Hi friends!
So back in March, I got really tired of bad dates. You know the ones, right? After a whole life of dead ends, I got tired of getting dressed up to be polite over coffees and dinners with strangers in an attempt to find good company. It's a harsh reality, but I know that all my single girls out there can certainly relate to this-- or I hope so. Wasn't it Carrie Underwood who said, "The more boys I meet, the more I love my dog."? I felt that.
It had always been a dream of mine to own a big dog, and I finally felt like my time had come. My mom tagged me in some cute puppies for sale, and I took the drive to visit the little ones. I didn't expect to fall in love, but I totally did. A few weeks later, I was heading back to the breeder to pick up my very own Giant Schnoodle puppy. Things have not been easy since that St. Patrick's Day; and I've not had a shred of alone time. But I wouldn't trade little Gus for the world. I've learned so much about caring for another animal, and I wanted to share my new dog-mom knowledge with anyone who is about to jump into dog parenting!
Before baby Gus came home with me, I had to get supplies. I wanted to have his space all set up before he stepped paw into our home. I wanted him to feel as secure as possible-- I wanted to feel as prepared as possible. One of the most important things I invested in was an expandable kennel. He's a growing puppy, but he doesn't need all the adult dog space right away. I bought one similar to this one. The divider is important because it allows you to give the puppy more room as he grows-- if he has too much room, he'll have accidents in the kennel (and no one wants to clean that up more than they have to). I didn't invest in a fancy harness or leash, because he grows so fast as a puppy. I did buy a retractable leash AND a standard leash-- I like options. I did a lot of research (and looked around my apartment) and put together a list and a few links links of things I've accumulated in my first two months of puppy raising:
Cheap Toys (those puppy teeth will shred everything)
Poop Bags
Poop Scooper
Dog Bed (I picked a large, durable one that he could grow into)
Giant Schnoodles are Giant Schnauzers mixed with Standard Poodles. By nature, he loves to fetch and he's been a quick learner. He's a little mouthy, especially since he's teething. I've already had to throw a few pillows and t-shirts away or donate them to Gus's new toy collection.
I'm so excited to share with you things we learn and adventures we go on. Follow my Gustagram Pinterest board and we'll learn how to dog-parent together! I'm always open to answer any questions you have or take any advice you offer-- just comment!