This week I became a Mum, a Puppy Mum. So far it has been mainly full of standing outside in the rain at 2am whilst muttering ‘wee wee please’, following her around everywhere trying to see if she wees behind any of the armchairs and then cleaning up said accidents as apparently she doesn’t like going to the toilet outside in the rain. But it’s lovely and the plus side is all the cuddles I get throughout the day and how damn cute she looks! Yes, I’ve become one of those people that is happy to
This week I became a Mum, a Puppy Mum.
So far it has been mainly full of standing outside in the rain at 2am whilst muttering ‘wee wee please’, following her around everywhere trying to see if she wees behind any of the armchairs and then cleaning up said accidents as apparently she doesn’t like going to the toilet outside in the rain.
But it’s lovely and the plus side is all the cuddles I get throughout the day and how damn cute she looks! Yes, I’ve become one of those people that is happy to bore people by thrusting my phone in front of them to show pictures of her in various stages of sleepiness. And yes, she is on instagram, of course! (#bonniedays)
My husband and I had wanted a dog for ages, but it never seemed like the right time. We put it off and put it off and then our circumstances changed and I started working from home a lot more, meaning that the concept of getting a puppy was an actual real possibility.
We could have got one before, but the concept of training her under pressure or spending a fortune on doggy day care would have been too stressful and would have taken the fun out if it. Patience was needed. We didn’t know that my work would change direction and we didn’t know that we’d ever get the perfect opportunity, we just had to wait.
She is going to be a challenge, and with any challenge there are going to be tough times and really satisfying times. She is going to require dedication and our commitment to her training and wellbeing. She is also going to change our lives, the way we think about our social life, the way we plan holidays and the way we budget.
I’m an advocate of going and getting what you want – hey, no more ifs or buts right?! But this is a great example of balancing that with patience and planning. We would have had a dog in either approach but I would have added additional stress to my life by going and getting a dog when we first talked about it. Whenever you are thinking about big life changes, you need to plan, you need to think carefully, talk it over with others and seize opportunities. Fall in love with the idea (and who couldn’t with a face like Bonnie’s?! – Doing it again you see!) but we are all adults and we need to remember that you need to enjoy the journey getting what you want, it’s not just about the end goal.
Plan, seize opportunities and be realistic when thinking about your goals.
No more ifs or buts.
