I Think We’re Ready

Posted on by Laura & Brett

The day after tomorrow is going to be a Big Day, one we’ve been waiting on for months, and another one of those where our lives are going to change big time. After eight years without, we’re going to be dog owners again.

We are as ready as we can be to add the little puppy above into our lives. We have a crate, a bed, loads of puppy pads, a toothbrush, a comb, and bitter spray to (hopefully) protect the wood. His feeding dishes are set up. We have a collar along with a tag engraved with his name and our phone number, and a harness and leash. We have toys galore, courtesy of Meiling, and we have a vet lined up. The kennel has taken care of all his vaccinations, he has been neutered, and they have had him groomed. The only thing we don’t know is his preferred food, but the kennel will let us know what that is (and be sending some home with us to start him off).

Meiling sent Kai a wonderful assortment of toys – chew, dental, and just for fun – to start off his life with us. The long blue dog was our previous Shihpoo’s favorite, so she though Kai should have one too.

Our hearts are more than ready for this little guy, and we are as mentally ready as we can be. We’ve never raised a puppy before though so it will be an adjustment for all of us. Kai is very energetic, and our current space is small, so we know there’ll be some adjustment there. Also, after approximately six months at the kennel he is used to his routine and friends there, so it will take him a while to adjust to new routines with us as well.

We can’t wait to meet him! He is quite small and definitely favors his toy poodle dad versus his Shih Tzu mom (our last Shihpoo was the reverse). According to the kennel he is at or very near his full height now but will add a few pounds in the next few months. He will always be a small dog though, which is what we wanted this time for a variety of reasons. His caretaker at the kennel says he is an absolutely love and he will be missed.

Life is going to change for us, but once again it will be another adventure and a very good thing!

(P.S. Don’t forget you can leave an entry every day for the coffee giveaway!)

Published by Laura & Brett

Slow traveling the world with a sense of adventure!

29 thoughts on “I Think We’re Ready”

  1. Ahh, he is adorable. When we got our dog, they told us three days, three weeks, three months. That’s for a rescue dog, but I think it makes sense for any dog that is acclimating to your home. She was actually raised by a breeder with siblings, so not a true rescue/pound situation. Anyway, that time frame has played out pretty closely for us. Excited for you!

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    2. Thank you for the link – the advice is good and I think it will take both us and Kai to adjust to each other.

      Our granddaughter chose toys to put into his crate for the long trip home tomorrow – everything we would have not chosen LOL. Oh well. Fingers are crossed that all goes well. We’re thankful so much has been taken care of already (neuter, groom, shots, etc.) so there’s less for us to stress about once he gets home.

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  2. How cute! Looking forward to the new addition to The Occasional Nomads, life will never be the same, that’s for sure🤣

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    1. He does look like fun, doesn’t he. I think he’s going to be smaller than we imagine so I’m trying to wrap my head around that. We bought a very small harness though, and collar as well, so hope we’ll be OK.

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    1. He is cute! We were expecting more of what we had before so his poodle genes winning out was a bit of a surprise. Love his coloring too – our last Shihpoo was brown and white, so we’re happy for a change this time.

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  6. Oh, my goodness, he’s adorable! I’m sure he’ll love all the toys his thoughtful big sister Meiling sent 🙂

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    1. Meiling’s gift was quite the surprise – she said she was sending him “something” but we never expected so many things. I know Kai will be spoiled to death when the girls are here for Christmas – they may almost be more excited than we are.

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  8. Absolutely adorable! We adopted a 4 month old Cavapoo who now is 6 months and the energy level plus willingness to try to dart through an open door are challenges but the joy is endless.

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    1. Our kennel/breeder currently has Cavapoos available. We actually went into the process wanting a Cavapoo (or a Cavalier spaniel) but when we saw Kai we knew he was the one! He will initially be a challenge for sure but we are mentally prepared!

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    1. We are consigned to be mostly homebodies for the next few months, with walks in the green space behind us and at nearby parks. The kennel has taken care of some of his training (crate training, some house training) but we won’t know until we meet him how far along he is.

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      1. Kai is adorable but check out the product Nature’s Miracle. Good to have during house training and beyond.

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      2. Thanks for the recommendation! We’re just getting started but he’s already using the puppy pads MOST of the time. Sadly, he has yet to eliminate outside! We don’t allow him in the bedroom, the only carpeted room, except at night and then he’s crated. But, Nature’s Miracle looks like something we still maybe should have on hand.

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