As an overly anxious dog owner, of course I find a way to worry about everything when it comes to Sweet Baby Ls happiness and well-being. When she was a brand new baby puppy, I think it’s fair to say that I overreacted (read : panicked) about a lot of things.

I’d like to acknowledge progress where I can, though. Here are a few things I used to freak out about, but don’t anymore. (At least, not as much).

What’s In Her Mouth

The first week we had Sweet Baby L, a friend of mine gave me some good advice. She said, “Sweet Baby L is GOING TO eat a lot of things she shouldn’t, but if it’s something really bad she’ll throw it up.” Of course I immediately started panicking. I didn’t want her to eat something “really bad.” What if she got really sick? Or worse?

If only I had known the things Sweet Baby L would snatch up off the street in the subsequent months. Corks, vape pens, a (thankfully-dulled) razor blade. It felt like she was constantly chewing on something she shouldn’t be and with no effective way to get her to spit out whatever it was, I’d have to stand by and watch, freaking out while she chomped away on something that was potentially dangerous.

These days I worry about that MUCH less. Why? We have mastered the “out” command and Sweet Baby L has grown up. She’s far less interested in trash off the street than she used to be. That being said, there are still times when we will run into another dog friend of hers and while playing, she will grab a leaf or a stick and chew on that. Given how far we have come since the early days, I’m OK with letting those incidents slide. A leaf is OK. A razor? No.

Running Off

Nothing gave me anxiety like imaging Sweet Baby L slipping off her leash and escaping. Nightmare scenarios included her running away, never to return, or worse, getting hit by a car. I was convinced she would never be able to enjoy any time off-leash because I was too nervous to let her go. I would imagine myself racing after her, yelling her name, as she bolted further and further into the distance. What would I do if she never came back? I would never be able to forgive myself if something like that happened to her.

Now I don’t worry because I know that Sweet Baby L is far more likely to run toward people than she is traffic. She also doesn’t run that fast. At the park, yes she occasionally runs away from me (mostly when it’s time to leave) but she will run towards other groups of dog owners – possibly in the hope that they will take pity on her and let her stay with them. LOL.

Leaving Her Home Alone

It used to be really hard for me to leave Sweet Baby L behind when our family would be heading out. It is especially hard when she sees us getting our coats on and she comes over to the door, her tail wagging hopefully. I would worry that she would be stressed or sad or confused and wonder why she didn’t get to come with us.

But I’m convinced that Sweet Baby L actually enjoys the quiet time without everyone around. Now that we have a baby, the house is almost always busy and loud. It’s only when everyone is gone that she can take a nap on her place in peace! Sometimes, she hardly flinches when we come home, which makes me think she hardly noticed we were gone!