Naming the Puppy
We came up with so many cute names at that time, like Snowball, Fishball, Yellow Peach, Shrimp, Goody… We just couldn’t decide which one to use. So we discussed that if we really couldn’t make up our minds, we would draw lots.
Hey? Wait! Draw lots? Why not just name it Zhajiu (Lot – drawing)!
And so, our puppy got its name. I quite like this name. It shows a sense of carelessness yet also a bit of thoughtfulness.
Setting up the Little Nest
At first, we let the puppy roam freely in the small bedroom. Since we weren’t sure if little Zhajiu could survive for two weeks, we kept everything simple. We used an old cardboard box, lined it with some old clothes and towels, and placed it next to the heater to make a little nest. At that time, I heard from somewhere that adding some sense of ritual to a puppy’s toilet – training could help with training it to pee and poop in a fixed place. So we transformed an old cat litter box into a dog toilet. (As it turned out later: the transformation was not really successful.) We also cut an arc in a disposable paper bowl to make a water bowl (because the bowl was bigger than the puppy, and it couldn’t reach the water at the bottom without cutting). Since we couldn’t find a food bowl of the right size, we just used a bigger spoon.
Sometimes, it would sleep on the slippers.
Later, we upgraded the food bowl, water bowl, and toilet, and bought some small toys.
To make cleaning easier and keep the little nest clean, we bought some disposable towels. We could replace them when they got dirty. (These were actually quite useful. After washing, they could be used as rags.) Worried that Zhajiu might get cold, we bought a few small cushions. Since the fur around its mouth got wet easily, we replaced the water bowl with a water bottle with a ball – bearing. The little guy was quite smart and knew how to use it right away.
Zhajiu grew up very fast. In less than a month, it had become much bigger than before, its fur had grown longer, and its small teeth had come out. We didn’t need to soak the dog food so soft anymore; a light soak was enough. At this time, we discovered an automatic wet – food feeder that could be set to feed at fixed times. We immediately got one, which freed up my lunch break!
Later, we started teaching it skills like sitting, shaking hands, and turning around. Basically, we spent about half an hour teaching it every day after work, and it learned these skills in just a few days. Whoever said Bichons have a low IQ!
However, there were always problems with toilet – training. Almost every day when we came back, there was urine near the toilet. After observing, we thought it might be because the toilet was too high and difficult for it to climb up. So we removed the toilet and just laid pee – pads on the floor. And later, it really didn’t pee outside anymore!
If any of you friends are interested, I’ll update more.
The original intention of my sharing is to talk about the time I’ve spent with Zhajiu in the past year or so.
I also want to recall and organize the experiences and thoughts during this process.
If it can help you, it would be my pleasure.
If there are any mistakes or omissions in terms of format or content, please feel free to point them out.
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