Contemplating Life’s Choices

It’s now been almost three weeks since we brought home our puppy, Cookie. It’s been filled with joy, puppy nibbles, a number of accidents, and plenty of opportunities to learn.

Through the chaos one thing that made our lives immediately better was when my husband was exploring options for dog trainers. He met with one who talked about his program and when they talked about our sleeping arrangements for the puppy we got advice to change things up. We initially tried having the crate upstairs but with her whining we worried it would wake up the kids so for a while she was allowed to roam at night. The trainer reminded us that dogs aren’t like people and that they really do thrive on having structure and routine as well as their own safe space to sleep.

The crate moved downstairs into my husbands office space, we created a specific feeding and sleeping routine, and puppy has adjusted like it wasn’t ever any different and we all can sleep fine. It was a good reminder in a couple of ways.

1. Tapping into the wisdom and expertise of others is a good idea no matter what your knowledge base and personal understanding. When you’re looking at that cute puppy whining and making sad noises it’s easy to be like oh the poor thing is suffering when that’s not the case. Taking the advice of the trainer, making small adjustments, and knowing this would be for the best for all of us we changed things in a way that avoided us all feeling burned out and perpetually exhausted. There is no shame in getting help even if it is something you’ve experienced before or have some knowledge of.
2. We all need boundaries and some structure. Sometimes setting boundaries can feel bad when it seems like you’re letting someone down or choosing your own needs over another persons wants but we all need to do it. Just like with the puppy, we created boundaries by having specific times she spends in her crate, meal time rituals, and spaces that she is currently off limits to. This not only helps her adjust to being in our household vs when she was living with all of her siblings and her momma but it also keeps her safe. We don’t let her in the kids rooms where there are smaller toys she could ingest and the kids have a space where they know the dog won’t turn their things into chew toys. These boundaries and structures help both us and the puppy. Always do what you need to set boundaries and create the routines and structures that work for you and help you thrive.
3. Don’t forget the joy in the little things. Sometimes it’s the cuteness of her head tilting to the side, her nose fogging up the window while she naps, or seeing her fascination with the birds flying overhead. The puppy isn’t rushed, doesn’t have long term plans, and doesn’t worry about what anyone thinks. She just is. I get we can’t live the pampered lives of our pets but sometimes in course of our lives it’s easy to get caught up in the next thing, the next goal, or the things on your list. Sometimes taking even a few minutes to just be and experience whatever is going on around you can be rejuvenating in so many ways.

My advice from the puppy is to figure out what you need most today. Do you need to tap into the wisdom of others? Do you need to create some boundaries and routines for you to thrive? Or do you need to take some time to find the joy in just being? Think about if you could benefit from any of these things and if so, find ways to take action even if it’s something small. Our best lives aren’t created in a flash but in the constant effort through our life.