First off, I want to THANK everyone for all the incredibly helpful comments and emails regarding puppy/potting training. Crate training proved to be tough for us. Cookie wouldn’t stop crying. I tried to be strong, but eventually caved. After having access to the entire downstairs when she first arrived, the tiny crate seemed like punishment. So we moved her into the kids’ old playpen. She’s seems quite content in there. She has enough room for her bed, toys, food, and potty pads. We take her outside every 2-3 hours to do her business and play.
We have our good and bad days. On a good day, she’ll be sweet, “accident”-free, and playful. On a bad day, she’ll bark incessantly, display aggressive behavior towards the kids, and/or sneak away while playing with Ashlyn to take a crap in our upstairs bedrooms. We have more bad days than good. 
We’ve encountered more than just housebreaking woes. Over the weekend, Cookie attacked and bit my friend’s daughter. Luckily, the bite did not break skin, but gave everyone quite a fright. Cookie doesn’t like strangers, and dislikes kids even more. My heart feels heavy as I struggle with the possibility of giving her up. I try to remain strong and patient, but something doesn’t feel right. We’re a social family….our Cookie’s personality is not.
looks are so deceiving, huh?
*sigh* I feel awful. I made such a hasty decision without putting much thought into things. All I saw was her adorable cuteness. Now I’m torn. Will she’ll grow out of the possessiveness and aggressiveness? Aren’t dogs the most friendly and carefree when they’re puppies? She’s only 2 months old and she can get scary mean. I worry for my kids. *sigh* I need Cesar Millan.
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:33 am
Puppies are puppies…give her a chance. And be stern. No room to cave. Make sure you get some dog training books or take her to puppy school. Things will get better!
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:15 am
i do think puppies are puppies in that they should be playful and fun-loving, but aggressiveness is not normal puppy behavior. a trainer should be able to help you correct her behavior. good luck! i think with a little bit of work, you’ll have cookie behaving the way you want.
October 4th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Hi Peg,
Don’t worry, puppies always bite,…it’s called mouthing and it’s totally normal. Like with any baby, you have to teach them or they’ll keep doing it. You can try putting your hand in her mouth and when she bites down (don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt) then yell “no” really loudly and over exaggerate the pain. There are other techniques,..this one worked for us. In time she’ll develop a “soft mouth” but she’s still very young right now.
October 4th, 2007 at 11:41 am
i saw this site that goes into topics you’ve mentioned like mouthing/biting–maybe it could help: http://perfectpaws.com/pupstuff.html
we’re here for you–i totally get how much work it is for mom! and i definitely get wanting to give that special memory to your kids of having a dog! i wouldn’t say “hasty”–i think you gave the puppy a good home. glad the playpen’s working. yeah, i wonder how much the dog whisperer charges!
October 4th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Wow, the playpen was a stroke of genius!
Re: biting, a friend recommended Bitter Apple spray to us. Dogs HATE the smell, but people can barely smell it. You can get it from any pet store. Spray it on whatever you don’t want the dog to bite (your hands, your ankles, electrical cords, the kids’ toys, etc.) then let Cookie sniff it. If she’s like Daisy, she’ll probably back away real fast.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
remember: discipline, exercise, and then affection
so friggin cute!
hope all is well with you and familia.