The day has arrived and all the preparations are in place. Vaccinations and micro-chip booking has been made. I had been contacted by the breeders who have given me a five week free Insurance from the Kennel Club.
I am still checking out on the comparison websites the various pet insurance companies, and am still investigating which one is the most cost effective, without the hidden caveats eg the uplift in price after a period of time versus a fixed rate for years. I will report back to you when I have made a final decision.
Princess Milly is a golden Labrador puppy and when she finally arrived on Sunday, I had her cage comfortably fitted with a furry blanket and safe toys – all purchased from Pets at Home. I would recommend this pet outlet as they are completely geared up to new pet owners and have fantastic assistants who will reassure you and get you started on this exciting adventure.
I was lucky enough to find Nicola in the Maidenhead store who spent half an hour taking me around the various isles, and advising me exactly what to do and what to buy. She also worked within my budget and advised me for instance to buy scented nappy sacks at Asda which were cheaper than the Pets at Home poop bags. A breeder herself she also advised me to get tennis balls and squeaky toys which have already proved to work with the new puppy.
The breeders and my local kennel owner advised putting her in a cage overnight and ignoring her cries like a baby. I was really dreading this part of it, as I was never good at leaving my daughter to cry as a baby. But the first night I pulled the puppy cage into my bedroom – still locked the door but to my amazement Milly slept through the night and only woke early to let me know that she needed to go out for a toilet break.
I decided to take the first week with Milly with no other commitments, as my friendly local kennel owner and trainer had offered to assist me with the toilet training process for the first few days.
To my utter delight and amazement, Milly has had no accidents in the home as a result. It may sound tricky, but I have acted on the expert advice, and take her into the garden every hour, and as a result she is practically toilet trained after only three days. I do believe she had a good start with the breeders, but apparently any animal will welcome boundaries – as they feel nurtured in the same way that children respond to discipline.
A couple of useful tips – I have been setting Milly up by calling out ‘pee pee and paw paw’ as I take her outside and congratulating her when she does both. It has certainly worked so far.
My visit to Vets at Home yesterday for Milly’s vaccinations and micro-chip and flea and ringworm treatment went without a hitch. She received cuddles from the fabulous staff, and the vets bill was reasonable for the entire package, and I have taken out a monthly cover for flea treatment which includes nail clipping and a puppy check for around £14 per month.
My next appointment is in a month’s time, and even though I was warned that she would be quiet for the first 24 hours after her jabs, she has displayed no signs of distress, and will be ready for her first walk and social meet and greet with other doggie neighbours tomorrow.
Check back here for more Milly news next week – I will keep you fully updated.
Need some ideas on activities to do with your pooch? then check out Breedadvisor
