Welcome to the Puppy Journal

There is nothing like raising a puppy to remind you just how much you adore sleep, love your freedom, and appreciate not bleeding from the arms and ankles every damn day!

There are a lot of firsts, and I know that one day I'll miss this stage. Right now, though, I'm hanging on for dear life, surviving on Monsters and coffee while single-handedly keeping Target in business by buying Scooby-Doo Band-Aids on a regular basis.

With a puppy comes a lot of firsts, and that's both the fun and the complicated part....Like putting a harness on for the very first time! 🚫⚠️

My experience with Kira was a lot like what I imagine wrestling a greased, hairless cat with barbed wire for teeth would be like. By the time I finally got the harness on, it was backwards and one of her legs wasn't even through the leg hole. We sat there staring at each other, both panting and sweaty. I felt completely defeated and decided then and there that she would simply be an "indoor" dog and never leave the house.

Just kidding🤭.

I kept trying, and we eventually figured it out. So, to spare you my humiliation, I thought I'd share a few things that actually worked for us.

Days 1–2: I just let her see it. I left the harness nearby and didn't try to put it on her at all. If she sniffed it or showed any interest, she'd get a treat. No pressure.

Days 3–4: I started introducing the sounds. The little clicks and Velcro noises can be weird for puppies, so I'd make the sounds and immediately follow them with a treat. When I did try to get it over her head, I used a treat to guide her through instead of forcing it.

Days 5–7: I kept everything really short and low-key. Put it on. Treat. Take it off. No big production. As she got more comfortable, I slowly let her wear it a little longer—but only while she was relaxed.

Before our first outing, I made sure she was completely comfortable wearing it around the house. Once the harness wasn't a big deal anymore, I clipped on the leash.

A few things I learned the hard way:

♡ Timing matters more than I thought. Trying when we were both already frustrated was... not our best work.

♡ Going slow actually saves time in the long run.

♡ Comfort matters. A soft, flexible harness made a huge difference for her.

♡ And definitely don't leave it on unsupervised.

Every puppy reacts differently. Some are totally fine right away, and others... well... they act like you've personally ruined their entire life.

Kira landed somewhere in the middle.

That first attempt reminded me that she's still learning... and so am I.

I think the biggest lesson I took away from it is that these moments aren't always picture-perfect. Sometimes they're messy, frustrating, and just plain ridiculous. But that's part of learning each other.

And eventually, it gets better.

Now when Kira sees her harness, she knows we're about to go somewhere together... and watching that little tail start wagging makes every bite mark, Band-Aid, and wrestling match completely worth it.

With love,

Laurie & Kira

 

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"Love Is What They Wear" Because Just a dog Accessory was never the plan.

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