MEET OUR NEW ADDITION!
IF you’re expecting baby news, you’re going to be disappointed.
But if you love animals, then you’re in a for a winner today folks! ;-) Ladies and gents, may I introduce you to the new member of our little family, Busta the dog.
A 13 week golden cockapoo whom arrived in our lives this weekend and has already turned them upside down!
Busta (we named him after Elsie’s favourite line in the film ‘Home’ – “busta lime”) has only been with us a few days, so as you can imagine, daily life is taking a little adjusting to!
Bringing a puppy home, even one that is a little older than normal, is almost like bringing a newborn baby home in some respects. You need to go out and buy a huge amount of stuff, they need constant attention and lots of time and love.
And of course they need toilet training, sleep training etc too.
So life has become a whirlwind! I’m so busy at the moment settling Busta in currently, that I’ve hardly had two minutes to myself to do anything.
So far, on day 3, we’ve had lots of little ‘accidents’ (thankfully we have wooden floors but our rugs and soft furnishings have been removed!), our shoes are his favourite objects to find and chew when we’re not looking (if he goes near my posh ones he’s in BIG trouble) and our cat Poppy is scared stiff (but should come round eventually!).
However, life in our household has never been as much fun!
Elsie laughs and giggles all day long when she’s with him and I’m loving spending time with him, teaching him ‘commands’ and taking him for walks.
In the time I’ve been writing this, he’s currently had a piddle by the back door, fetched his ball so I can throw it across the kitchen and sat at my side for some fuss.
He’s daft as a brush but already, just a couple of days in, I cannot imagine life without him.
We love him heaps, already. And I for one, am totally smitten.
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With love,
Kate
Psst! – And if you have any advice on how to stop him barking too much or ‘nipping’, I’d love to hear it!
Enjoy him Kate! We have 2 Cavaliers and love them to bits! The cat even sleeps with them now! X
Ah thanks Hannah! Thrilled to hear that! (There IS hope then?!) ;-) x
Ohhh what a lovely addition!! I’ve got two, the youngest one is an avid “nipper”. It helps to yelp like a puppy would when bitten – bear with me, I know it sounds weird – , but making a high-pitch noise every time he nips you, then looking away and ignoring him. You do this every time he nips. Like that, he doesn’t get your attention, which for him is OMGTHEBESTTHINGEVER ;) Also, he may need to chew, hence his love for shoes etc, so get yourself a kong, fill it with bananas, peanut butter etc, and freeze it. It’s great for that “chew release” he is after.
Barking, well dogs bark, but yes, it’s good to minimise it a tad. My trick is that whenever my youngest one does it – tends to be because he wants attention – I leave the room and close the door behind me, only for a few seconds. Then I walk back in, if he still barks, out i go. Like that he relates his barking with losing you, which he will hate. In the future you can teach him to bark on command -i’ve done that with mine, it’s generally just funny – and also the “enough” command, but that’s a command that comes with time, after he understands “sit” “stay” anything that makes him stop, sit and remain calm :) Hope this helps. I’ve done training with both my dogs so I have some tips, you can always ask me via twitter xx
Jessie, I love you!! Thanks SO much! I’ve been doing the ol’ yelping thing so it’s good to know I’m on the right track and will definitely try out your other suggestions. You are now officially my puppy guru ;-) X
Awww what a cutie! My dog passed away over Christmas and I can’t bring myself to even think of getting another yet. It sounds odd, but in the meantime I so love seeing dogs being spoiled and looked after well! That pic with Elsie giving the ‘talk to the hand’ is brilliant too, such a gorgeous snapshot of a moment in time. Photos like that tell such a story! Congrats on your new (furry) baby :) xx
Oh Jess! So sorry to hear that, they really are part of the family aren’t they? :( Must be very difficult and no, it doesn’t sound odd at all. There will be plenty more photos and updates on here, for you. ;-) And yes I love the pic too. “Leave my pup alone!” ;-) x
He’s gorgeous! Just shout a lot when he nips, it’s the most important thing. None of the other stuff matters. Oh, and he WILL eat your expensive shoes, but deep down you won’t care, you can’t stay mad at a face like that. I hope you all have many happy years together.xx
Thanks SO much Natalie! And yes very true, he’s just TOO adorable. I’m so happy I could burst! X
Aaaaargh!!! He’s gorgeous!! As I feared, puppy broodiness is now upon me. Our lovely dog Henry passed away two years ago and I am soooooo ready for a furry companion. You are in for the ride of your lives!! They give so, so much love that you can forgive them anything. I agree with the others about the yelping and ignoring to stop the nipping, and it WILL stop, eventually. I also recommend puppy training if you can fit it in, it was invaluable for us. Oh enjoy, you are about to have so much fun! xx
Thanks so much Michelle!! I have to say it’s taking some adjusting! But I know the annoying nips and barks will stop eventually. We’re all still finding our feet but I’m so looking forward to ‘the ride of our lives’. Thank you! x P.S And i’m sorry to hear about Henry :(
Ah he is so cute! You will have such a lovely time together xxxx
I hope so lovely! Thank you x