Something Old, Something New, Something Charlotte, Something Blue

Morning of the wedding
Evergreen, CO

After a year of planning, my sister married her dream guy. It was an epic wedding held in the lush landscape of Evergreen. A whole weekend full of family, friends, amazing food and some serious rain, this event will not be forgotten.

Originally, I had planned to bring Charlotte to Evergreen for the weekend. My parents rented a house on the property, right across from the venue. She'd be able to run around and go on walks. As the wedding drew closer, I second guessed my plan. There were no fences, what if she got out? What would she do during the wedding? Be stuck in her kennel?





Beautiful Bride



My mom, ever the one for advice, told me I'd have more fun without her. Afterall, my sister would only get married once and I didn't want to be distracted, did I? DID I? So I started to figure out a new plan. I called a couple doggie overnight care places to price them out. One of them offered phone calls so parents can talk to their pets. Oftentimes it's harder on the parents than the dog, or so I'm told. At that point, I lost it. Tears started streaming down my face and I just looked at Charlotte. I think I said something like "You don't even know why I'm crying. This is ridiculous." In her sweet Charlotte way, she looked at me and cocked her head back and forth.

 At that point, Barry came home and I had to tell him why I was so upset, reliving my humiliation. Leaving her with strangers, even if they were dog lovers/experts, was not what I wanted to do. Then my friend, D, called me and I told her the situation. "What? I'll take her for the weekend. Don't send her to a kennel." Relieved, I thanked her and the plan was in place. (Yay for sweet friends!)





Chillin' at D's house


I spent three nights up in Evergreen without wondering if Charlotte was okay. Friends I hadn't seen in years greeted me and then asked if Charlotte was around. They couldn't wait to meet her. Nope. That weekend was about my sister and starting a new life with her man. I wouldn't have missed a moment of that for anything.

Nightmare Dog?

Charlotte learning to sit

Training Charlotte to pee and poop outside, or as it's officially called "eliminate", seemed like the most daunting challenge. How was I supposed to get a dog to tell me she had to go to the bathroom?

I spent the first weekend trying to anticipate her every move, analyze every squat and spraying A LOT of Nature's Miracle on the carpet. Charlotte's bladder must be the size of a grape! Maybe smaller. I knew I had to get this potty training thing down...fast!

I went to PetSmart to buy a pee pad and ended up talking to one of the employees. After getting some advice, I enrolled Charlotte into Puppy Training School. I knew about puppy training from my friend, Hillary, who took her dog Colt. After he was trained I heard her sternly yell "Leave it" many times. I vaguely knew what that meant and wanted to learn more. I can't have a "nightmare dog!" This term was how I got my husband on board with this six week course. Operation "No Nightmare Dog" was about to begin.

Disclaimer: I don't work for PetSmart. I'm sure other places train dogs well. Don't take my advice. Seek the advice of a professional. :)

We walked into Puppy School on that first night with no idea what to expect. We were met by five other families. I only know them by the names of their dogs because that's what happens. There was Gibs, a huge wolf-like dog with a bit of a temper who tried to attack every dog that walked by. Charlotte looked like a tiny bunny compared to his immense size. If he hadn't been on a leash she would have been dinner. Rio, a little black mutt with matted hair and a lot of energy. He was only a couple pounds bigger than my pup and the best opportunity for a playmate. Katie, a lethargic English Bulldog who was just flown in from another location. She slept through that first class and gained about 10 pounds every week. Lilly, a carmel colored Boxer with a sweet face, wore a pink diamond studded collar. Mello, a sweet natured mutt who lives up to her name. I found myself wishing Charlotte had her disposition. And Charlotte, the smallest of the bunch. They looked like some rag tag group of canines ready to play an unconventional gang in a hollywood movie where they befriend an orphan.

Our first order of business was...Get your puppy to learn her name. What?! That's not why I came here! How do I potty train? How do I get her to sleep through the night?

But if Charlotte didn't know her name I wouldn't be able to teach her anything. We had to start at the very beginning. I would say her name and give her a treat every time she looked at me.

The other bit of wisdom that has stayed with me: Your will has to be stronger than her will. This consistency thing was going to kill me if I didn't embrace it. It was time for me to grow up and take care of this pup.

Have you ever had a nightmare dog? Tell me about it.