I will not beat around the bush here: WE GOT A PUPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
O.M.G.!!!!!!!!!!!
Ivan surprised me with this adorable little guy on Saturday- an early 40th birthday present. (My 40th is coming up on October 17th.)
I was shocked. Like, SHOCKED shocked. SHOCKED!!!!
Here’s the story……..
Ivan had told me he had to “run a couple errands” on Saturday morning, but was oddly vague about it. I didn’t think too much of it- I thought maybe he just wanted to go get a Starbucks coffee and escape from the Saturday morning craziness at our house and run to Target or something. Haha.
But when he walked in the door a couple hours later, he had this puppy in his arms!
I did a double take and immediately thought, “Oh my gosh! He found a puppy out in the street!” (We’ve actually found “lost dogs” twice in our yard over the last few years, so I just assumed someone’s puppy somehow got away. My mind was already thinking about calling the police and checking our local Facebook page for lost dogs….)
But then he handed him to me and said something like, “Here’s the dog you’ve always wanted. Happy early 40th birthday!”
[Let me interrupt the story for a second here:
If you know Ivan, you’d know he has always held a hard line NO DOG policy. As in it was a total non-starter conversation. The boys have teased for a dog over the years (especially lately), I have brought it up dozens of times…. but it was always a hard no, zero wiggle room, shut down completely and immediately.
I basically had stopped even bringing it up, because while I do actually love dogs and really wanted one, I am also aware that it’s the type of pet that requires both parties to be fully on board. I had mostly come to accept that it just was not going to be in the cards for me (so long as I was married to Ivan, anyway 😆). I would never want to “force” a dog on my partner in any way, because well, that just sounds like a very, very bad plan for all parties involved (dog included).
The reasons he didn’t want a dog were numerous. And in fairness, many of them very valid! I won’t spell them all out… I think everyone reading this knows that dogs are a lot of work, money, effort, commitment, etc. etc. It is not brand new information. 😉
One of Ivan’s biggest personal reasons for not wanting a dog (besides all the typical ones) was that he hates dog hair with a passion. You know that I don’t use the word “hate” lightly around here. But this is a fair one: He HATES dog hair. To an excessive degree. When we go to his cousin’s house (who has a big, white lab that sheds in droves), Ivan almost cannot handle it. He will not touch the dog, he will barely sit on their couch, and the second we get home, he gets out the delinter and/or starts washing all of his clothing. He points out people in public who are covered in dog or cat hair. (“See? See? That is why I don’t want a dog! Look at that lady with fur ALL over her pants! Yuck!!!”) I do not mean to make him sound like some kind of crazy, mean-spirited person, but he just really, really does not like dog hair. He says it makes him “itchy” to even see it flying around. He always clarifies he does not actually hate dogs- he just hates dog HAIR.]
Back to the regular story…. so knowing all of the above, this is why I was literally shocked out of my mind when Ivan handed me a dog. (Now, I had pointed out over the years that dogs do exist that don’t shed…..but that specific point had never been enough to win him over before. He would then usually just move on to one of the other reasons we shouldn’t have a dog. Fair enough.)
Well, apparently, he either: a) had a stroke b) experienced some kind of alternate personality change or c) just really loves me, I guess ;), because he somehow changed his mind!
Meet: CHARLIE!
A hypoallergenic, non-shedding Cavapoo. 🙂 (A mix between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Toy Poodle)
He is the cutest little thing on the planet! A literal fluff ball of energy, but he is also SO GOOD, too. Active and playful but also very chill. He loves to be held and snuggled (I have a feeling he is going to be a slightly “clingy” dog…he likes attention from his people!!). But I always dreamed of a dog that would snuggle up by me while I work from home, or lay by me while I read or watch TV, etc., so I think he’s going to be perfect. 🙂
My emotions went from shock to confusion to disbelief to excitement to a semi-state of panicked overwhelm when I realized….I have no idea how to take care of a puppy, and I have exactly zero supplies for taking care of a puppy!
But I had the puppy part. 😉
Fortunately, the breeder sent Ivan home with tons of information, a specific shopping list and more. I ended up texting her and she sent over links to videos, more info and we also connected by phone to over some details.
