With anything, a routine is hugely important to settle both humans and canines – we have been trying to do just that to become even better acquainted with each other over the last couple of weeks and to form long-lasting bonds. I’ve seen on the internet that Labradoodles can become attached to one particular member of a family – I wonder who that will be…? This week we have been for a socialisation visit to the registered vet and we are trying to learn to cope with the constant chewing and biting.

Doing a Recce at the Vet Practice

We had registered with our local vet, one of a group in our area, before Margot joined our family. When I went in to ‘check them out’, comparing them with the alternative down the road, never having stepped foot into a similar establishment before, the lady behind the desk was so excited for us. She asked what type of dog it was, when she was arriving and genuinely showed an interest in sharing information about the practice. Another two visits later and I still feel the same – the people we have dealt with at Lynwood have been nothing but friendly and supportive.

Having booked an appointment to see the veterinary nurse for Margot’s ‘Look/See Socialisation visit’, we were once again back in the car for the first time in a week. It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. J and P sat in the back to try and keep Margot calm and reassured whilst plugged into the seat belt clip for security. (I bought one of the short bungee ones which attach both to the car and onto a harness – not the collar!) It’s fair to say that she either doesn’t like my driving, the sound of the air conditioning or the feeling of the movement – I wasn’t driving fast, I promise – because she whined and whimpered all the way there and all the way back. I’m not sure who was the most stressed out of the four of us…

Therefore, we also needed to introduce Margot to the small harness we had chosen for this very purpose. J was brilliant at this. When I tried to put it over her head, she simply chewed it. But there is definitely an art to putting it on. First of all you have to choose the correct hole to put her head through, sort out her front legs, followed by securing the band under her tummy by clicking the two clips together. Tbh it’s a little on the big side, like the new blazer you buy your child when they start secondary school that they will undoubtedly grow into. We may need to buy her an alternative and actually measure her properly. With a tape measure? I wonder how that will go?

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long before Margot was called in to see Alice, who was both friendly and professional in the way she asked us questions, gave us advice and information and made us all feel reassured that our puppy was doing well – and so were we. Perching her on a metal table which stood quite high up off the ground was a bit scary. It was difficult to focus on all the details we were being given and make sure that our inquisitive friend didn’t fall off. Alice covered a whole range of topics such as feeding, sleeping and socialisation – a topic for a future post. Next week we are back again for Margot’s second vaccinations so I hope she remembers how much fun she had…

Incessant Chewing – does this ever end?

The incessant chewing is relentless. I’m not going to lie, it’s the most challenging aspect of her behaviour. When those little puppy teeth take hold of my jumper, fingers or shoelaces, they certainly latch on and sometimes she keeps on tugging like her life depends on it. There are holes in the bottom of my fleece where she has jumped up and pulled on it showing the whites of her eyes. (Jumping up – something else to try and train her out of!) I try to be ready with a rubbery alternative, but she has caught my hand a few times… it really hurts. Poor old Foxy continues to be given a right going over. Can anyone tell me when this stage ends? (I put the question into Google and according to the Blue Cross, ‘play biting is a phase that puppies will typically grow out of once they reach between three and five months of age’. It can’t come soon enough for me to be honest.)

Time Spent Outside

I did think that spending time in the garden might prevent the biting and chewing – I suppose it does in terms of chewing inside the house. Plus it gives us all a break from trying to find suitable chew toys, Amazon boxes or the inside tube of a roll of kitchen towel. However, instead outside in the back garden she has her nose to the ground 80% of the time rifling through the grass and leaves for… I’m not sure what really. I am constantly scouring the ground for acorns which have fallen from from the oak trees behind the fence because these are toxic. She has started weeding the grass from in betweeen the patio slabs, digging in amongst the small stones and chewing on the corner of a wooden planter. Any ideas? Another friend with a dog suggested a dog deterrent spray – I had no idea such a thing existed. I might try some for the skirting boards and radiator knobs in the kitchen, but I can’t really spray the entire garden with bitter apple. Where’s the fun in that?

Nap time…

What’s that poem called? The first line is: ‘Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair…’ (It probably just has the title ‘Cats’. The oracle Google confirms it as ‘Cats sleep anywhere’.) The pictures below show that our puppy will sleep anywhere there is a fleecy mat – when she isn’t chewing on it, of course…

Next week… second vaccinations with the vet, walking on the lead, chewing updates and more photos!

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