Thanks for asking, Misdee. We won't have his vet school appointment until a week tomorrow. So whilst he's still on his antibiotics everyday, he's absolutely fine and also the food changeover is going well. I still question whether what was wrong was at all food related....
He's currently staying the week at his trainer's home - which he loves, as she's got 2 dogs of her own, who're his friends - and she has time to devote to the dogs rather than to any DCs. Meanwhile, I'm able to devote some quality time to my DCs and am taking this week off work too.
Having time away from Rollo has two opposing effects on me: I miss him and love him more - and I realise that getting a puppy at this time in my life/ my DCs life - wasn't the best thing, as even though (when he's not got diarrhoea) he's pretty much the 'perfect puppy', it's just incredibly hard to devote the time I need to him and look after my DCs, run my business and run my home singlehandedly.
How do people with a similar set-up to me - actively enjoy puppies if 99% of the puppy time, you're clearing up poo, taking them for walks, playing games with them to wear them out and occupy their minds, trying to stop them chewing the skirting boards and doors etc, digging holes in the lawn, eating stuff they shouldn't eat etc etc?
I do love Rollo but I do 100% of his care. Dog walks with the DCs are mostly fraught and argumentative - neither interact with Rollo at all really and if/ when they do, he gets hyped up and jumps up and nips them. Because I have to lead walk only still - in case he snatches something he shouldn't eat, then the whole time on a walk, I'm yanking him away from stuff and the DCs are moaning/ arguing and no one enjoys it. The two walks a day do feel like a chore rather than a pleasure and have to be fit in v early in the morning, and not too late in the afternoon - to fit with DCs schedule and my work.
Since we got him in March, I've lost every tiny scrap of time for me - which was only about 20 mins a day anyway. I'm behind with admin. and the DCs are often upset and cross that we can no longer do the things we used to do because of Rollo's needs.
I'm imagining a time in the future when Rollo is 2 or 3 yrs old when he'll be like other family dogs we see who are much older - no longer chewing everything around him, happy to mooch and nap, no longer destroying the garden, able to wander the house and garden unsupervised. Is this the case? After a few first years, do most dogs become easier to own? I know it's partly my family set up that makes it harder as I'm the only breadwinner, the only person my DCs have got, the only person running the business, the only person looking after the home and garden, looking after the 2 cats and the puppy.
I can see that after my DCs leave home, having a puppy would be much more enjoyable or if I didn't have to work or if I had any family around to help out. Is this why other people seem to be enjoying their puppies more than I am? I know Rollo's had chronic health issues but he's totally fine on antibiotics and everyone says he's an easy puppy....but all those people have tended to be either single child free people or SAHMS or non-working single mums.
The new puppy thread is interesting to read. Could anyone with puppies a bit older - from 7 months to 2 to 3 yrs - make some comments about how life with a dog progresses? Am I right to think that once you've got through the puppy times and the adolescence, that at around 2 to 3 yrs dogs become much easier?....But obviously you still have to fit in 2 longer and longer walks a day....I've had it easy, getting Rollo in springtime but I dread the winter as I'll have to walk him in rain and snow, sleet and winds and dark dawn and dusks, whilst also managing the DCs care/ meals/homework etc etc.
Oh dear, this does sound like I'm having a moan! Sorry! It's just that having a week away from Rollo, I'm feeling relieved and reclaiming some normal life and wondering what he actually has brought to our family that's a positive?
I'm committed to him and I love him but so far, he's brought sleepless nights, destruction of home and garden, over £3,000 of dog-related bills, anguish and anger from the DCs, huge stress for me and relentless walks that instead of helping me lose some weight and feel fitter have resulted in me putting on about half a stone!!! and have chronic Achilles heel problems!!!
Any insights and feedback?