We immediately headed out to Mounds Pet Store and Farm and Fleet for ALL the supplies. I was overwhelmed there, too, but we managed.
The boys weren’t home when Ivan brought Charlie home- Ethan was working and Asher was at the fishing pond with a friend. This was a surprise for them, too!
We actually picked Asher up with the puppy in the car and I think he was just as shocked as I was!! Haha. He was very, very excited. He carried Charlie all around Mounds while we picked things out.
He now has 2 beds (one for the sunroom, and one to keep in my office, where eventually I hope he’ll hang with me during the day). He has a crate. A harness. A leash. Yard stakes. A collar. Food bowls. Food. Treats. The pig ears the lady said he loves. Toys. Blankets. And more.
And his downstairs bed and blankie (in the crate right now):
He is well on his way to being crate trained and sleeps in there (upstairs) overnight. Knock on wood, but he has actually had NO accidents in the house yet. We’ve been really on top of trying to follow the “schedule” the breeder left us. It is very detailed and outlines his feeding times, play time, in crate/ nap times, potty breaks, etc. She said if we follow it “to a T” we shouldn’t have any issues at all.
We have been very careful to not leave him unattended. I watched a video that said the one biggest mistake with puppy training is “too much freedom!”. I can understand that.
He’s been on several car rides already, too. We actually took him through the McDonald’s drive-thru Saturday to surprise Ethan, but Ethan was so confused/ overwhelmed too that his reaction was rather anticlimactic. lol!
He likes to chew, but not overly so. As in he hasn’t seemed to go crazy trying to destroy anything (yet), but again, we don’t leave him alone, either. He does seem to have a taste for the boys’ Crocs, haha. I’ve also had to redirect him from the carpet a couple times.
He LOVES belly scratches. And he also loves being held like a baby, on his back! It’s so funny!
We’ve tried one “walk” so far which was more or less an epic fail. Hahaha. He kept just sitting down or laying down on the ground. Eventually we got him to walk a little bit, but we carried him more than anything. hehe. I am sure he’ll figure it out!
Started like this….
Eventually walked a little! (They told us to try letting the leash go and just walking along, instead of trying to hold the leash right away.)
Oh, and he already knows how to play fetch! It’s the cutest thing ever. He chases after the ball, picks it up and brings it back (although for some reason, he always goes to this particular corner of the patio to “return it”… not wherever we are! haha.)
Here is now, snoozing away happily in my office in his crate (his “house”, as I’m trying to teach him it’s called). Working hard to make sure it’s a safe/happy space for him, not just a place he goes when we’re gone.
My biggest worry is mostly just what we will do with him when we are gone. Not even necessarily about vacations, but like when we sometimes have longer stretches of time that we need to be away (and can’t bring him, like a long swim meet day, etc.). I need to start looking into options!
I am still in a bit of a state of shock/ overwhelm, but I think I’m starting to figure things out. 🙂 I figure it cannot be that hard; it literally seems like everyone we know (real life friends, the boys’ friends, etc.) have at least one dog, so I’m sure we can do this, too. 🙂
(I had 2 dogs as a child- we got one when I was in 3rd grade, and the other in 6th grade. But that was a long time ago! I’ve never owned a dog as an adult, when I’ve had to be the one to actually manage any of it.)
So that’s my big news! Give me all your best puppy tips!! I will try my best to not inundate the blog with puppy pictures, but I make no promises. 😜 (I do understand that not everyone is obsessed with other people’s dogs. I really like dogs, but I sometimes even lose interest in other people’s pets. lol! But I guess I’m officially joining the club as a Dog Mom. Be prepared for pictures of my puppy dressed in a pumpkin sweater or something coming your way. 😂)
Daily Gratitude:
Duh… I’m grateful for little, adorable Charlie!! I seriously used to get kind of depressed thinking I’d never in my lifetime get to have a dog. But now I do! I still can’t believe it. And although many people get dogs when their kids are little, I actually feel like the boys are PERFECT ages for a dog. Old enough to be of actual help, and, I am not trying to wrangle small children/toys/messes AND puppy messes. One or the other is plenty for me.
Oh, and always remember: Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.
