Sharing with Friends

One of the really fun parts of our prospective puppy is that we have a couple friends who are also hoping for one from this litter.  Debbie wants a boy and Brenda wants a girl.  We'll all end up in the ring together and it will be fun to share the good times with our friends.  (And be able to lean on each other when things aren't going so well.)

I know a puppy is a lot of work but I'm not put off by that.  I find them so fascinating and love to watch them grow in mind and body.  That goes on for several years actually but the changes are rapid in the first few months.  It's the older pups, the 10 to 18 month olds that seem to be the most trying as they go through the stages of testing, trying to see what they can get away with.  Elkhounds like you to be firm but fair and keeping that in mind works well most of the time.  Once in awhile I need to be extra firm with Tukka since she is more demanding and less inclined to be the one to do the pleasing. 

There are things to consider before adding another pup to the pack.  The existing members come first so best to try to find a pup that will fit best with the current personalities.  This is one reason why we are getting a male this time, Tukka and Kia get along well but typically the best mix is boy/girl.  Kia is our dominant bitch most of the time.  Hormones have played a big role in this and at times Tukka challenges Kia.  So bringing in another bitch to add to the mix is not a good idea.  Tukka needs a playmate as Kia is like a queen who loves to just sit upon her throne.  She plays with Tukka but not near as much as Tukka would like. 

Cost is also to be considered.  Can we afford another pet?  Well unfortunately we did lose a cat this past December so maintenance vet bills won't go up but we'll have all those puppy vaccinations!  We'll need more food and then there are all the classes we will sign up for.  So definitely something to consider if you are thinking about getting a dog, be it your first, second, third or whatever!   At least we already have a large basket of toys! 

Time is another factor.  The pup will need a lot of attention but Tukka and Kia need their time with us also and as I said earlier, we won't be letting them take a back seat.  Right now we work it out that each one gets some individual attention with Randy and I.  I think it will be really important to do things all together as a pack because the pup can learn from the girls but he will also need some one on one time to play with his humans.  Thankfully the girls love to go out in their pen so we can rotate dogs in and out of the house to meet their needs as individuals. 

All these are things that I'm thinking about each day as we wait to find out if we truly will be getting that puppy.  Andrea is going to have an ultrasound done in late March so we will at least know if Siri is pregnant.  Maybe get some idea of how many pups there are if she is pregnant but we won't know that for sure until an x-ray is taken in her final week of pregnancy.  Or maybe even until they are born!  And that's going to be nerve-wracking too....hoping for a good mix of boys and girls.