September 9, 2013

19 Days & Counting

(One last pep talk) 

This Saturday, September 7, 2013, Oakley left for camp for three whole weeks. (Two weeks if she takes to the training really quickly (fingers crossed she does!) but I'm mentally preparing myself for three.)

Our main goal here is 100% obedience. Nothing crazy. No walking on her hind legs. No fetching mom a bottle glass of wine. I'm talking heeling, staying, coming, no jumping and walking/running without a leash. Not-so-simple commands for a puppy who's easily distracted...

(One last walk. Notice her pulling me along...reason #964 why she's there.)

I have no idea what it feels like to send your first born off on their very first day of school but if I had to guess, I'd say it feels exactly how I felt on Saturday morning. Stomach in knots, shaking like a leaf and crying every time she did so much as look at me. Did I second guess sending her off? You bet your sweet tush I did. Did I secretly hope my car would break down on our way there so we could turn around and just go back home? Duh. As our car pulled out of the long, windy driveway, I, Stephanie Nicole Howard, was a hot, hot mess.

There's so much that runs through your mind when you leave your "child" in the care of someone else. Is she going to like them? Are they going to like her? Is she going to eat? What if she gets sick? What if she gets hurt? Is she going to be lonely? What if the other dogs are mean to her? Will she think I abandoned her? Will she miss me? Will her bed be soft enough? Did we pack enough toys for her to play with? Is she going to get enough love and attention? Did I hug and kiss her enough before they whisked her away to her room? But most of all...what if she completely forgets who we are when we pick her up?

I'd be lying if I said I can't look at that first picture without tears filling my eyes.

My house is so clean. And so quiet. There aren't any muddy footprints leading from the back door or toys strewn every 2 feet and no one to wake me up at the ass-crack-of-dawn. Her food and water bowls are empty and her beds are already nice and clean for when she gets back. I don't have to rush home from work to let her out of her kennel or take her for a walk. There's no one wagging their sweet little tail when I walk in the door.  I was able to remove the sheets from our couch and even put my cute little throw pillows back on the couch for the first time in SIX months. And there's no one driving me batshit crazy every waking moment. You think I'd be enjoying this little "break" and looking forward to a well-behaved dog when she gets home but as childish and selfish as this makes me sound, I'm not. To be honest, it's probably one of the most difficult things I've had to deal with since getting our little girl back in March. (Crazy dog mother? All signs point to "YES".)

And then there's my husband. Sleeping in, absolutely loving the entire couch to himself sans 80 pound dog and enjoying not having to shove her butt out the back door every night before we go to bed. How are men so tough sometimes?! Have I bugged Beau to death with the hundreds of times I've asked him What do you think she's doing right now's and the bazillion and one Can we just go back and pick her up's? Of course I have. But then he brings me back down to earth and reminds me that she's not gone forever and that when she comes home in 3 (not-so-short) weeks, she'll be so much more pleasant to live with. He even made me a "bracelet" out of Oakie Bear's very first collar when he found me bawling my little eyes out on Saturday morning. (It's the green thing on my right wrist in the top pic and it literally melted my heart that he would think of something like that...)

So yes. I am that dog mom who cried to the trainer begging him to make sure he takes extra good care of her. I am that dog mom who called up there less than 24 hours of her being gone just to make sure she survived her first night and to check and see if she needed her blanket or anything else. (Good news! She's already learned to heel!) Yes-I am that girl who has a countdown clock on her iPhone...impatiently waiting for the number to get down to "0". I am that girl who has asked to borrow everyone else's dog for the next 19 days while mine is at school. And yes-I'm that girl with a puppy collar on her wrist.

I'm also the crazy one who just wrote the sappiest blog post about sending her damn dog to training camp. Don't worry-I'm fully aware of this....

Oh motherhood. Though I have no real children, I feel like this is really, really good training for me, too...

30 comments:

  1. Oh my I would be a wreck! Praying these weeks go by fast for you and you get your baby home nice and trained :-)

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  2. Ah this breaks my heart just reading this post because I feel this way whenever I drop my girl off to daycare just for the day. I can't imagine how you're feeling having yours gone for 3 whole weeks.

    Hoping the time goes super quick for you!!

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  3. You are a good mama! I, too, am a crazy dog mom... no judgement here :) Oakley will do wonderful and then you'll have a dog everyone will be envious of because she will be SO well behaved!! :)

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  4. If only every puppy had parents that cared this much. I dread leaving mine for a week with my parents, shes never been away from either me or my fiance since the day we got her.

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  5. Awww! I couldn't imagine sending my puppy off! I cry when we have to leave him for a few days!! You're tough ;)

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  6. I know how you feel. I am a crazy dog momma too! Oakley will do amazing! I am sure she will love it. I hate leaving my Rascal for any length of time! I feel ya girl. Hugs.

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  7. Sending happy thoughts to you for these next three weeks! I would be the same way. When we first got our dog I took the first week off from work and pretty much cried when I had to leave him to go to work. I still hate leaving him and he's 2.5. I hope these next three weeks go by quickly!!!

