Korra is 5 months old! (Patreon)

Haha! I'm joking! Kinda. Okay, not really. 

We got Korra when she was 8 weeks old, which is just shy of 2 months. And she was ridiculously adorable! A fluffy potato with tiny legs. 

Unfortunately she was also, ya know, a baby. A baby with sharp teeth, no manners, and a bladder the size of a pea (ok, walnut). 

She spent her waking hours making my life as hard as she could. Nah, not really, but that's how it felt! Pee here, chew there, poop, bite and bark. She hated being outside because it was so bloody hot, so she peed and pooped inside. A lot. She had some serious diarhea, so I was waking up in the middle of the night to take her out for a wet fart and the occasional poo-spray. She only cried 2 nights, but Oh My Lord it was horrible. So horrible.

Despite her appearance, she was not interested in cuddling, whatsoever.

I realised quickly that we needed to take some steps if I wanted to remain sane. 

I discovered the r/puppy101 subreddit which had tons of good tips. The best tip was enforced naptime. 8 week old puppies NEED a routine, the stricter the better. It took a week or two, but we got into a comfortable 1 hr awake 2 hrs asleep nap routine. 

She was still a handful that 1 hour she was awake but at least I got 2 hours to myself to breathe, sleep, shower, take a shit and other basic things. 

(Korra 1 month after we got her, almost 3 months)

She grew FUCKING FAST. 

The first month we saw a physical difference on a daily basis, but she was still very much a baby in how she behaved. We kept with the strict nap routine and the entire hour she was awake, we spent actively and passively training her. And playing of course! Mainly just keeping her occupied.

At 4 months she finally started showing signs of maturing. 

Most importantly, to me, was that she was able to calm herself down outside of her crate. Even if just for 5 seconds! I started to feel comfortable not looking at her every second she was awake around this time, although she still had the occasional accident and was still on a nap routine (though not as strict anymore).

Now she's 5 months. So big!! She's got so much more freedom now. Except when I really need her safe and contained, like when I need to shower. She's so much more chill and spends most of her day by my side! 

There are things we actively work on, mainly social aspects (greeting people, not barking at bikes!) but she's finally not an annoying baby anymore. She's much more cuddly too! It's nice to take a walk and have a play in the morning and be able to relax the rest of the day. She still got the energy of a playful puppy, but it's nothing I can't handle. 

♥♥ Happy Birthday Korra! ♥♥