I love having dogs, plural

…Even if I can’t play with them both at the same time. Yet.

Maybe by the third dog, I’ll have it right.

The mistake we made from the beginning with Isis was that we lavished attention on her every second we were with her. This kept her from learning how to settle down quietly. I tried bringing her to work early on, but she whined and wanted constant attention. It made me too nervous that she’d be disruptive to others.

By necessity, Leo has had to learn to settle down by himself even while I’m in the house with him. I’ve followed the rules of puppy confinement not just because Dr. Dunbar told me to, but also because I can’t have him running around the house when Isis is loose. Yet. It’s just as well, because he’s a little devil who only wants to chew things he’s not supposed to chew. Unlike Isis, who always has been able to distinguish between my fuzzy bedroom slippers and dog toys made of the same material.

This has benefited Leo, because I’ve been able to bring him to work. He doesn’t want to go into his kennel with the door shut – he’ll scream like a banshee. But if I tether him to a leash, he’ll sleep at my feet or under the desk and even will go into the kennel himself. Since I have trouble with neck and shoulder pain from sitting hunched at my computer all day, the hourly or so potty walks with Leo are good for my health, too.

Of course, perfect at work means misbehaved at home, where he still screams and cries when we leave him alone. He’s getting better about eating from his Kong during his alone time. So I just need to keep him constantly eating.