I got this two pound little baby over the weekend and have been waiting for him all summer. He stands at only half a foot tall but has the personality to fill the room. The moment I saw him I knew I was going to name him Thor. He was the runt of the litter and the irony of the name was too perfect.
(Image Information: personal photo of Thor at 1 week old taken by breeder Lisa Fielder;
photo from June 2016.)
photo from June 2016.)
Upon getting him home this weekend, my life has revolved around this 32-ounce puppy. Potty training, crate training, just getting him to come when I call his name: It has all been so hectic. He still cries at night because he misses his sisters and even if I take him outside for bathroom breaks, he'll decide to go pee as soon as we step foot back in my room. I thought I was prepared. I had read every dog training blog, I had watched every video, but nothing can prepare you for you first few weeks with a baby puppy.
I am a very goal oriented person. If I get it in my head that I am going to do something, I get it done. I knew raising a puppy in college would not be easy, but I am determined to do what it takes to train him and raise him right. But being so goal oriented makes me a bit of a perfectionist, and raising a puppy challenges that perfectionist side of me more than I realized. It's challenged me to take a deep breath when I am cleaning up yet another yellow stain in the carpet and it has challenged me to not give up when he chews my toes instead of his toys. I know this dog will be trained one day, I just need to remind myself that it's only day 2 and I will see the improvement if I stay consistent. (Yes, I did get discouraged that he kept peeing in my room even though I had only had him a day. You're allowed to laugh at my insane subconscious expectations!)
As a new pet parent, I have to say that even with the struggles of training, I have found so much pure joy in loving this little guy. I never feel alone and I always have a cuddle buddy. What more do you need in life? (Well, maybe hardwood floors instead of white carpet.)
(Image Information: personal photo of Thor on his first day at his new home;
photo from August 21, 2016.)
photo from August 21, 2016.)
Oh, McKenzie, Thor is ADORABLE. And puppy energy is one of the most precious things in the universe. Plus as you watch your little guy grow and learn that will give you so much insight into GROWTH, which is a big theme in this class, in addition to the great, big, amazing place that is India.
ReplyDeleteThere are not a lot of dogs in the Indian stories... but there are some! You will see the story of Yudhishthira and his dog at the climax of the Mahabharata, and there is also Sarama, the god of the dogs. Here is the Wikipedia article about her: Wikipedia: Sarama — and she figures in one of the books we have in Bizzell for this class, Devdutt Pattanaik's wonderful book Pashu. Go grab it now before anybody else does: as a new puppy mama, I think you should have dibs on this book: Pashu: Animal Tales from Hindu Mythology ... maybe you will even want to do an animal-inspired project for this class.
Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS on your lovely puppy. I am guessing that everybody who reads your Introduction this semester is going to look at those pictures and go "awwwwww...." Puppies are the best. :-)
Thor is adorable! I can definitely relate to being a pet parent! My Cookie is my world! She is part chihuahua and part border collie. I adopted her when she was about a year and a half old so I never had to do any of the training that comes along with such a young puppy. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi McKenzie! Congratulations!! Thor is toooooo cute! What kind of a dog is he? And, I love the name that you have chosen by the way!
ReplyDeleteI was reading another post of yours (I think an extra credit post), on how much you love India and it is your goal to go there before you die. And here in this post, I see that you originally switched your major from Interior Design to International Studies..... oooh, girl. This gets me all excited. Ok, so I lived in India for 2 years (circumnavigated my way to college, finally, so here I am), and I am obsessed with fabric. India is THE Paradise for fabric and interior design (if print is your style). I know and met a few people who landed some gigs as material sourcers for large companies, and they would fly to India to source fabric and prints and then bring them back to design for design houses here in the states. It sounded like the perfectly melding of two worlds! Maybe something for you to consider?
My favorite place to shop, and I still purchase things from them, is Sari Bari. (SariBari.com) They take women who want to get out of the sex industry and teach them how to sew. Then, they ask wealthy women in the community to donate old saris that they no longer wear, and the women who have just learnt how to sew then sew them into blankets, bags, pajamas, etc and sell them to foreigners (higher market value). The things they create are beautiful, and they are all unique as each sari only comes through once! I highly recommend checking them out, and the company was started by a couple of foreigner ladies! Cool stuff. I also love Anokhi, because they're stuff is just downright cool.
I'm excited to be in your blog group, and congratulations again on your little furbaby! He is adorable! Goodluck with him!
Hey McKenzie! First of all, I have to tell you that puppy is the cutest! I love how you chose to introduce yourself because it gave me insight into what your personality is. I think being a international studies major is really cool because you get the chance to experience the world and every culture that makes it so diverse and beautiful. I would love to hear more about how India shaped your plans because I was born in India and came to America when I was very little. I love the country, the food's amazing, and sights are beautiful (but I might just be biased). I can't wait to hear more about how India has influenced you!
