Recalling the first week I had Shadow.
After my friend adopted her new puppy, I couldn't help but think about Shadow's puppy days. The first week was challenging for me, but I think it opened the doors to years of wonderful memories with my dog. I thought I'd share a story of our first week together.
Prior to Pick-Up
I previously wrote about the first time I met Shadow in my second ever blog post, Meet My Dogs. I recommend checking it out if you're interested to know what led to me adopting Shadow.
In that blog post, I mentioned I did when we got home was carry Shadow to the mirror to introduce him to our reflection. However, that wasn't the first thing we did after I picked him up from the humane society.
I adopted Shadow, then named Uggers, on a Sunday. Before I could take him home, the humane society scheduled for him to be neutered at their clinic on a Tuesday or Wednesday. They said he'd need time to heal and scheduled for me to pick him up the next Sunday.
I worked long hours on Monday and Tuesday in preparation for the week-long vacation I planned for the next week. My goal was to shop for puppy supplies at the local pet store after work on Wednesday. I figured I had enough time to get everything he'd need the rest of the week if the local pet store didn't have everything.
My Mom and I had lunch at a restaurant when I received a call from the humane society asking if I'd like to pick him up that night. Apparently, he did move around much or mess with his stitches. They felt he was good-to-go that day.
I probably should've said no, but instead I agreed to get him that evening. While I was excited to pick-up my new puppy, I immediately started beginning like a bad pet owner. The only thing I had was a dog carrier.
Picking-Up Shadow
My parents, who were divorced and rarely spoke to one another, both insisted on going with me. After work, I wanted to stop by the pet store to get the remaining basics my new puppy would need. Dad suggested I waited so we could take Shadow to pick out his own stuff from the store. I thought that would be a fun first adventure together.
We made the hour and a half drive to pick-up Shadow from the humane society. When I walked into the building, Shadow recognized me and got excited. They handed him over to me in my arms and handed me a puppy care package. It included a small bag of the puppy food they fed him, a few toys, and a few other items I don't recall.
I placed him in the carrier before we headed to a pet store. Dad drove so I could sit in the back seat with Shadow. Dad believed I needed to be as close to Shadow as possible, so he'd get used to me and my scent. I didn't question and spent every moment I could touching Shadow.
When we got to the pet store, I placed him on the ground so he could potty. I worried about him running off because I didn't yet have a leash and collar, so my Dad and I were nearby in case he tried to make a break for it. Fortunately, he didn't show signs of leaving my side.
Once he took care of business, we went into the store. My Mom started picking out the things she wanted for Shadow. Dad argued I should pick out the items since Shadow's my dog, but she believed I wouldn't know what to get.
Mom placed a dog bed in the shopping cart. Shadow, who was also in the cart, climbed onto the dog bed. Mom was proud that she made a good choice. He peed on the bed.
Mom placed a food mat in the cart. Shadow peed on it.
Mom placed a pack of puppy wipes in the cart. Shadow peed on it.
Mom placed a couple of dog food bowls in the cart. Shadow peed in one.
Mom placed a harness and leash in the cart. Shadow peed on them.
I did clean everything while we were in the store. Thank goodness pet stores have bottles of disinfectants and paper towels available to use! I also bought everything Shadow peed on because I wasn't going to put the stuff back on the shelves. I didn't let the clerk touch the items because they didn't need to deal with that. We bought food and more supplies, but we kept that in a separate cart while we shopped.
However, my Dad insisted on stopping at another store to get a few more items before we made the long drive home. Dad bought a couple large food bowls, a blue collar, and a blue leash. He was convinced Shadow wouldn't use the items Mom picked out after he peed all over them.
I held Shadow's paw the entire drive. He stared at me the entire drive.
The First Night Home
When we got home to my Mom's house, I put on Shadow's new collar and leash. I then walked him around the backyard for a potty break after a long car ride.
Before we entered the house, my Mom wiped Shadow's entire body with wet wipes. This happened regularly for the next week after each potty break, so he got used to it quickly.
I carried him to a mirror and introduced him to our reflection. He growled initially until he realized the movements in the mirror were mine.
Mom set out the food and water bowls she picked out at the first pet store. Shadow wouldn't go anywhere near them. I set out the food and water bowls Dad bought at the second store. Shadow ate and drank from those.
Dad stayed for about an hour before leaving. After he left, I took Shadow to my room and closed the door. Shadow wouldn't lay in the dog bed Mom picked out for him. He wanted to be in my bed, but I originally didn't intend to ever let him onto furniture. Instead, he spent his first night sleeping with his head under my bed.
