skit-skat-skoodle-scout

We adopted Scout on National Puppy Day (March 23rd, without even knowing there was a whole day in celebration of puppies!), so now that we’ve had her for just over a month, I thought I’d write a little update.

I almost can’t believe she grew from this little baby…

…to a taller, longer puppy in such a short time. She still only weighed about 17 pounds at her vet check-up at 14 weeks old, but she seems so much bigger overall.

Scout is still learning to walk on the leash without playing tug-of-war with it, and she’s getting used to walking alongside the stroller when we all go out. She also loves to sit outside with us when we’re working or playing in the yard, although clearly, her leash isn’t long enough, because she tends to wrap it around whatever she’s tied to until she can’t go anywhere.

The girls love to take turns dishing out her food at mealtimes, and she’s actually very good at practicing “sit” and “stay” while they pour it into the bowl. Kaya spends every morning playing with her, and sometimes even cries when we need to put Scout into her crate while we go get washed up and dressed. She sure does love her puppy. Kaelyn took a little longer to warm up to Scout, but now she loves to pet her. I’ve even heard her say, “I love you Puppy”, which completely melted my heart.

Scout hardly ever barks. She did howl and cry a lot during her first few nights here, but now she sleeps soundly. Thankfully, we’re also done with 3 am wake-up calls for me to take her outside to go to the bathroom!

Speaking of going to the bathroom… I was just about to laud her for going 3.5 weeks without a single accident… and then she peed on the floor last night. Whoops. Overall though, training this time around has been a whole lot easier. She’s still banned from the carpeted areas of our home (except for the office, but only when we’re in there working and can supervise her closely).

Apparently, she only likes to sleep on her dog bed when it’s upside down and/or folded in half.

Rawhides are her absolute favorite thing… I should probably buy stock in them, because they’re the only thing that can entertain her for any real length of time. She loves any toy with a squeaker in it, and actually hasn’t destroyed any of her things yet.She’s earned the nickname “Skit-Skat-Skoodle-Scout”, which might seem completely random, unless you’re a big fan of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, in which case, you’ll remember the line “Skit, skat, skoodle doot, flip, flop, flee. Everybody running to the coconut tree.” Sometimes we shorten it to just “Skit Skat”. We really, really, like that book in our house.And if you’re wondering where the name Scout came from… Kaya really likes the Leapfrog series, and insisted long ago that any future dog we’d have would be named Scout. Or maybe we’re more sophisticated than that and named her after the classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. I’ll let you decide! 😉

She absolutely loves to snuggle… on your lap, under your legs… or both. She will take any cuddles she can get, which might be my favorite part of having a dog.

And to keep this post real and honest… With having a dog again, I have had moments where the anxiety and fear of something awful happening to my children floods over me. Sadly, through training Scout, I’ve realized that I haven’t completely forgiven myself for Kaya being bitten two years ago, despite being told (and reminding myself repeatedly), that it truly wasn’t my fault. We’re trying to make Scout into the best dog she can be, and we’re teaching the kids how to be safe around dogs. We’re giving it our best effort, which is all anyone can really do.