Puppymomming

Ista is earnestly slaying her pig toy on the floor. She's calming down enough to alternate between chewing it and grooming it, which is why she has soft toys: loveys, attack targets, whatever.

Yesterday she was still very uncertain, and also we hadn't yet gotten her to the vet, who diagnosed a couple of infections. She's doing better with her eardrops and her amoxicillin -- her nose is cold and wet again already -- and is also enough more certain in her surroundings that she's going exploring without me, seeking out markgritter and timprov as play companions, entertaining herself with her toys, and not gluing herself to my foot or lap at all moments. Which is a great relief to me: there's an important difference between a puppy who is clingy settling in with her new house and people and a puppy who is just plain clingy, and I'm glad we have (had!) the former.

She also has made significant progress in the "walking on a leash" front: a night and day difference between not at all understanding the concept of destination and trotting happily by my side as if she'd been doing it for years. We may regress at points, but the concept is clearly there.

Yesterday I had a few, "Oh, lordy lord, can we handle this?" moments. Today, not so much. Not even with the eardrops.

I don't think the desire to see immediate progress on some front in your life is a good reason to get a puppy -- especially as she may set back other fronts -- but it's a nice benefit for someone who wanted a puppy anyway.