The reason babies and puppies are so cute and endearing is so you won't leave them on the side of the mountain when the need for sleep and some order in your life becomes overwhelming.
Just like child birth and the exhausted, crazy days of life with a newborn become this foggy memory that seems to morph in to a vision of sweet smelling baby, tinged with the overwhelming feeling of love when they grasp your finger or snuggle against you to nap, so to do memories of puppy training.
My slippers have been gnawed, I have bitter apple spray at the ready for every cabinet corner, rug edge, chair leg within reach. I am sleeping in yoga pants with coat and shoes staged at the ready for the 3 or 4 am whimper that signals the potty trip outside. Yesterday I almost sent up fireworks to celebrate her first hint of telling me she had to go out. She went to the door, looked at me, and then started sniffing the rug as a good second choice. My faster than a speeding bullet reflexes let me scoop her up, rewarding her with a treat and lavishing her with praises as we made a dash to the "zone" before she opted for the rug. Because I want her to eat on schedule and not nosh, I am sitting on the little stool coaxing her to stay on task and finish her meal so I can set the timer and hustle her out for a good girl experience. What was I thinking when I said yes to the puppy.
But the good times are good. Playing fetch, watching her cull through her crate for the toy of the minute, being greeted anytime I leave the room by a wiggling puppy with toy dangling from her mouth eager to share it with me. She is warm and snuggly when she lays in my lap collapsing from crazy running around, she rewards me with newly learned skills, like "soft" when chewing on my fingers, or drop it when finding some small thing on the floor (accompanied with the bribe of a few kibble).
I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel when I have a puppy who sleeps through the night, is 90% housebroken, remembers her manners when comany comes. Ask me same time next year, I think we will have achieved success by then.
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