So much craziness happened when we first got Ollie and figured out that she was so little and young. We struggled a lot with her progress because we still have memories of Charlie fresh in our minds and can't help but compare, and it felt like Charlie figured things out a lot faster than Ollie. Then we remember how little Ollie is, and we get a little patience back. Good thing she's so cute.
We spent a lot of time with Charlie getting her to stay on her bed. Charlie just wanted to be near you and was fine on her bed for the most part. Ollie is totally different. Ollie has way more energy and always wants to play. She figured out how to play with toys way faster than Charlie and how to fetch and catch faster too. Getting her to stay on her bed is nigh impossible. Matt bought this enormous bed for her and when we finally catch her resting on the bed she is all curled up in the corner. Silly pup.
Sometimes we can't find Ollie. I go looking for her and she's usually in the mudroom sitting on whatever blanket or article of clothing Matt left on the floor. She definitely is a better kennel dog than Charlie. She's way more comfortable in her kennel, doesn't while in her kennel, and even will go in there willingly to rest. One day Matt couldn't find her at work. He called and called and she never came. He finally went and looked in her kennel and she was curled up in the corner sleeping. She was too comfy and warm to come out.
One thing that Charlie never really did was chew. We were so lucky. Then we got Ollie. And she eats EVERYTHING. I mean literally EVERYTHING. Ollie is a long-lost cousin of Marley, from "Marley and Me". Anything she can get to, toys, blankets, clothes, shoes, garbage, carpet, socks, toes, arms, faces, ANYTHING. She has already destroyed many toys that Charlie never even put a hole in. She has maimed Matt, Ben, and I. She is slowly learning (when you get your butt smacked every time you chew on something you shouldn't, you better learn quick) and has improved but is still always chewing and biting everything.
Ahhh the kennel. Ollie has a leash attached to her kennel so Matt can keep her close at work if he needs to. When she's at home, she thinks it is a fun game to try and drag her kennel around my house. First, she has to get it out of the mudroom. Sometimes that is not possible, as the kennel gets wedged in the doorway. However, she does sometimes get through the door and then I have to quickly put the kennel back before she destroys my hardwood floor. Crazy dog.
Assuming the waiting position when Matt leaves for basketball, young men's, or just to go work. One downside of her being so comfortable in the mudroom is that she has realized that the floor mat can move and I find it in the living room. I think I spend more time cleaning up after the dog than I do cleaning up after my son and husband together (which is impressive if you know what a slob my husband is).
Oh the chewing. And destroying. She somehow ripped open her blankets and has been pulling the stuffing out. It is all over my house. And just when I think I have it all picked up, I find a new pile. She loves to pull the stuffing out of all her toys too. I hope we run out of stuffing before Ben starts crawling.
Okay this one needs some explanation too. Ollie is very social and LOVES getting attention. She will make sure to be right where you are. We have been working very hard to teach her not to climb on the couch, but that's where we are so she is still struggling with that one. Whenever one of us is on the floor, she is there. And not just sitting next to you, but climbing on you like you are a jungle gym. Then she'll find the most random place to plop down and rest. She even does this to Ben. It was cute when she was the size of your hand but now that she's a giant beast it is more of a battle than cuddling.
Ben and Ollie have a funny relationship. Ben LOVES to watch Ollie. He hears her walking around and looks for her. It is very frustrating when I'm trying to feed him. He laughs at her when she's playing and even smiles when she licks him. Then she crosses the line. She just wants to pet Ben, but forgets she has long, sharp claws and gives him a big scratch and he freaks out. Ben is getting more used to her barking, but when he's tired or cranky this will make him cry. We are trying to give them more opportunities to be together so Ollie will be gentler with Ben when he starts crawling. I'll give her some credit, she's getting better. Still gets a little rough and still gets too close, but doesn't bite Ben. Ben gets credit too for his patience. If she gets in his face he just closes his eyes and waits until she's done licking his face or I save him. It makes me happy that they are going to be good friends. I always say that Charlie was Matt's dog, but Ollie is Ben's dog.
We sure love this puppy. When Charlie died we were totally destroyed. I didn't even know how much she felt like a part of our family until she was gone. When we had Ben, I felt like we were missing something in our home. It was our puppy. Even though I am frustrated by her 50% of the time, it is so worth it. We are all happier having a dog in our home- and our home feels more complete.
