Life Lessons with My New Pup “Lightning”
Say hello to Lightning!!! The last month has been filled with life lessons with my new pup Lightning. On the 24th of December 2022, I sneaked in a golden retriever puppy to surprise my boys for Christmas Day. There were a lot of screams the next morning, so it was a success. My first month with my new puppy, and my two boys had been an incredible journey of learning, growing, and enjoying each other’s company. As a family, we have learned to adjust and adapt to the presence of our newest addition to our home. My two boys have taken on the role of big brothers and have been an incredible help in training our new pup.
Life Lessons with My New Pup “Lightning” #1 “I was not prepared for this”. No amount of experience prepares you for real life.
I know … I know… I have had dogs in the past. I had four dogs at different stages between my teen life and adulthood, and I thought I knew what to expect. However, this time around, things are very different.
You guessed it. I was not a mother!!!
I have two boys requiring more attention, and adding a puppy to the equation was a big adjustment that surprised me. I’ve had to slow down and be present for the pup’s needs and my boys’. This means ensuring our cute adorable puppy is fed, learning potty training, and not chewing everything in the house.
Life Lessons with My New Pup “Lightning” #2 Safety doesn’t happen by accident. Teach Safety first always…
I’ve also had to be creative in creating a safe environment for everyone – kids and pups alike. This includes understanding the pup’s behaviour and quickly identifying when something is wrong. An example of this is teaching my boys how to approach our puppy correctly and why providing him with toys is essential so he doesn’t chew our furniture. Rough handling during playtime is a big NO. I have continuously emphasized the idea that little puppies grow up to be big dogs, and little teeth grow into bigger teeth. We used positive reinforcement to reward good behaviour and immediately started to teach our pup basic obedience commands like sit and stay. This is important for controlling the pup when he becomes excited or gets too close to something that could harm him.
Life Lessons with My New Pup “Lightning” #3 You never know what you can handle until you are faced with it.
My two boys have wanted a puppy for years, and I always told them how much work was involved. They always declared they would be capable of handling it. The first week was the most challenging; the excitement of a new pup soon wore out when Lightning’s potty clean-up was about five times a day. While that was a lot to manage, it’s also been a great learning experience for the boys. They didn’t seem to mind the added chore, and we worked out a schedule, so everyone pulled their weight. Theo loves taking him out for potty breaks and doesn’t seem to mind even picking up after him. Chris loves giving him food and treats.
Our Guinea pig “Fire” is also not lost for attention thanks to the new puppy, we have Lightning’s food and water right next to his. He comes out of his tiny home and gets an extra pat on the head when he does.
Life Lessons with My New Pup “Lightning” #4 Size is not a determinant of strength, and puppy eyes work.
Lightning has taught us that strength and determination can be present in the smallest creatures. He has a fierce grip with his teeth on everything he gets them on. He is also very protective and alert, which he shows us by barking whenever someone knocks on the door. At the same time, he loves to cuddle and can be very gentle; when his favourite toy gets away, he just nudges it back with his nose. He’s also confident enough to nap in almost any position and place in the house.
But, the biggest lesson we have learned so far is
Life Lessons with My New Pup “Lightning” #5 Patience is genuinely an important virtue.
Training a pup isn’t something that happens overnight, it takes time and consistency. But with hard work and dedication, we see progress every day. We can now get Lightning to sit on command, and he responds pretty well when we tell him ‘no’. We have less chewed-up paper and chairs legs gnawed. We have stopped the table begging for scraps and excited nibbles of fingertips and pants. We’ve replaced these habits with cuddles, kisses, and fun playtime! I tell the boys that the results will follow if we keep being patient and consistent in our training methods, the results will follow. If they can demonstrate patience with Lightning’s training, imagine how much more patience we can have when dealing with other difficult situations in life! Patience is a skill that benefits dogs and us as humans.
We are never done learning and growing, that is how life works. We have to keep trying, training, and pushing ourselves to get better as we go. Just like Lightning hasn’t quite grasped the concept of going potty outside yet, it takes time for us to reach our goals too! Luckily with a bit of patience and consistency, we are optimistic about the sunny times ahead.