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  8. You poor thing! I left my dog daughter at my parents house while I took a trip across the country and for the two days before we left that she was gone the house was so empty :( But don't think that having human children will change your craziness...oh no! I have twin babies that I'm obsessed with but still make room on my bed, lap, ahem couch for my dog baby. I've even gone so far as to take her into the backyard to throw the frisbee while the twins stand at the sliding glass door banging on it to come play too ;) I hope she is very successful and I can't wait to read about the reunion!

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  9. I about had the same reaction this morning and I just had to leave my Charlie at home while I went to work! I feel your pain. I truly believe that animals are great training for babies :)

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  10. Oh sweet Steph, I am so sorry girl. I promise she is so good and she is learning so much and she will be back in no time! And until then, you have KATIE to keep you smiling!! Soon soon :)

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  11. i would be doing the same thing. i would have a full on breakdown. but it will go by really fast and she will be back soon!!!

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  12. Oh, my my. I would be a mess. Hoping she comes back with lots of new tricks :) When we first got our puppy, we went on our honeymoon just a month after we got him and I was a wreck leaving him with friends for 10 days. I was so afraid he would forget about us but the second we walked in the door and he saw us, he ran as fast as I'd ever seen him move and practically leapt into my husband's arms. He couldn't figure out how to get out of his arms and come to mine and then back to his fast enough. It might drag by but it will be so good when she's home!

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  13. Oymgoodness. I would be so sad if I had to send my baby off. I just took him for his first haircut last weekend and it took 3 hours! I didn't know what to do with myself and was worried they weren't being nice enough to him. But to think about had well trained Oakley will be after this makes it worth it im sure!

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  14. :( I would be so sad too. You are stronger than I am. I get sad when my girl goes to the groomer for 4 hours.
    Oakley will be SO excited to see you when camp is over. All her training will probably go right out the window those first couple of minutes of seeing mom & dad again. Maybe think of it as we need adult time pretty regularly. Oakley is having her much needed doggie time at camp.

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  15. No one blames you...I am that crazy dog mom too... I was the crazy one at the vet who was walking out crying when she had to be put to sleep to fix her broken TOE NAIL..yeah. I have been looking into puppy camps too...when they get so big so young..it's hard to use all your strength to get them to heel..we are trying the gentle leader next for walking...Hope she comes back to you guys in two week instead of three!

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  16. having a dog is really really good training for the future with kids, I think It really teaches you a lot. I mean what do I know... I'm childless, but still!

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  17. Aww man this is precious. And that dog collar turned into a bracelet? Melt my heart.

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  18. My puppy went for six week (we were on vacation for two of them) and it was worth every single penny and moment without her. She really did come back a new girl!!! You'll love it

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  19. awww I know she is going to do amazing! Fingers crossed for only 2 weeks. I wish I had thought about letting Tilly go learn these skills. She's a demon child but I just love her so much. hehe Hope the weeks fly by and YAY for being reunited with your bestie soon.

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  20. I would be the same way over my poochie pies. I'm lost and lonely when they aren't home with me. Hopefully it will be totally worth it when it's over!

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  21. I can't even imagine what you are going through! I hate even leaving my Lucy girl for the weekend with my in-laws!

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  22. Bless your heart sweet girl! Hang in there... Oakley girl will be home before you know it! & yes she very much is like a child so you get plenty of exercise & if she is not enough just go borrow the triplets for a bit :)

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  23. the bracelet collar!! BEAU!! I want to hug him right now. And you!

    oakley is going to do amazing and of course shes going to remember you guys! she is going to be so excited to show you guys everything she has learned!

    totally agree that having dogs and pets gear you for children! i cant imagine sending mine off to school an such the first day...gives me the heebie jeebies to think about it! so you are getting pre-prepared! :)

    love you two and oakley!!

    xoxoxo

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  24. Oh man! I don't know how you are doing it!!

    Seriously my only reservation when we went to Australia was leaving Floyd for 2 1/2 weeks. I crrrried when I dropped him off at camp.

    Thinking about you guys, but I bet she is having a blast and just think how happy she will be to see you guys!!

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  25. When my boyfriend and I are out of town and my dog is at the sitter's (who she LOVES), I ask him atleast 5x a day 'what do you think Scarlette is doing right now?' Then I ask if he thinks she's sad that we're gone... but I don't want her to be sad and upset that we aren't there, but I also want her to miss us. When I go out of town, I usually have to drop her off on a Thursday night even though I don't leave town until Friday after work, so that means I spend one night at home without her. And it is SO LONELY. I've even rearranged my travel schedule before so I can spend as much time as possible with her. Three weeks apart would be so hard - hang in there!!

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    1. Sounds like you and I could get along very well. I'm the same way with my baby. I teared up reading this. Hang in there!

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  26. Is it bad that this made me actually tear up?! Gosh doggy children sure feel like real children. I am counting down the days for you!!

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  27. I would be the same exact way if I ever sent my doggys off to training camp... I couldnt do it. I would rather quit my job & stay home with them & train them myself... ahhh I cant wait see how she is when you get her back & the good news is. SHE'S COMING HOME SOON!!!!! Enjoy the quiet time with the hubby while the baby is away

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  28. Ok this doggie school thing is one of the most awesome things I have ever heard of!!!!! Seriously she is going to come home well behaved and will probably know how to make you a cocktail when you return home from work :)

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  29. The Beau dog collar bracelet gift is so cute and adorable!

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