The Difficult Week That Followed
I worked on Thursday and Friday but went home during my lunch break to care for Shadow. This was a first for me because I worked through lunch every day prior to adopting Shadow. Shadow donned his collar and leash for a potty break and brief walk around the backyard. We'd then play until he was exhausted enough for a nap before I returned to work.
As soon as I returned home from work, Shadow donned his collar and leash for potty breaks and walks around the backyard. When I was on leave, I sometimes left his collar and leash on while in the house, so he'd get used to wearing it without struggling.
The humane society suggested I didn't let him out in the general public until he completed his puppy vaccinations. However, that didn't stop me from attempting to get him used to going out and about.
I'd put him in his carrier and take him for a ride hoping he'd get used to being in the car. I carried him into dog-friendly stores, so he'd get used to being inside of them. He sat on my lap while we sat at a restaurant's outdoor patio. He got used to the different sights, sounds, and smells at a young age.
Shadow was my responsibility. He was my dog, especially since Mom didn't initially care about dogs. However, it turned out she cared about how I did everything wrong. We argued about how I treated and trained Shadow. She said I was too gentle and not tough enough.
Let's just say she was old-fashioned and believed newspapers and yelling were the key to training a dog. She argued that her way was the way to train Shadow if I lived in her house.
Even though I was in my twenties, I still lived at home with my Mom. I supported her financially, drove her everywhere she needed or wanted to go when I wasn't working, and cared for her when she was ill. She didn't have a job, was scared to drive, and suffered from COPD and other health issues related to chain smoking.
I primarily provided her with emotional support she claimed doctors and others couldn't help her with as well as I could. I was raised to believe my purpose in life was to care for my parents through their old age.
If you've seen the movie Tangled, my Mom wasn't that different from Mother Gothel. The only difference was that I wasn't kidnapped for my magical hair. Fun fact: my hair was long and reached my ankles before I hacked it off in my teens.
In my youth I stayed in my room, cleaned daily (e.g. washed the dishes, floors, walls, and doors), didn't go anywhere by myself other than school, didn't go anywhere else without adult accompanying me, wasn't allowed to invite anyone over to the house, and followed Mom's super strict rules.
After graduating high school, I didn't know what to do with my life. I was depressed and struggled to see a purpose in life or a bright future for myself. Caring for my parents, especially my Mom who was older with more health issues than my Dad, was my reason for living.
I mentioned this because even though my Mom and I discussed me adopting a puppy, and she knew I'd be fully responsible for him while continuing to support her, she became angry. We argued more than usual about how horrible a person I was becoming, how she didn't raise me to be self-centered, and how "the dog" was destroying her life.
Yet, Shadow was the best thing to happen in my life. He made me laugh which wasn't I did much at the time. When Mom and I argued, he'd bark at Mom as if he was arguing with her, too. His barks would distract me, and I laughed which just angered Mom more.
Shadow followed me around the house and never left my side. He'd give and 'share' me some of his food when he ate. He hugged my feet when I ate at the dining table or worked on my computer. He slept or played quietly while I slept through the night. Most importantly, he comforted me after arguing with my Mom about my purpose in life. He didn't want anything other than my company. That was a feeling I didn't know before he came into my life.
My arguments with my Mom encouraged me to get out of the house to cool down. Of course, I took Shadow with me for emotional support. It allowed him to get used to riding in the car, going into stores, and hanging out on restaurant patios. She pushed me to get to know my dog so well. That's how our bond grew strong, quickly.
My Thoughts
Shadow and I moved out. Within a week, I finally saw more to life than just caring for my parents. He brought me so much joy and continues to make me laugh to this day. Shadow and I have so many memories together, and we continue to create new memories every day.
I'm embarrassed I shared the more personal part of the first week. I almost deleted those lines of text about my youth, my sadness, and my arguments with my Mom. It was tough to revisit that memory while writing about it. Yet, I thought it was an important part of what ultimately led me to strengthen my bond with Shadow.
The first week was full of challenges and fun experiences. While I didn't have the potty training or separation anxiety issues most puppy owners have during the first week, Shadow and I were at least together through the good and bad moments.
Potty training and separation anxiety were things we dealt with in our first horrid apartment, but that can be the topic for another blog post.
My Mom and I didn't speak for a few weeks but made amends soon after. Today, she views Shadow as her well-behaved "grand-dog." She needed time to adjust to the changes that happened too quickly in her eyes.
What's Next?
I bought a few bone-shaped wood pieces for $1 USD at Michaels recently. I thought I'd try decorating them with my dogs name. If I do, I'll be sure to share that experience with you.
Do you remember your first week with a new puppy? Login and Sign up to share you and your dog's story with me! If you don't want to sign up but want to read more stories about Shadow and Rascal, click the heart icon to let me know you'd like more.
Don't forget to subscribe below to be notified by email when I post something new.
Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
Comments