Quarantine

It seems like just yesterday I was telling you about the arrival of my little sister, Tallulah Bee. And then I blinked my eyes, and we were celebrating her first birthday. Well, my friends, last week my baby sister . . . how can I put this delicately . . . became a woman. Yep, Tallulah Bee is in heat, and the quarantine has begun.

We’re all new to this. My humans have always had a fabulous six-month birthday gift for their dogs: We either get spayed or neutered. Light the birthday cake candles; cue the confetti machine; and release the balloons. But Tallulah’s breeder requested that we allow her to go through one heat cycle. There are arguments for and against. We’re honoring the breeder’s wishes; after all, she knows more than a thing or two about Golden Retrievers. So here we go. The quarantine is on. I promise to be right by my sister’s side all the way . . . at least in spirit. A girl needs her sleep.

We’ve loaded up on supplies to get us through the quarantine.

TOP PAW DISPOSABLE DIAPERS: My human mommy and I immediately went to the store to make this purchase. Tallulah is a big girl, but we never really saw her as an extra-large girl. Surprise! She weighs 63 pounds, so we had to go with the extra-large diapers that should fit 55 to 90 pounds. I say should because we tried putting these on once. Total disaster. They were beyond a tight fit. Turns out Miss Jennifer Lopez isn’t the only  pretty girl with some extra junk in her trunk. Fortunately, we haven’t needed the diapers . . . yet . . . but if we do, Mommy’s trying to think of a way to combine two for maximum Golden coverage. Stay tuned for that.

EARTHBATH GROOMING WIPES: When Tallulah was just a tiny puppy still living with her breeder, her name was Pink. They called her Stinky Pinky because she was always getting into trouble. Let’s just say that my little sister has morphed back into Stinky Pinky. She is not a rose-scented pink powder puff at the moment. That’s why my human mommy was overjoyed to discover the Earthbath Grooming Wipes in a blog post from our friends at Barking from the Bayou. Talk about perfect timing. She quickly made this purchase. (And then she too quickly cut the top off of the package to get to the wipes. Desperation makes humans do crazy things. If you purchase the grooming wipes, follow the handy “Open Here” instructions.) The Earthbath Grooming Wipes have made life with Tallulah Bee far more tolerable, although we look forward to saying goodbye to Stinky Pinky once and for all when the quarantine ends.

PEDIGREE DENTASTIX FRESH BITES: My sister–bless her heart, as we say in the South–has been very conscientious about trying to keep herself clean. Unfortunately, this has left her with less-than-minty-fresh breath. (I know. This is too much information. But honestly, what part of this blog post isn’t?) So we’re trying the Fresh Bites. She still has some pretty foul-smelling breath, but we’re afraid it would be even worse without the doggy breath mints . . .and that’s a chance we’re not willing to take.

Oh, and my humans have stocked up on their quarantine supplies, too, which they are appropriately enough enjoying from their Golden Retriever wine glasses.

We’re taking the quarantine one day at a time. We honestly have no idea what to expect. We’ve been reading back through the posts our friends at Marking Our Territory shared when Penny was under house arrest. Sharing is caring, as they say, and we cannot thank Mr. Will enough for his insights into surviving “the event.” Mostly, Tallulah Bee is pitiful. She sleeps more than usual, and she is super cuddly (which makes my humans extra thankful for those grooming wipes and doggy breath mints). I’m thankful that she isn’t as interested as usual in bothering playing with me. But I do kind of miss my rambunctious little sister, and I know she misses her long morning walks with Mommy. This too shall pass. The quarantine will be lifted and, when the vet says the time is right, Tallulah will get her belated six-month birthday gift from my humans. Until then, wish us luck. We’re on a pretty steep learning curve.