Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Daisy on the way home first day at 8 weeks on April 12, 2018

Daisy was one of two puppies left. I chose her because she was happy to see a new person but not overly so. She was happy to sit with me for a long time. She was slightly smaller than her sister. The first two were more important than the third reason.

It has been a long time since I raised a young puppy. The last time I had a puppy was my yellow lab, Muggsy, when I was about 12! She was the last dog I had as a kid before moving off to college. I have had my own dogs since; but, they were always adopted at 5 or 6 months of age at the earliest: Jordan, a beagle mix from Chapel Hill, NC,  6 months; Jake, a yellow lab from Houston, TX, 6 months; Maggie, a chocolate lab from Milton, FL, 5 months; and Charley, a chihuahua-pug mix from Houston, TX, 1.5 years. All have crossed the rainbow bridge accept Charley. She is still alive and kicking at 7 years old! Maggie most recently crossed on March 30, 2018 at the ripe old age of 13.5 years. Her death was the hardest to take as she was my buddy. My doggy soulmate.

Maggie on March 9, 2018, 3 weeks before her death. I loved her deeply.

Getting Daisy has reduced the hurt. Prior to getting her, I cried long and hard whenever I was alone. It was hard to be at home because everything reminded me of Maggie. I would look at her bed in the morning (I didn’t have the strength to put her things away) expecting her to be there. When I would remember that she was gone, it was a real punch to the gut. That is not a pleasant way to wake up.

Daisy weighed 12 pounds when we got her. What to feed her? How much? How often? These were things I had to figure out as Daisy did not come with a users manual. I decided to feed her Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy food as I have been feeding Maggie and Charley Blue Buffalo grain-free with good results for years. I still don’t know how much to feed her.After some research and trial and error, I settled on 1/2 cup of food three times a day which seemed to work.

Daisy slept through the night in her cage the very first night. By 5 am, she needed out. We began her potty training with a combination of out every hour or immediately after she woke up or immediately after she was let out of her cage. A few messes here and there by mostly, she went potty outside.

Our gorgeous little girl! April 12, 2018

The first week flew by. She tired out quickly and took many naps during the day. I suspect that will become less and less common with each passing week.

Daisy in the clover, April 13, 2018.