Lemonade, Lemonade, Lemonade. Who knew I would ever become a dog person? Two weeks ago, we picked up our corgi Lemonade Zelda Loulé. There was a torrent of research both Anja and I did to prepare for this puppy. There was a birth announcement card. A godmother was appointed. Here are some things I learned after two weeks with a dog.

The ROI of good research

Anja and I are both blessed with a-type personalities and a propensity for thorough investigation. Early on in our dog prep journey, we found McCann Dogs, a training school with a YouTube channel full of clear, concise, and highly-informative videos on how to raise a puppy.

Two weeks in, I can tell they taught us well. Lemonade hasn’t had an accident in the house since day three, she sleeps through the night aside from two or three potty breaks, and it’s great to see how quickly she’s picking up commands. A week before Lemonade arrived, we started on McCann’s course Puppy Essentials, which has proven a great way to get through the first few weeks.

I got cabin fever

Out of all the things I had anticipated in preparing for this puppy, cabin fever was not one of them. While Anja and I are both quite introverted (meaning we need to recharge whenever we’ve been around people), she seemed fine spending her spring break cocooning in the house. I, on the other hand, felt myself slowly going mad over the lack of stimulus I was getting.

Because of our potty training schedule, and lack of a big garden, I barely got out of the house the first week. Luckily, I quickly developed the habit of taking Lemonade out on walks, even if we didn’t actually let her walk just yet because of her exposure to possible diseases. It’s great to be out of the house again, go to my favorite coffee spot, and walk around the park with her.

The beauty of trust

Aside from an outdoor rabbit, a bird, a chameleon, and a shy cat, I never had any cuddly pets. Being child-free on top of that never gave me the opportunity to closely bond with another small being who trusts me enough that they’ll fall asleep on my body. Lemonade is very cuddly, and it’s entirely humbling to experience the trust she seems to have in me.

What’s next?

I’m excited to enroll her in puppy training a few weeks from now. For the time being, she’s hanging out with trusted pets in the neighborhood, and getting to know many visitors. Looking ahead, I’m also pumped about finally taking her to the park and playing fetch with her.