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So, we were all first time dog owners once, right? Some of us may have been more involved with dogs before we actually owned one, but for those of us who were clueless...Here's your chance to share stories of when you were clueless. 
When I first got Jaylie, I had done tons and tons and *tons* of research; but there's only so much you can learn from reading. Looking back, I can't believe how UNBELIEVABLY stupid I was. It wasn't just ignorance, it was a lack of common sense!
One of the things I was most stupid with were the rules I somehow imagined there were. For some reason (I have NO idea why I thought this...I'm still trying to convince myself it was a dream!) I actually thought we were only allowed to use the leash given to us by GDA...And that thing got so torn up before someone finally informed me that we *could* purchase our own. I also was so stupid I didn't figure out that the bib (the jacket signifying that Jaylie was a service dog) actually went to bigger sizes. I was complaining about how small it was one day, and another puppy raiser just reached down and made it bigger. So embarrassing.
I also was nonsensical with the potty training. I should have realized that Jaylie would have to go every half hour, especially after witnessing just that, but somehow the fact didn't register in my thick head. It took a *looong* time to potty train.
The first time Julie had an ear ache, I nearly came unglued. What had I done wrong???? I was cleaning her ears every week, like Louise and all the books told me to. I didn't realize that she was, indeed, a lab...and that ear aches are inevitable.
Soo...Share your stories. Make me feel better about my absolute stupidity.
***DISCLAIMER***
I'm better now.
When I first got Jaylie, I had done tons and tons and *tons* of research; but there's only so much you can learn from reading. Looking back, I can't believe how UNBELIEVABLY stupid I was. It wasn't just ignorance, it was a lack of common sense!
One of the things I was most stupid with were the rules I somehow imagined there were. For some reason (I have NO idea why I thought this...I'm still trying to convince myself it was a dream!) I actually thought we were only allowed to use the leash given to us by GDA...And that thing got so torn up before someone finally informed me that we *could* purchase our own. I also was so stupid I didn't figure out that the bib (the jacket signifying that Jaylie was a service dog) actually went to bigger sizes. I was complaining about how small it was one day, and another puppy raiser just reached down and made it bigger. So embarrassing.
I also was nonsensical with the potty training. I should have realized that Jaylie would have to go every half hour, especially after witnessing just that, but somehow the fact didn't register in my thick head. It took a *looong* time to potty train.
The first time Julie had an ear ache, I nearly came unglued. What had I done wrong???? I was cleaning her ears every week, like Louise and all the books told me to. I didn't realize that she was, indeed, a lab...and that ear aches are inevitable.
Soo...Share your stories. Make me feel better about my absolute stupidity.
***DISCLAIMER***
I'm better now.