Setting boundaries...

Sleep deprivation, starting to impact me. Each night is better --- that's a fact. Encouraged by most experienced friends, I opted for the crating method, at night. Even though Muggs slept with me the first night, I wasn't set up...plus, it just felt like the right thing to do the first time Muggs would be away from his 7 brothers and sisters.

Bought the crate, the next day, and I can confirm that he now seems to like it, at night. Granted, it's only been four night's here at the house; three of them in the crate. My friend Jacqueline Leppla uses crating for her grown German short-hair, Sage, and the one puppy they kept from Sage's first litter, Storm. When I was in Reno I was often the first one up, in the morning, so learning the process and technique that the Leppla dogs were used to was pure luck, for me.......not even thinking, for a minute, that I'd be using the same technique and tool in just a matter of weeks.

Setting boundaries is the single most important step, right now. That's been the universal message from friends, family and everything I've read, on line. This morning, it's a tough one.....Keeping Muggs penned in to the kitchen, while I'm doing other things, around the house. I've already left the house, several times, leaving him "gated" in the kitchen. Mostly, that has gone okay....only one big and one small accident.

We made it through three hours last night, before whining in the crate signaled time for peeing. After that it was another 5 hours of sleep before we finally got up for the day. The cumulative lack of solid sleep is just the way it goes, for this first week. But, we've gone from three hours, the first night, to 5 hours last night. Fingers crossed for tonight.....I need a solid 6-7 hours to start feeling better.

As for today's goals. I'm having my coffee in the TV room and MUGGS is gated in the kitchen. I left the flap for the doggy door open, so he could go in and out. This was fine for the first 20 minutes - all the while ignoring his whimpering (setting those boundaries and sticking with it----do not cave to the whines). After hearing him successfully navigate the doggy door 3 times in a row I looked out the TV room window (overlooking the yard) and saw he was scrambling towards the front fence. It's secure, but with a bit of digging, I didn't want to take a chance. In the next couple of days I'll be laying down cement pavers, at the gate threshold, and cinder blocks sunk into the ground along the length of the fence to prevent escape if he decides to dig.

So, for now, I've closed the doggy door flap, because with him being emotional right now.....getting OUT is probably big on his mind. With that motivation, I didn't want to risk the chance that his little puppy digging could net him an escape route. Muggs is safely gated, in the kitchen and wining....I'm just ignoring his wines. Hopefully, this will work, this morning.....Back to coffee and the news....

Here are two pictures from this morning - romping in the yard...very happy.....just before the next picture - which was taken just as I was leaving Muggs in the kitchen for our setting the boundaries session.....Hoping the whining doesn't go on and on....