It’s only been six months, but already I can’t remember a time we didn’t have Mollie…nor can I imagine life without two dogs again! If you follow my Instagram Stories, then you’ve seen this little munchkin’s antics and major growth in the few months since we brought her home!
Here’s the difference a few months makes! She was 12-pounds when we rescued her at 3-months, and now she’s 9-months-old and topping the scales close to 35-pounds!! Which isn’t all that big, but considering we were expecting her to max out at 20-pounds, it’s kind of a shocker!
But don’t tell her she’s not a lap dog! If you’re sitting, then she’s going to be spread out across your lap, chest, feet…whatever she can get close to. She loves to snuggle, and wants to be touching at all times. And that includes everyone in the family…even Maggie!
Mollie makes us laugh constantly, and is so full of love that she’s captured all our hearts. It’s been amazing to watch the kids become completely attached to her, and the joy she brings. My son loves to take her to the park to chase balls, and Little Miss swaddles her like a baby…and Mollie has the most agreeable temperament about all of it.
She and Maggie are so completely opposite in their personalities, but have formed their own friendship (that Maggie totally dominates, by the way). Maggie was 2-years old when we got her, and was easy from the start…house trained, no chewing, no jumping, sleeps in her bed, barks like a maniac at the UPS man.
Having a puppy brought a few more challenges, and caught us a little off-guard! Ha!
Housetraining
In the early weeks, we took her outside almost every hour so she’d get used to going potty outside, and would know where we expected her to go. Then we started taking her out between any transition during the day. For instance: Wake, potty, eat, potty, play, potty, nap, potty, etc. We also never let her out of our sight in the house, which required some very clever blockades!
Once she was a little older, we hung bells on the back door and showed her how to bump them with her paw or nose, and immediately took her outside. It only took about a day for her to learn, and now she whacks the bells with serious attitude! I think she does it just to see us come running. #whostrainingwhom
We had a few accidents in the early weeks, but most were our fault for not taking her out, or letting her wander unsupervised. We did have an upset tummy episode on the shag rug, but we shall never speak of it. #riprug
Chewing
We make sure to keep a steady flow of toys for her to play with and chew on, and didn’t have any issues with her chewing. Until recently.
Apparently the downside of creating a very snuggly, loving, dependent, attached dog…is separation anxiety. And Mollie likes to take her anxiety out on favorite throw pillows, and even brand new chairs. #ripbeautifulnewchairs Did I mention she leapt over the baby gate to get to said pillows and chair?
So down came the gate, and we were forced to close the door (she sleeps in the Laundry Room at night and when we’re gone). But then she started chewing on the mudroom bench and shredding her bed, towel, whatever we left in there for her! #ripmudroombench
After a lot of research, we realized she needed a small, contained area to feel safe, and to keep from hurting herself or getting into mischief…so last month we brought home a crate. I expected a long adjustment period (for her and us!), but she sauntered right in, laid down, and fell asleep!
Now we’re able to sleep or leave, and know that she’s completely safe. And I won’t have to mourn another item in my house!
Managing the Pet Hair
Having two dogs is comparable to having two kids…it’s so much fun to watch them play and have a built-in friend! But just as two kids means double the laundry, having two dogs means double the pet hair! And this mama doesn’t do pet hair.
It took about a month of daily Swiffering, sweeping the stairs, and hauling the vacuum out for the rugs and sofa before I started looking for a better option. Since the hair seems to be a never-ending cycle, I decided on a robot-style vacuum that could run daily. And honestly, a good one was hard to find!
We tried two well-known models, at pretty steep price tags, but had so many issues with both, we were forced to send them back. Then after a ton of online research, and reading countless reviews, we ordered this Eufy Robo Vac, a completely new-to-me brand, from eBay. And honestly, I wasn’t expecting much, especially considering it was less than half the price of the other models!
Cordless Hand-Held Power Vac (also here)
But now I’m completely obsessed with this little guy, and literally get excited every time he runs!
Eufy Robo Vac 11 with Boost IQ | Dining Room details
He glides easily over our dark floors, flat-weave rugs, and under furniture (even the beds!). It has several settings, but my favorite is ‘Perimeter,’ where it hugs the baseboards of the entire house! (Why does so much dust gather there?!) Often times I’ll prep a room and enclose the Eufy in that single space for awhile, and it’s amazing what it picks up!!
Unlike the other models which were constantly getting stuck, the Eufy only has one trouble-spot in our house…the heavy rope fringe of the Kitchen runner. When that happens, it beeps a few times, then shuts off. It has programming available, but I’m such a nut for this thing, I like to run it while I’m home and awake so I can see the results (and help it when he gets trapped). Once he’s done, or the filter is full, he just routes back to the charger and goes to sleep!
As for the stairs and furniture, this hand-vac is crazy-powerful and holds its charge long enough to vacuum the entire house and cars! I just haven’t figured out how to get this one to run on its own. Oh yes I have, it’s called kid’s chore! 😉
But seriously, these are the dream team of vacuums, and have solved our double-duty pet hair issue! And clean house means happy mama…and therefore, happy puppies!
Just for fun, let’s see how much this little Sumo-puppy has changed already…three-months…
Five months…
And nine-months! And from the size of her paws, she might not be done growing!
We’re crazy dog people now, aren’t we?! I’m kind of okay with that. And while I can never imagine having just one dog again, I draw the line at two!! And as long as I steer clear of the shelters and puppies, we should be fine.
What’s the pet count in your house? Do you have tips for managing the pet hair? If you’re in the market, eBay is having a huge Spring Cleaning Event, with up to 50% off top brands, plus free shipping! See my tips for shopping eBay in this post.
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*Photos by the darling and talented Mary Summers. This post is created in collaboration with eBay, but all opinions, product selection, and crazy dog obsessions are my own. Thank you for supporting Hi Sugarplum sponsors!*
