Are You Ready?

That was the question the breeder asked me before handing Tobi over to me on the sunny Friday morning in September.  “Are you ready”?  Me, feeling very confident, told her I was more than ready and was excited to take him home.  Looking back, I know what she meant and it was a tongue in cheek type of question.

I had done this before, of course I was ready.  I had Rudi from the time he was a puppy….but I didn’t think about the fact that it had been over 13 years since I’d had a puppy in the house.  And this time, I was doing it single handedly.  I was married at the time I had Rudi and it was probably easier.

But still and all, my mom and I drove back to Virginia Beach from Suffolk just cooing over how cute he was.  Probably weighed what a little sack of potatoes weighed.  He was a little guy, very soft and sweet.

So here we are 7 1/2 weeks later.  I didn’t forget about you guys, my readers.  Let’s just say, I’ve been a little busy to say the least.  HAHA!

Puppies are work!  Let me start by saying that.  I can’t recall how many times I said to myself, “Tobi, you are lucky you are so cute”.  Why?  Let me tell you why:

You forget about the chewing…and I mean constant chewing on your fingers, hands, toes, shoes, rugs, baseboards and even a brick fireplace.

You forget you are getting up every two hours to let them out for potty (I crate train my pups)

You forget you can’t always sit and watch a full TV program without looking for a missing puppy somewhere in the house.  And when it’s quiet…something is wrong.

You forget how much carpet cleaner you’ll go through during the potty training stage.

You forget that they have some tummy upset when coming home so for a couple weeks I battled with his stomach on what would settle best for him.  Plus, German Shepherds are notorious for having sensitive digestive systems.  There were days I was picking up take out for myself while I was standing over a stove cooking boiled chicken and rice for him when he was having a bout of diarreah.  That was no fun!

You forget about how tired you will be during work because you feel like you’ve been up all night with a newborn (well, essentially, you have been).

Did I say anything about chewing…let me narrow it down by saying “SHARK TEETH”!  I thought I bought a puppy but geez there were times I though a mini alligator was running through my home.

So that’s just a tidbit of what’s been going on.  Not to mention the money being spent on toys, beds, crates, food, vet appointments.  It adds up.

I’ve tried to keep weekly pictures posted on FB so everyone can see how big he’s getting…and very fast.

He will be 4 months old next week and already over 30lbs.  His daddy was a big boy so I’m sure I’m going to have quite the large companion sitting at my feet one day.

Like I said…a puppy is work.  But then there is the flip side of the coin.  They are looking at everything brand new.  They are babies and it’s up to me to teach him what I expect from him.  Being a German Shepherd he picks up pretty quickly but he will be headstrong for sure.

I had him enrolled in puppy obedience at 10 weeks and he knows sit, stay, come, shake, down and we are working on not greeting every passerby with his playful puppy biting or jumping on them.  It’s a work in progress but it’s something to be proud of when you see it click in his head and he obeys a command.  I am responsible for that and it’s a really cool thing to watch transpire over time.

Another thing Tobi does, which is just precious, is buries his face in my neck and falls asleep.  I know one day he will probably be too old for that but it’s those moments that can’t be recaptured or even put into words.  A little, living creature that was taken from his birth mom and littermates now sees me as his Momma and is content to sleep on my shoulder.

I’ve done my very best to not compare Tobi to Rudi.  I haven’t been 100% successful at times and then I feel guilty but I’m sure everyone goes through it at some point or another after they lose a pet and resign to getting another. The brain remembers things that will come to the surface and I’ll think “I don’t remember going through all of this with Rudi”.  But I probably did.  That was 13 years ago!  This little guy definitely has his own personality and it makes me smile.

So, when I think back to Leslie’s question a little over 7 weeks ago, “are you ready”?  I couldn’t imagine leaving without him even if I didn’t think I was ready.  In just this short amount of time, he’s filled such a void in my life and once again there is unconditional love in my home.  That’s a feeling like none other.

Tobi was a very unexpected decision in my life but God knows what we need even when we aren’t aware.  Even when we think we need something completely different.  He gives us what he knows is best for us.  And what’s better than man’s best friend…the unconditional love of a dog.

And the name Tobi came to me at the last minute before picking him up that day.  I was looking around on the internet and discovered that Tobias means “the goodness of God”.  I have been blessed and I knew this was a perfect name for a puppy to carry through life.  God has always been good to me and “Tobi” will always be a constant reminder of that.

Stay tuned for more on the adventures of Sir Tobias.