Outfitting a pup

So now that we’re getting a dog, you’re only going to cruise by this website for cute puppy photos, huh? I knew it. You’re only here for the cute puppy now. No more interest in me, my life, my house or my wedding. You’re all “OMG-when-is-the-puppy-coming!!!???”

Okay, maybe I am too.

Let me back up first, and tell you that we’ve named her Harlow. First for the nerdy-historical reference for the guy who built the Jawbone Railroad in Montana, and Harlowtown. Both eventually became part of the Milwaukee Line. And DJ is obsessed with the Milwaukee line. Remember this:

The Harlowtown electric engine.

I’ll also think of her name as a reference to another famous blonde, Jean Harlow.

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We browsed Petsmart on Sunday to get an idea of the gear we want to purchase. We’re decided on crate training. From what I’ve read and heard from other people, it’s a great way to give the puppy some space of their own (crate=’s den to them), a safe place to put her while she sleeps, helpful to potty train with, and good to utilize when you travel with a dog. For more information on crate training, and so you don't think we're terrible people, read the Humane Society's opinion here.

DJ found this one online, and will purchase it shortly. It collapses to fold easily for transport, has doors out an end and a side, and is the same one Shawna has for Ava. It works well. Harlow will sleep in it, and be housed in it while we’re at work for the first two years or so.

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We’ll also get a dog bed quickly. Our friend Joe used to be a carpet cleaner, and apparently golden’s hair and skin is oily enough to stain a carpet over time. All of our downstairs spaces are hardwood floors or tile, but we want her to be comfortable with a place to hangout while we’re sitting on the couch. We will try to keep her off of the couches, and I am absolutely anti-sleeping with the dog.

Kelly recommended these dog bed setups to me. The outside is a duvet cover, the inside is a nylon sack that you stuff with old t-shirts or blankets. And believe me, we have a shit-ton of old, random grandma afghans and blankets. Once Harlow soils it (inevitable), the whole thing, duvet, sack and inside stuffing can go into the washing machine. My plan is to buy one of the stuff sacks for $15, and then buy the fabric and sew a duvet cover myself instead of spending $50 on one.

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Kelly also has a few puppy collars we can borrow. I’m also borrowing dog-training books and long lines and training leashes from our friend Brian, who has two of the best behaved Labrador Retrievers I know. The first “Water Dogs” and the second “Retrievers” look like page turners!

That’s about as far as we’ve gotten with puppy planning so far. Oh, and I have new photos:

Totally giving the camera a what the F*ck look. I think she just woke up!

See, I put the cute puppy photos at the bottom so that you had to scroll through the whole thing. Sneaky, huh?