Puppy Life

We said goodbye to our dog Teddy in June of last year. I swore I would never get another dog, but as soon as the words escaped my lips, I knew I was lying.  The absence of the sound of his paws on the hardwood, the jingle of his collar announcing his approach, the empty space next to me on the couch that somehow got bigger over time.  In those moments, I found myself scrolling the Sweet Paws website and at the end of January, we adopted a puppy. I always thought people who say caring for a puppy is like having a baby were being dramatic.  It turns out they weren’t exaggerating.  There have been daily wins and just as many setbacks. I’m starting to feel reasonably confident in my ability to train our little bundle of energy. Sitting on the couch one morning sipping my coffee with Drae curled up on my lap as daylight crept into the room, I thought about how he flawlessly executes our morning routine, but struggles with other things. Then it hit me.  This routine has been modeled every day without fail. Other routines? Not so much. His struggles and shortcomings are not his, they are a direct reflection of my actions. I like to think of myself as a model of consistency (Ha!) but it turns out I have a giant blind spot when it comes to the dog.  In The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy writes that ‘a daily routine built on good habits and disciplines separates the most successful among us from everyone else.’  This is one of my favorite books and as the dog stretched and gave me his signature side eye, I sighed. There is nothing like an adorable four legged reminder that consistency is undefeated.