Meet Scout

Stacy already told the story of how a family set against a dog ended up with a puppy. She's been a part of our family for 2 months now and we haven't really said a lot about her. For a creature so firmly integrated into our family it seems a shame we haven't said more. She's brought so much life and laughter to our family (along with frustration and hair-pulling) that it's tough to pick what to say about her. Maybe a "Day in the Life" approach will work.

Scout starts her day by scratching around in her crate to tell me that she's ready to relieve herself. Bleary-eyed and dangerously tipsy I carry her downstairs to her litter "box" and wait for her to go. I never thought I'd spend so much time anticipating the emptying of a little creature's bladder, but such are my mornings. We're quite fortunate that in just three weeks' time she learned to use a litter box. All the vigilance and hard work payed off. It sure beats taking her out in the snow and cold at 6 am!

Depending on the morning I'll either stay up with her or bring her back to our bedroom. She loves to climb into bed with us to cuddle in the morning and truth be told, it's kind of fun to have the little furball with us for a little bit. She is a very social animal and LOVES to be around us--all the time. She is most content when she is laying right next to one of us.

We try and feed her at the same time that we eat in the morning, but she is most interested in what we are eating instead. She loves table scraps and will stand on her hind legs and beg for most of the meal. I never really understood the term "puppy dog eyes" until I looked at two of them staring me down as I ate my meal.

Scout is quite active in the morning and keeps everyone on their toes. She loves praise and attention so she will often pee multiple times just to hear everyone cheer. Now that she's essentially housebroken, we don't follow her quite as closely. We can tell when she's used the litter box, though, because she'll prance in to wherever we are with her tail wagging and ears tucked back. If for some reason we don't catch on quickly enough, she'll "bark" to get our attention. (She's actually not much of a barker so it's almost humorous to hear her try.) Once she's done her eating and toileting for the morning Scout will usually choose a nook on the sofa or in someone's lap and stay there for a while. Again, she loves to be near us.

Sometime in the late morning when I get home or come in from the clinic she will come running to greet me, frantic to jump up and see me. She can spend quite a long time on her back legs. In fact, sometimes we think she is trying to be human the way she can walk around on them. I love how excited she is to see me. Apparently, when I leave the house she can sometimes get a little sad and mope around. We joke that now I have another creature who doesn't ever want me to leave the house. It's nice to be loved.

Scout spends most of lunchtime begging for food (this is one reason we bring her crate down to the dining room now--meals were not restful at all) and then chases us around the kitchen hoping food drops off of the counter. She is especially fond of any meat (bacon drives her especially crazy), cheese, and eggs, but she will take whatever she can get.

The afternoon brings more naps and more puppy play with Scout chasing balls, toys, empty plastic bottles and cardboard boxes, and whatever else moves all over the house. It is crazy to see how much energy is crammed into such a small body. We haven't seen energy like this since Thing 2 was a toddler.

As I sit here, I am realizing that the life of a puppy is quite simple really. She sleeps, she poops, she pees, she eats, she plays. Then she does it all again. Recently we've started taking her out in the car to run different errands. She likes the ride. She doesn't like being left in the car. It's cute, but a little sad, to watch her head pop up on either side of the car looking for someone to come back. Scout loves to go for walks around the neighborhood. She is very curious, but cautious. She seems to think she's a bit bigger than she is until she encounters a large dog or average-sized squirrel.

By dinner she's ready to beg again and then it's time for a little play and a lot of rest. She loves to curl up on the couch at around 7:00 and she'll stay there for most of the evening until it's time for bed. Her evening highlight is trying to take Stacy's late night snack from her. She will sit up at attention if she hears any noise in the kitchen, and then she'll act like I am bringing her the plate of food. Have I mentioned how she's inserted herself into our family and routine?

It's hard to capture just how great it is to have a little puppy around, so maybe pictures will do her better justice.

A picture taken at the pet store when she first arrived there

A close up of her little face

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All the rest of these pictures were taken the night we brought her home. It's amazing how much she's changed in such a short time. We've only had her for two months and from what we've read she's already entering puberty. They sure grow up quickly!

OK, so this one's not from her first day, but how could we not put in such a great picture?!

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And how about some videos of the little pup?









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I'm sure we'll have so much more to share about Scout in the years to come, but for now, that's Scout.