Hello, Lulu!

I know what you're thinking: "What?! A second dog? Why don't you just have kids already?"

I'll tell you why: we just haven't gotten there yet, which is A-OK in our books. But we weren't necessarily feeling the need for a second dog, either. 
I mean, Kona is a super-dog and she satisfies every nurturing instinct we have, 
but sometimes life takes a different turn than planned, so...

Say hello to our new fur baby Lulu! 

Lulu, a purebred teacup Yorkie, has a funny adoption story. We met her a week-and-a-half ago when our friend went to go pick her up from the breeder. Lulu was going to be a surprise for his family who had lost their family dog the week before, but things didn't work out and he wasn't able to keep her. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision but as soon as we heard that this little love needed a home we were ready to take her in.

After she was officially in our charge, Nate and I flip-flopped on whether or not Lulu was meant to be with us or if we should find another home for her. Nate was feeling particularly unsure for the first 48 hours while I was nothing but excited and ready for the new challenge. Then we seemed to switch roles; Nate fell in love with Lulu and I was stressed and concerned about our new addition to the family. It took a few days for both of us to get on board, but after the adjustment period and getting into a routine, we're both feeling good about the decision!

We debated on names before we ever picked her up, but at my brother's suggestion we picked the name Lulu, short for Kapalua, a beautiful resort located on the north shores of Maui. Of course we had to keep with the tradition of naming our dogs after Hawaiian destinations and delicacies! 

What about Kona? That is a great question. Kona had (has) a bit of a problem with her initially, but things have gotten somewhat better since the first day. Kona can be jealous and territorial with us and her toys whenever Lulu is around, but there have been times when Kona watches out for Lulu which has been a joy to see. Kona has even tried to play with her on occasion, though Lulu is still a bit timid around the bigger dogs. 

What's it like starting over with another puppy? Not as overwhelming as I initially expected, actually. When Lulu isn't exploring the world around her, playing with toys or chewing on something that she isn't supposed to, she's usually wiped out sleeping. I'd say that she probably sleeps for half of the day, which makes eating the elephant a whole lot easier. 

We're also pretty pumped about Lulu's potty training process. She came to us already knowing to pee on the potty pads, but we wanted to hit the ground running by teaching her to potty outside. As soon as we got her home we started taking her outside and setting her on the grass whenever it was time for Kona to go out. Just as our other puppies did before, Lulu had a hard time catching on to the concept of pottying on the grass at first. To remedy this situation we set the potty pad on the grass and rubbed it on the ground after she had pottied on it. After smelling her scent on the grass she quickly got the idea and has been going outside ever since! 
It's a bit of a chore trying to remember to take her out every hour or so since Kona can hold it for at least four hours, but it is so thrilling to see her go outside and to not have to clean up potty spots or go through multiple potty pads.

I've noticed that dog training has become progressively easier with each puppy we've raised. This will be the fifth dog in the family that will have gone through the potty training process at this house and it is definitely so much easier the more you do it and get into the routine. 

Kona has been such a trooper through this process so far. She became really envious at first and even nipped at the puppy a few times, but I see a beautiful friendship between the two in the future. The main reason we weren't so sure about getting another puppy at first was because we didn't want Kona to feel replaced or any less loved because of Lulu, but Kona has been her same chipper self all along. 
Whenever the puppy is hyper or being naughty I look forward to nighttime when Lulu goes back in her kennel and I get a chance to snuggle my Kona Bear without any distractions.
I know that you're supposed to love your "children" equally, but Kona will always have an extra special place in my heart!