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Molly just hit six months old and I've been through all the feels these past three months.
😍 Heart eyes
😴 Tired
😔 Regret
🤯 Frustrated
🥰 Love
After all that and a LOT of training we are finally all getting our footing. When I look back we didn't need too much, just each other. Here are the things that I really helped get us through and that Molly loves and still use today.
Crate. After all the puppy research I did before brining her home, everyone said to crate train and it has been a lifesaver for us all. As a puppy I didn't realize how much sleep they actually need. Which works well with our work from home schedules. The crate gives her a safe place to rest and recharge and same for us. Make sure it comes with a divider and is a little bit bigger than what you dog will grow up to be. You want to make sure it lasts their lifetime and is cozy now. I have two of these blankets inside, but she loves to push them to the side!
As she grew we knew we'd need to leave her home alone eventually, that was super tough for me as I was mostly working from home and with her all the time. So we ended up getting another camera from WUUK. It has really helped me leave her knowing we can check in on her at any time.
Not sure that this is NEEDED but we really love our little sound machine for her. I think it helps her rest easy and block out any outside noises. I need one, so why not her?!
Leash, collar and AirTag. This leash is great because it has two loops, one when I want her walking close and listening to me and one when she can go sniff. The collar is a super cute pink color and matches her AirTag holder. I have an AirTag on Roxy already, so this was natural add. While she was learning how to be in the house and all the rules, we used Simon's leash. We had this on her all the time for the first month or so. If she wasn't listening, we could quickly step on the leash and correct her right away. It also got her use to being on leash and kept our senior dog at a safe distance.
THESE TOYS. OMG. Hands down these are the best things we bought. It kept her occupied, not biting us or other things around the house. The pink spiky ball is her favorite to this day!
As she got older and realized how much she loved balls, I got some regular tennis balls and she loved them. As well as what Instagram called a herding egg. At almost six months she is finally growing into this bigger ball and loving it. We can never have enough balls since they all get lost under the couch!
Tug Toys. Another major thing that helped with the biting and energy. I got HUGE ones compared to her size that she could grow into and now they look normal next to her. They are second favorite to the balls.
Snuffle Mat. This is how we fed her for the first few months. We would hand feeding her half of her food and then the other half in the snuffle mat inside her crate. This gave her bonding time with us, thinking time, as well as associating the crate as a safe space.
We already had a ton of bowls for food and water, but she and her sister Roxy are both super sloppy drinkers so this mat, helps kinda contain the mess. Better than nothing! Maybe her next trick needs to be wiping her mouth. LOL
From day one I knew we wanted her to be a good car dog. I got this backseat cover and it fits perfectly inside my Mini. I like that it protects the sides of the door but still allow her to look out the windows if we roll them down. It has a doggy seat belt we attach to her collar. I started taking her around the block a couple times a week when we first got her and now she is the best car dog! Make sure to start them early!
Molly is very food motivated and loves to learn! I made my husband and I treat bags out of two Lululemon cross body bags I already had and we keep them stocked with her favorite treats, poop bags and hand sanitizer. She always gets a puppy Greenie after her breakfast and morning walk. It is so cute, she knows the routine and runs right to her bed to await the Greenie!
I cannot say this enough, having something for them to chew on is KEY! I love making her what I call KONG-coctions! I use a KONG, pumpkin, peanut butter and a little bit of her kibble and freeze it. She gets one of these each night in her cozy bed the hour before bedtime to get her calm.
Last but not least, is nail trimming. Both of our dogs hate it and it is always such a chore. I would start doing this the day after you get them and every day after so they get use to it. Three months in and my husband can clip one nail a day!
And that is everything you need. A place for them to feel safe, something to chew on and lots of treats! There are lots of ups and downs with a puppy but there is always a glimpse of what they will grow up to be and that is what you are working towards. You will get there and end up with an amazing addition to the family!
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