Two weeks ago, my husband and I adopted a Wirehaired Dachshund puppy—and our worlds turned upside down. We've owned two cats for years now, and thought we were prepared for expanding our pet ownership. What we weren't prepared for was the significant increase in supervision that little Peach required, because puppies have essentially two modes.
Puppy mode 1:
Puppy mode 2:
During that first mode, you have to be on that pup like white on rice. Everything around her is a potential food source, chew toy or latrine. Plus, she has no concept of scale, especially as it applies to her own size: she believes she can totally jump off the couch with no problem, despite being maybe 4 inches tall.
For the first few days after we got Peach, I'd try to do things while it was my turn to watch her. I even attempted to write a blog post while she played on the couch. It was a nightmare. I'd take my eye off Peach for a second too long, then have to go through the whole "What are you eating? Where did you get that?" routine -- and eventually, I had to wash a couch cushion cover. I was worrying that we had made a bad decision.
And, in fact, I had made a bad decision: to try to do two things at once. After the night of the blog post and soiled couch cushion, I made a different decision. When I was watching Peach, I was just going to watch Peach. I wasn't going to work, or do stuff for school or do household projects; those would be done when Peach was in puppy mode #2 and asleep in her crate area (or when it was my husband's turn to watch her).
What happened astonished me: once I gave up the idea of puppy multitasking, I was able to focus on my work and school tasks while Peach slept, and I got them done much faster with excellent results. I didn't procrastinate or putter around, I got that stuff done. Then, when I was watching Peach, I was able to focus solely on the puppy cuteness and enjoy my time with her.
Now, not everyone can go out and get a supercute small-breed puppy. But I bet most people do find themselves trying to do two things at once and not doing either one very well. What I'd suggest is that you treat each thing you're trying to do like a puppy, a precious entity that demands and deserves your full attention. You might surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish when you stop trying to "do" so much.
What lessons have your pets taught you? Let me know in the comments!
My cats have taught me that sometimes, I NEED to take a break and pet them. (Of course, if they had it their way, this would be 24/7. They're needy little buggers.)
Posted by: E. Foley - Geek's Dream Girl | 04/15/2009 at 10:36 AM
Oh, yes! I've currently got a cat all curled up on my to-do list and smiling smugly as if to say "You aren't getting squat done until you snuggle the cat."
Posted by: Catherine Cantieri | 04/15/2009 at 10:48 AM
I love dogs and I absolutely LOVE this post. I'm just stopping by your blog for the first time and it's great. It's filled with lots of great advice and tips! Thanks for sharing all of this great info!
Posted by: positively present | 04/17/2009 at 01:45 PM
Love this post! My husband and I are picking up a bassett hound puppy on July 1st and this is just what I needed to hear. I've been trying to figure out the best way to fit in work, school, new puppy, older cats adjusting to new puppy and I think your advice and tips will help make our transition a lot easier.
Posted by: Elizabeth | 06/22/2009 at 01:07 PM
Yeaaaa, new puppy! Congratulations on the impending bundle of slobbery joy. I'm glad you liked the post!
Posted by: Catherine Cantieri | 06/24/2009 at 03:18 PM