As I went to bed last night, I thought "poor Lacy." Quite a startling thought since I have a lot on my own plate with 2 Yorkies and 1 Biewer, ranging from 2 to 7 pounds (all full grown).
Reflecting back on the thought this morning, I realized that poor little Lacy has been through so much in only a few short weeks. Just to cover a few events: Transfer from people-mom, puppy-mom, & siblings to new people-mom, new home, & no siblings; flying on an airplane; multiple vet visits; new schedule of eating, sleeping, playing; new pen, new bed, all new smells. Whew! I think I'd scream and howl if someone wanted me to play with toys or do anything but just
BE.
There's a really nice post about raising a puppy and expectations at this link:
Raising a puppy: Expectations - DogForum.net | Dog Forums and Community
Many new-puppy guides advise "try not to overwhelm your new puppy with too much activity during this initial adjustment period"—by meeting family, friends, and taking him/her places—because it could be too stressful for your new puppy.
For over 40 years, I've had Westies, Yorkies, and Biewers—mostly Yorkies (and usually 2 and 3 at a time), only 3 would've made excellent, certified therapy dogs; almost all would've been good volunteer hospital/retirement-home visitors (where therapy-dog certification is not required)—and several did just that.
We can hide our frustrated, angry, disappointed feelings from friends and family, but not from our furry kids; they sense our feelings and react to these feelings in all different ways—may be "act-out" would be a better word to describe their responses.
We don't know who Lacy will be, but she will be GREAT...she will be LACY! If we let her BE.