GRATEFUL KAE 
That’s the sweetest love gesture!!! He’s soooo cute!!! Probably one of my favorite kind of dogs.
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OMG. Do you remember when I teased you a couple of posts ago that you cannot post puppy pictures when you didn’t actually get a puppy… well, looks like that was just a practice run, because this time, YOU ACTUALLY GOT A PUPPY!
Wow, I am beyond excited for you. And for Ivan to change his mind about having a dog as a pet is HUGE! He must have really had a stroke or thought about it long and hard and decided you (and the boys) are worth the “sacrifice” – haha.
No really, Charlie is adorable. Who wouldn’t want that little guy at his house?? ❤
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Hahaha San- I totally thought of your comment from a couple weeks ago!! lol!!! FOR REAL this time! And the boys kind of giggle listening to Ivan talk to Charlie…Ivan is also smitten with him and the boys are like, Wait, who ARE you?! Haha!!
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He’s SOOOO CUTE! Yay! What a fun adventure for you!
My advice is just to make sure that everyone is on the same page about training him. So one person doesn’t use one hand signal to mean sit while someone else uses a different hand signal. My husband and I actually read the same training book (we used a book called Training the Best Dog Ever that was recommended to us by a dog psychologist, but as long as you use a book that relies on positive reinforcement, it doesn’t matter what book you use) and then we did training classes with her, whoever went to the classes (ahem *me*) would teach the other person what we had learned. It’s going to be even harder if there are FOUR of you, but you all have to be on the same page!
The biggest thing is consistency. Our dog is not allowed on furniture or upstairs and we’re both consistent about that. She gets fed at certain times. She’s allowed toys at certain times.
But right now you should be in the two-week shutdown where you basically do nothing with the puppy but get him used to your family and your schedule! Enjoy him! Welcome home, Charlie!!
The book we used: https://www.amazon.com/Training-Best-Dog-Ever-Reinforcement-ebook/dp/B0091LQJS6
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Thanks Engie! I will for SURE check out that book right now!!! We are for sure going to be a dog ON the furniture household, but that’s because he is little and lightweight and well, part of the idea was to have a pup that could snuggle up on the couch with us on movie night, etc! But I totally hear what you’re saying about consistency. I think we will have to figure out some of the house rules as we go and things come up. Right now it’s all a bit of a whirlwind!!
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You have my blessing to post ALL the puppy pictures. Yes, they’re a lot of work but they’re so worth it. It’s just like having another kid…except that they do everything that you say and adore you madly 24/7.
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Awwww, thanks!! I can already tell having a puppy is a big ego boost, lol! It’s like, Wow! I’m so important!!! I am EXCITING! (at least from the puppy’s perspective…hehe.)
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I’m so happy for you! How generous of Ivan to change his mind about something so big! Charlie is adorable. He looks like a stuffed animal!! I haven’t had a dog aside from when I was very young. So I am no help but you’ve got lots of readers with dogs who will be helpful I’m sure. And I like dog pics on blogs even though I am not a dog person! I am kind of scared of dogs but I wouldn’t be afraid of sweet Charlie of course. I am trying to work on this fear so I don’t pass it on to my kids! Paul used to be terrified of dogs but had gotten really comfortable. Will is still pretty scared but can warm up, especially if he gets to give the dog treats.
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I agree some bigger dogs are definitely “intense” looking! And while most are very friendly, certainly not all are…and some of them (big or small!) could really do some damage under the right circumstances! So I understand being a bit fearful, though I’m generally not really.
I’ve had a few situations out walking in my neighborhood that were a bit scary. Once there was a lady with a bigger dog and she was stopped, distracted picking up poop. The dog was just waiting and staring me down big time, and then tried to lunge at me, growling. Fortunately I noticed his “not so inviting” look from a distance and tried to remove my hat and sunglasses, slowed down and then kind of paused back in the grass, waiting for the owner to pay attention before passing them. But the owner was so oblivious as she was bent over and had her back to me. The dog almost knocked her over trying to get to me, wrapping the leash around her legs, and the whole thing was rather scary!! If I had not been more aware and just walked right by, I’m pretty certain I would have been bit.
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Yay, so fun!!!
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OH MY GODDDDDD KAE!!!
