Puppy Power

I wrote that Kristen was getting a puppy a few days ago.

Well Layla has arrived, in her brown furred glory. Born in Oklahoma (don't ask), and brought to Hoboken, Kristen has a new best friend for the next 14 years. Layla is a Cocker Spaniel, and has lived up to what I have read about the breed. She is playful, curious, frisky, dim, and a ball of energy. Almost everything I like in a girl - except for the dim part.

Most days are the same when I get home. If Kristen is there first, I just call out the dogs name and she comes running from Kristen's room at full speed and jumps into my lap. Being a puppy, she isn't quite strong enough to make the leap very well, so she ends up as a wriggly tangle of legs, ears and an exposed belly on my lap. After a few moments of righting herself, she then licks and nips at my hands begging me to play with her. Sometimes I do. Othertimes, when I just want to pet her, that doesn't seem to be good enough, and she will bark at me as if to say, "Play! Play!" and take a nip at my knee.

Walking the dog has become an interesting lesson. Back in the day, I grew up with an Afgan Hound named Leia. Leia was perhaps the most gentle dog, but also the most stupid dog, too. Fun as a puppy, but once she became an adult she slept about 22 hours a day. Taking Leia for a walk was a breeze, just open the back door, she goes outside and does her business. Walking Layla has become more of an effort.

Walking any dog in a city environment poses so many problems, like cars on the street or people walking on the sidewalk. Layla's curiousity: "Ooh! A Leaf to eat! Ooh! Gum to eat! Ooh! Concrete bits to eat!!", with me saying "No! No! Layla drop it! No!" Not fun.

Also since she isn't my dog I don't know all of her mannerisms and signals. Yesterday I took her out for a walk and she pees, so i'm happy. But now i'm walking for a good 10 minutes and she still hasn't done #2. Finally she decides to lead me right back to the house with a lease tugging authority. I assume its the puppy way of saying, "I'm done!"

15 minutes later she does #2 in the house. Damn you!

Next time I take Layla for a walk, i'm going to bring a sleeping bag. She isn't going back inside until she does BOTH.