Happy Monday!
The snow has mostly all melted and we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming here in Texas. I wanna share a little with you today about the newest member of the Slaughter Family, Champion “Champ” Slaughter.
He technically joined our family on December 23rd, 2023 {when we physically got our hands on him}, but let me tell you what else was happening at the moment….I was in WAY over my head! I’d never had an inside dog before let alone an inside puppy who needed to learn how to use the bathroom OUTSIDE of the house, Britt had a major ear surgery and while she’s so tough her little body just doesn’t heal quickly, we added in family coming to visit and stay with us for a few days, plus an ER visit for Miss Britt to get some fluids/meds, did I mention Tab was traveling like he typically does every weekend for football, and is it even possible for a dog mom to get postpartum depression? I’m not sure this is possible but if so, I might have had that. I’m sure it was more of a case of just overwhelmed mom during the holidays who added another living thing to the house she didn’t know WHAT to do with but either way 2023 wasn’t exactly Champ’s shining moment.
However, 2024 was HIS YEAR! This past year he had some major highlights…
*Champ met and stayed with a Rover family I found twice when we were out of town. He absolutely loves them and the feeling is mutual so when we were on these trips we felt so at peace with him being taken care of.
*Champ spent over two weeks at a training/boarding experience while we were at the beach. This experience was TERRIBLE, BUT I do think he had a semi, “Come to Jesus”, moment with himself where he realized he had it REALLY good at home. I kid you not, when he got home he was SO MUCH EASIER. Not with any of the “tricks” or “signals” he’d learned but just more calm throughout the day and with potty training.
*Champ also got to attend two road trips at the end of the year…Houston for football and New Year’s in Missouri. He struggled in Houston with the bathroom but had mostly figured it out by the time we went to Missouri.
*We began the year with him being able to walk around inside a little indoor playpen area, graduated to the living room/kitchen, and now he roams around the house. He’s still only one so every once in a while he gets into something he shouldn’t but for the most part he knows his toys from something he shouldn’t have.
*We crate trained him and I think that’s what helped him understand the bathroom outside versus inside the house. Now we rarely put him in the crate and he does well.
*You’ll never believe this last one…he graduated from the crate to a bed in a room to sleeping at the foot of our bed! Shocking! I know!
I know I’m a little bias but I’m pretty he could be a dog model. What do you think? 😉
Whoever guessed this girl who wasn’t a fan of dogs would come to need this pillow? hahaha!
This picture is a good representation of our life because the boys are the least “into” him while the girls are SMITTEN!
When I look back over the last year, I can recall many highs and many lows, some praises and prayer requests, and some things we did right while others we did all wrong. Champion Slaughter happens to be one thing we REALLY got “right” in 2024. I know we’re probably all thinking of how we can make 2025 THE BEST YEAR YET and we totally should think that way. I’m just here to remind you not to beat yourself up over something you “missed” last year. I’m sure when you look back you can find a few things you did well and “got right” too.
Let this be reminder sometimes God can REALLY change our hearts.
From, A previous non-pet girl to now someone who’s not so sure I didn’t birth this dog. 🙂
XO