I knew your husband was very anti-dog so I cannot believe my surprise. I’m sure you couldn’t either! He is the cutest! Wow, what an adorable puppy. I love doodles. They are so smart and so much fun. I was going to say my number one tip is to crate train but you’re already there. Also, boundaries and schedules. Just like with kids! Lol! Our dogs have loved their crates and it sure makes things easier when they do. It’s a safe place for them, we would always give them a treat when they needed to be in their crate. Ooooohhhh this is just the best news. NEW INTERNET PUPPY!
Oh and by the way, I am a dog person (obviously) but I know what your husband means, I dislike getting dog hair all over my clothes too. This is why we have had two non-shedding dogs (also my husband has allergies, but no problems with the doodles).
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Definitely doing the crate training! I have not had much time to even investigate other training methods and all of that yet… I hope to soon! It’s been a crazy week and now I’m out of town. So far focusing on the potty thing, which he’s doing great with. And the crate. But I need to figure out how to teach him not to chew things, since eventually want to be able to trust him more in the house unattended, obviously.
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AAAAAHHHHH!!! I’m so excited and happy for you!!! What a good husband! Seriously- he’s the best. And Charlie, OMG, he’s unbelievably cute. I don’t even know where to start… I love how he wanted to be carried on his “walk.” His adorable little face! Those photos of him snuggled up next to the boys! Post as many photos as you want! I never get tired of looking at people’s pets.
Dogs are one of the (few) pets I’ve never had. My mom wouldn’t let us get one as kids, and now that I’m a mom I understand why! Sometimes I imagine getting a dog, eventually- I would love to have a dog to run with me. But right now I have no tips for you (Engie is probably a gold mine, and I see she’s already given her words of wisdom.) Have fun!!!
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I know- I always kind of fantasized about having some bigger dog to go on long walks or runs with me too! But in reality big dogs are a whole other story, too. Definitely the shedding issue is most prevalent, and uh… the huge poops… no thanks… lol! I think Charlie will be just the right size for our house too. We don’t have an enormous “main area” in our house, so I can’t really imagine a big dog in there tbh.
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Awwwww! How exciting! Charlie is adorable! Congrats!!!!
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Thanks Suzanne!! He is just the cutest- like a little stuffed animal!
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So I’ve been texting back and forth with you with all my emojis and surprise and yet I still need to publicly state that Charlie is officially the cutest puppy I have ever seen – FULL STOP.
Enjoy this stage of falling in love with him and I know he is going to add so much joy and love to your household.
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Thank you!!! 🥰🥰🥰
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Oh my gosh Kae!! He is gorgeous! What an incredible surprise! Welcome home, Charlie ❤
Also, my hubby is also a reluctant dog person and it means so much that he agreed to let my daughter and I have Coco. We also went with a breed that doesn't shed because similar to Ivan I really can't stand hair (human or dog!) lying around the house!
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What a cutie! My friend has a cavapoo and although she (the dog, not my friend) is a bit high strung, she is very soft and sweet some of the time too. Also, they are very smart dogs! You are going to love having Charlie as a buddy. I can’t believe Ivan changed his mind! I wonder if he had an experience with that breed and realized they were not so bad after all? I am kind of in his camp regarding the hair, and also dogs are a lot of work! So I have opted to not get one for the time being but could see myself having one when I am older and don’t really care about traveling as much (if that happens!)
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I don’t think he specifically had experience with the breed, but we know of several people who do have the non-shedding dogs like golden doodles, etc. Actually one of Asher’s friends does have a Cavapoo but I don’t think Ivan knew that specifically. The dog hair thing was an absolute no for him, so I guess he just realized that there are indeed options that do not shed … and then came to terms with the rest of the issues! Haha. Totally makes sense in your situation with the travel and all of that. Honestly I am a bit stressed about how having a dog will impact that part of our life. But I am sure we will figure it out.
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OMG OMG OMG! I want to hug Charlie, sniff his head, and bury my face in his neck LOL I’m not weird at all, I promise! Seriously, what a lovely surprise!! He is absolutely precious. Aw I can’t.
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Hahaha! I know… the puppy cuteness is just too much when they’re little!!
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