**Life with Our Majlo**

Life with Our Majlo

October 25, 2024
Today, completely spontaneously after just a few messages, we set off for Bingen to pick up our Majlo—well, now our Majlo. She was playing in the kitchen with her siblings. Izzy and Kai. Those two looked like they’d had enough and were pretty exhausted, but it was clear they loved those little rascals. Izzy couldn’t hold back her tears when we took Majlo. Majlo, on the other hand, was incredibly calm and relaxed in Denda’s arms.

I paid the remaining money for Majlo and quickly snapped a photo of the dog food bag to know what our new family member was accustomed to. After saying our goodbyes, we headed down the stairs straight to the car—Majlo, Denda, and me. The car was parked right at the door. We got in, with Denda holding Majlo on her lap. Once I buckled up, I took Majlo from Denda for a moment so she could put on her seatbelt. Then I handed Majlo back, and she settled on Denda’s lap, calmly and sweetly looking at us with her tiny blue eyes.

The ride home went smoothly. At one point, Denda felt like Majlo might be getting a little car sick, so we cracked open the windows, but she stayed perfectly fine. I drove carefully to avoid startling her.

When we got home, Denda carried Majlo out of the car. It was just a few steps to the door, and then—hooray—the door opened, and Majlo stepped into her new home. We showed her the dog bed and immediately took her to the veranda’s grass, suspecting she might need to go. After a few minutes of play, she left her first "present" in our yard! 😄 She looked pretty tired by then, so Laurinka carried her back inside. As soon as she was placed in her bed, Majlo nestled her head among her new toys—a bear and a knotted rope. 😊

After spending her first night in her new home, Majlo really started settling in. We’ve already learned her routine—nap time, mealtime, playtime, and short rests. She’s also begun letting us know when she needs to go outside, though there are still little puddles here and there. She’s not fully in control of her bladder or bowels yet, so sometimes she doesn’t make it in time. Still, we consider it a success whenever we manage to get her outside in time!

She’s received three toys of her own: a teddy bear for snuggling—or rather tearing apart—a knotted rope, also for chewing, and an amazing little rubber cone where we can hide treats. In just an hour, she figured out how to get the treats out. We’re amazed at how clever and playful she is, soaking up all the new information like a sponge.

This morning, we woke up well-rested, and after successfully taking care of her morning needs outside (yay!), she ate and took another nap. Once she woke up, it was playtime again—the best time of the day! Of course, we’ve also realized we’ve brought a little piranha into the house.

Meanwhile, two days ago, our cat wasn’t too thrilled about the new addition. He sulked about having a dog in the house. 😅 Today, though, he returned and seems to have realized it’s just a little puppy. The other cat was quicker to adjust. Yesterday, she scoped out Majlo from a cautious distance—just in case—but seems okay with her now. This morning, the male cat walked around Majlo, clearly thinking what to think of her.

It has already been a few days since we brought Majlo home. We’ve started communicating with each other, though it’s sometimes a bit complicated. But you need a lot of patience with a puppy. It’s really nice to slowly discover her little personality. She’s so cuddly and sweet.

Because of that, I often have to tell people who come running towards us, waving and saying, “Please, can I pet her?”—No, you cannot. That’s not easy to say at all. People usually don’t understand why, but it’s because she’s still so young, and it confuses her. Most importantly, Majlo needs to be trained. Oh, and I had completely forgotten how much work having a puppy is!

We’re both learning how to communicate with each other, trying to teach and understand one another. And oh boy, she’s so clever! Majlo is constantly trying to find ways to get what she wants. She’s such a little rascal. But I can’t let her win these battles—it’s all part of the process.

At one point, she started peeing and pooping in the house more often than usual. It took me two and a half days to figure out why. At first, I thought it was because of the cold weather. But it wasn’t that. It turned out Majlo just wanted more of our attention. And, well, she got it.

I spent every single second watching her closely to figure out when she needed to go. She kept trying to find a spot inside, but I was always one step ahead. Eventually, she walked to the door to let us know she needed to go outside. That was a small but significant victory for both of us.

Every day, she grows so much—it’s unbelievable. When she first came home, she couldn’t even reach her tiny food bowl. And now? Today, Majlo has a brand-new, bigger bowl. She can already jump up the stairs!