Last year, I got to foster my very first puppy and it was everything I could hope for! There were also so many things I was not expecting - the responsibilities, training, and not getting proper sleep because of puppy tantrums!
I am a big time animal lover and I've always wanted a pet dog. My parents, on the other hand, weren't up for it. My dad had a pet when he was growing up and he also likes animals, however, my mother was...rather is still terrified of any animal. She is far far away from the idea of owning a dog. My family also moves a lot, probably every 2 to 4 years so that was one of the reasons I was never allowed to have a pet. The main reason, though, was that my brother and I would be in school for most of the day and my father at work. There was no way that my mom would agree on taking care of, feeding, and cleaning the puppy's poop and pee. Hence, it was just not possible to get a dog. Even during vacation it wouldn't be ideal as a month is probably not long enough to train and potty train a puppy (I doubted my ability to do so. There was also the risk of "what if the puppy needs more time to be a little more independent. I didn't want to take that risk).
Every few years my mom would say "we'll get one after a year or so" but she would keep postponing what she said. Soon, I stopped asking because I knew it would never happen. Once high school began, school load increased and I, myself, didn't want to bring in a puppy home because I knew I wouldn't get to spend as much time with it as I would like to and that wouldn't be fair to the small fluff ball.
Soon I knew I would be headed off to the USA again and many more hurdles arose: What happens to the dog after I go? I can't keep the puppy in India but I also can't take it with me. I don't want to put it through a 20-hour travel and pets most probably won't be allowed on campus
Once I realized how long my degrees will take (3 years for the bachelor degree and 4 for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, followed by an expected 3 years of residency) I lost all hope for having a furry companion before I was in my late twenties.
All of a sudden one day, my brother came up to me and told me there was a puppy in the parking lot of my building and a few days later I went to meet it. Just meet it and maybe give it food. I saw the little sweetheart in a box with some random clothes and towels that the kids in the building kept in the box to keep her warm when it rained. She was so adorable I didn't want to leave her there.
I went back home, quickly made a plain omelet (no salt or anything because that's bad for dogs), got some yogurt and a little bit of peanut butter. She looked very small and probably was only supposed to have liquid or semi-solid food but I thought it was worth a try. She gobbled up everything in just a few minutes. I decided to coach the children on what not to give her because they were giving her things like milk which I knew was bad for her. I decided I'd give her at least one meal per day or per two days (the kids were feeding her regularly already).
I went back home and told my mom how adorable the puppy was and just casually stated how I wish she could just stay in the small space outside our kitchen since that would be safer (some small kids were holding her and annoying her and I didn't like that). She said yes. WHAT? I didn't expect it at all...
I brought Snowy home that night. My cousin argues that she looks more like a Cappuccino (I agree) but the kids in my building kept that name for her and she already responds to it so I decided not to change it. She was scared at first which is understandable, but she became more relaxed and even playful after we gave her some food.
The following pictures are from the first night she slept in my room:
Obviously, I took hundreds of pictures of her the first night.
My cousin and I had to do some last minute puppy proofing in my room because the original plan was to bring her home the next day after taking her to the vet.
We discarded the box she was kept in when she was in the parking lot and got her a new bed sheet. We made makeshift barricades so she was confined to one section of the room before we got her cage and so that she couldn't climb on to my low nightstand and then on to my bed (she tried doing that a lot the first few days).
She mostly peed on the newspaper so I would say she's partially potty trained, but throughout the week she had peed elsewhere and even on her bed sheet. She's too young and I didn't expect her to learn in just a few days but she is still really smart. Being only 5 weeks, she already sits on command (even without offering some puppy food) and she will sleep and spin with a little food motivation. She also understood "down" when combined with a finger snap when she tried to climb on the bed (but it's too high for her).
She had, for most nights, woken me up at 5 am or 6 am, whining for food or just for attention but it's all good because she is so cute and I feel so responsible now that I know I have to wake up and take care of her and clean the pee puddles.
On day 2, I took her to the NGO (Thane SPCA), where I'd been volunteering for over 2 years, for a check-up, followed by deworming a few days later. The following next week she got her first vaccine.
She slept all the time (which was like my break time from cleaning her pee, feeding her and all that) and when she'd be awake she was either hungry, wanted to play or was peeing.
Honestly, I didn't realize how much effort goes into taking care of a puppy and this wonderful experience has definitely taught me a lot. I'm miss Snowy so much (now renamed "Angel" by the amazing family that adopted her but I'm so extremely happy for her and I'm glad she got such an amazing family to take care of and love her! Even though she was so naughty, it was very bittersweet seeing her go.