ReplyDeleteugh PUPPIES. I need one. I. need. a. puppy. and I'm so upset by my puppy-less status (doesn't even need to be a puppy just a dog any dog will do ugh ugh ugh.) I definitely don't have the time to adopt now, so I'll just continue to ask every dog that I meet if their owner will let me pet them.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a real go getter, which is super great. I'm sure you'll have Thor peeing outside in no time! I would be really interested to hear how India has changed your life plan. I love those types of stories! From looking at previous comments it seems like if I poke around I'll find the post about it.
(((By the way, thank you for your sweet comment on my blog about my writing! I saw the post while I was working on a concept for my first play assignment and it definitely gave my confidence a nice nudge. )))
Oh my gosh that puppy is too cute! I want a puppy so bad! I also love its name! I hope he grows up to be just as big as his namesake, haha. What kind of dog is he? I'm also very interested in your study abroad experience! Where did you study abroad? I also studied abroad this summer but in Italy.
ReplyDeleteHi McKenzie! I love that you chose to write your introduction based on your new puppy, but managed to slip little bits in about the rest of your life as well. Where did you study abroad this summer? It would be great to know more about your plans, especially after the comment about how India has shaped them! By the way, your puppy is adorable!
ReplyDeleteYou are a very brave soul for taking on a new puppy while in college! I want a dog so badly (preferably a pug) but I know I would not be around enough to entertain him. Puppies have so much energy though and are such a joy to be around! I bet your bad days are completely forgotten when you walk into a room with Thor. Good luck on your future endeavors and I look forward to reading your stories!
ReplyDeleteOh, no, your poor carpet (and poor you!). I am so impressed at the devotion you're able to give that little critter; adorable and fun as he is, that's a level of care I don't think I'll be ready to give for another few years! You've had him for a while by now, so I sure hope the training is going smoothly. I'll be a name like Thor does wonders for his confidence.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck!
Oh my goodness I thought the two pictures you had posted were of two different puppies’ haha! Wow, what a beauty! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALL KINDS OF DOGS (sorry I could not contain my excitement). But Wow, props to you for taking on the task of taking care of a puppy while you’re at college, I definitely know how hard it is to take care of a wailing puppy (I have a husky so his wails are quite obnoxious yet oh so cute). But let’s be real, their cuteness makes up for everything. I loved hearing that you are so goal oriented (please teach me your ways!). I hope that Thor grows up to be a healthy and handsome dog!
ReplyDeleteHello! I suppose introductions are sort of moot since we spent a month of our summer together, but I hope you've been doing well and it looks like you have an adorable new addition to the family. A little mouse of a dog, indeed; Thor looks so precious! Taking care of him seems like tough work, but I bet it's super rewarding.
ReplyDeleteWHAT A CUTE PUPPY, though I guess that's rather a moot point after all of the other comments. :) I'm also an International Studies major! Are there any specific areas of the world that you're interested in? I've so enjoyed getting to learn more about India as this class has progressed, and I'm sure you are in a similar boat.
ReplyDeleteYour puppies are super adorable. I found you to be a person to look up to. I want to be just as driven as you to accomplish and set goals. This I feel is very important to be successful in life. It is okay that you struggled to write your introduction at first, because I was the same way. I still think you did an excellent job. There are so many things you do for your puppies that shows you are a great parent to them. I have a dog myself, and after reading this, makes me miss times when he was a puppy.
ReplyDeleteWow, your dog is adorable! Congratulations on becoming a new pet parent! I’m sure it is tiring but also so much fun. I love dogs so so much. I definitely miss mine back home! I thoroughly believe that pets make life a million times better.
ReplyDeleteI also started out as an Interior Design major! I, too, am now majoring in something completely different. My freshman year, I switched from ID to Human Resources Management. Interior Design is an awesome major, but it definitely wasn’t for me. I’m sure you understand!
Oh my goodness, Thor is the cutest thing I've ever seen! He is so precious! It must be very difficult to be raising a puppy while in college. My roommate has a dog and it was very hard to get into a good routine for you and your little fur-baby! I hope it's gotten a little easier and less hectic over these past eight weeks! I'm excited to read some of your stories over the course of the rest of this class!
ReplyDeleteThat is one adorable dog! I'm sure it was (is?) difficult training newborns. I wonder if it's harder or easier to train an older dog. My dog was pretty good in training when he was a couple years old, but then he's always been a little too smart for his own good. It's been over two months since you posted this. How is Thor doing now?
ReplyDeleteHello McKenzie,
ReplyDeleteI think that your puppy is adorable! I love the name Thor! I completely understand your struggles because I got a puppy this summer as well. She is a Labradoodle named Daisy and she is a goober. I had the same struggles as you did with taking her outside just to have her come inside and pee on the carpet. She has since gotten better and I look forward to her being completely trained but meanwhile I am enjoying the crazy pup.
Hi Mckenzie!
ReplyDeleteI love your dog and I loved the name. I am a huge dog lover so I loved your introduction. I definitely can relate to you with the puppy struggles because I got a dog last year but now he's an angel and was definitely worth it. I hope its gotten easier for you over the past semester! Best of luck with Thor.