it is important to expose kids to dogs too. Porter's daycare lady in FL had two dogs--one little and cuddly and one big and hyper. I think it was really good for P to be around those animals when he was very young. Between those dogs and our cats, he has learned to be comfortable around our four-legged friends.