She now has an Instagram too so I can see how she is doing every now and then 😊❤
I am a big time animal lover and I've always wanted a pet dog. My parents, on the other hand, weren't up for it. My dad had a pet when he was growing up and he also likes animals, however, my mother was...rather is still terrified of any animal. She is far far away from the idea of owning a dog. My family also moves a lot, probably every 2 to 4 years so that was one of the reasons I was never allowed to have a pet. The main reason, though, was that my brother and I would be in school for most of the day and my father at work. There was no way that my mom would agree on taking care of, feeding, and cleaning the puppy's poop and pee. Hence, it was just not possible to get a dog. Even during vacation it wouldn't be ideal as a month is probably not long enough to train and potty train a puppy (I doubted my ability to do so. There was also the risk of "what if the puppy needs more time to be a little more independent. I didn't want to take that risk).
Every few years my mom would say "we'll get one after a year or so" but she would keep postponing what she said. Soon, I stopped asking because I knew it would never happen. Once high school began, school load increased and I, myself, didn't want to bring in a puppy home because I knew I wouldn't get to spend as much time with it as I would like to and that wouldn't be fair to the small fluff ball.
Soon I knew I would be headed off to the USA again and many more hurdles arose: What happens to the dog after I go? I can't keep the puppy in India but I also can't take it with me. I don't want to put it through a 20-hour travel and pets most probably won't be allowed on campus
Once I realized how long my degrees will take (3 years for the bachelor degree and 4 for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, followed by an expected 3 years of residency) I lost all hope for having a furry companion before I was in my late twenties.
All of a sudden one day, my brother came up to me and told me there was a puppy in the parking lot of my building and a few days later I went to meet it. Just meet it and maybe give it food. I saw the little sweetheart in a box with some random clothes and towels that the kids in the building kept in the box to keep her warm when it rained. She was so adorable I didn't want to leave her there.
I went back home, quickly made a plain omelet (no salt or anything because that's bad for dogs), got some yogurt and a little bit of peanut butter. She looked very small and probably was only supposed to have liquid or semi-solid food but I thought it was worth a try. She gobbled up everything in just a few minutes. I decided to coach the children on what not to give her because they were giving her things like milk which I knew was bad for her. I decided I'd give her at least one meal per day or per two days (the kids were feeding her regularly already).
I went back home and told my mom how adorable the puppy was and just casually stated how I wish she could just stay in the small space outside our kitchen since that would be safer (some small kids were holding her and annoying her and I didn't like that). She said yes. WHAT? I didn't expect it at all...
I brought Snowy home that night. My cousin argues that she looks more like a Cappuccino (I agree) but the kids in my building kept that name for her and she already responds to it so I decided not to change it. She was scared at first which is understandable, but she became more relaxed and even playful after we gave her some food.
The following pictures are from the first night she slept in my room:
Obviously, I took hundreds of pictures of her the first night.
My cousin and I had to do some last minute puppy proofing in my room because the original plan was to bring her home the next day after taking her to the vet.
We discarded the box she was kept in when she was in the parking lot and got her a new bed sheet. We made makeshift barricades so she was confined to one section of the room before we got her cage and so that she couldn't climb on to my low nightstand and then on to my bed (she tried doing that a lot the first few days).
She mostly peed on the newspaper so I would say she's partially potty trained, but throughout the week she had peed elsewhere and even on her bed sheet. She's too young and I didn't expect her to learn in just a few days but she is still really smart. Being only 5 weeks, she already sits on command (even without offering some puppy food) and she will sleep and spin with a little food motivation. She also understood "down" when combined with a finger snap when she tried to climb on the bed (but it's too high for her).
She had, for most nights, woken me up at 5 am or 6 am, whining for food or just for attention but it's all good because she is so cute and I feel so responsible now that I know I have to wake up and take care of her and clean the pee puddles.
On day 2, I took her to the NGO (Thane SPCA), where I'd been volunteering for over 2 years, for a check-up, followed by deworming a few days later. The following next week she got her first vaccine.
She slept all the time (which was like my break time from cleaning her pee, feeding her and all that) and when she'd be awake she was either hungry, wanted to play or was peeing.
Honestly, I didn't realize how much effort goes into taking care of a puppy and this wonderful experience has definitely taught me a lot. I'm miss Snowy so much (now renamed "Angel" by the amazing family that adopted her but I'm so extremely happy for her and I'm glad she got such an amazing family to take care of and love her! Even though she was so naughty, it was very bittersweet seeing her go.
She now has an Instagram too so I can see how she is doing every now and then 😊❤
My Heart!! She's so adorable ����
ReplyDeleteSo cute! <3
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness what a cutie!!! Fostering a puppy is such a great experience!
ReplyDeleteI think everyone should adopt! Rescuing animals is amazing and feels so good.
ReplyDelete