[lobstaboy]

...eats his shoes.

Good fashion sense too!

[OCB]

We have already organised the first few weeks so she won't be alone at all.

Probably my contract will come to an end middle of June-she will arrive 3rd- even if it does get extended both my wife and I can work from home to do doggie cover.

I suspect my wife will try to work even more from home once Phoebe gets there.

I should never wish myself out of work, but it could be fortuitous timing if I am between clients from mid June to mid September

As for doggie books, my wife has about 10. She's nothing if not thorough. Books, talking with our friendly local vet, Internet forums etc. She goes into research overdrive when it comes to a new subject.

I have here obviously, and my friend the professional dog trainer - who would never leave a puppy alone, but she takes hers to work every day...easy for her to say!

She is ok with crating as well. She's never done it, never had the need.

As for the dog size thing, yes it's a toy. For me anything much smaller than a collie is a rat on a leash.

I am resigned to having a rat on a leash.

The only advantages I can think of are that poo will be comparable with what the 5 cats chuck out, and its small enough that even my 6 yr old can take it walkies-rather than the dog taking the kid's arm out his socket.

[AerBabe]

... our friendly local vet...

Speaking of vets, the day you bring pup home, take it to the vet for a cuddle and a treat.

I take both of mine into the vet from time to time, just to get fuss from the staff. They encourage it and our new vet even arranged a free 'welcome examination' when we first arrived in town. Both my dogs now try and pull me towards the vet from two streets away - I'm not kidding! It certainly made the world of difference when the older dog dislocated her hip & must have been in excruciating pain - she thought it was great she had to be rushed to the vet.

[cockney steve]

Farmer friend's daughter worked at a vet's....came home with a fist-sized "reject" which scuttled around like an overgrown vole (mechanical mouse lacking directional stability,for those who've never witnessed a Vole!).....Well the little rat is about half the size of a Jack-Russell . Rules the family Labs and his father's Golden Retrievers......having earned a good pecking, she now realises the Geese are a bit higher in the food chain. Plays with a large lump of heavy chain....tosses it over her head, then, sagging under the weight, wrestles with it.......also has a large spanner and a 2-foot iron bar as "toys"...a lovely, affectionate little dog, "Scrappy /Rat / Darcy is queen of the household pets (Even the bin-men bribe her with treats)

Size is no guide to a stout heart and a fiesty character.

[matthew_w100]

You still look like a pansy with one in tow.

[OCB]

You still look like a pansy with one in tow.

Absolutely. The dad at school who got one a few weeks back - he was carrying the rat-thing like an arm-warmer.

I will have to do some serious "smile and wave" work...not looking forward to it, but a mutt is a mutt. I have a farm path at the end of my property. I have already said to the missus that I have to re-commission the gate, she I think realises that I'm not going to be seen walking up and down our street with the rat-on-a-leash.

I'm sure I'll love the wee thing, but it's definitely not my choice of mutt.

I should say the dad at the school with the same type of mutt lives in a 7 figure house, has a seemingly unlimited supply of 6 figure cars, 2 or 3 permanent house staff - and is most probably not that far into his early 30s.

He seems overjoyed with his wee frenchie bulldog - and can't wait for us to get ours, so they can have play dates.

[Spooky]

You still look like a pansy with one in tow.

You can tell him

[cockney steve]

matthew_w100 wrote:
You still look like a pansy with one in tow.

Outed! You been spying on me?

Thread drift. I always thought buying bunches of flowers was a "pansy" activity.........as I grew up, I formed an admiration for men who could quite happily hold their head up in public, whilst holding a bunch of flowers. Then I found just how much ladies , especially, appreciate a few flowers.......Don't bother what people think of me nowadays, I am what I am. Prefer to give flowers to the living.
Seen the little rat today, all over me until she got her favourite treats.....returned a while later and made it clear "I want more treats! "

[OCB]

Woof..now called Phoebe...arrived last night.

Trying to figure out how to post a photo!

She came from a "deep country" home - think something between Deliverance and a reality program.

Their 5 yr old son had buck teeth, crew cut, covered in mud and was trying to hotwire a baby sized motorbike. They lived in a part home, part outhouse, part garage arrangement. Furniture, fittings, wallpaper etc had a rather "subjective" flavour.

Salt of the earth - and lovely with it. I couldn't have met nicer people. Their kids loved the puppies, were sad to see them go, gentle, and so happy the lot of them.

[matthew_w100]

Norfolk?

[OCB]

Nope, she came from deepest darkest Wallonie - practically a few metres from France.
Which for a French Bulldog is acceptable - she was born just over the border for tax reasons

So far we are very impressed how cuddly the wee thing is - and she is.
She stays close to heel and has a protective instinct.
Which for only 8 weeks old is very impressive.

OK, the toilet training is not exactly how my wife read in her many books - but we've had 3 kids and 6 cats so know that things aren't exactly text book every time.

We decided not to crate her (the pup, not the wife!) - but she stays in the kitchen as of last night, with a gate to make sure she stays put. The expected whining and crying, but not that bad all things considered. She'd spent the past couple of days cuddled up to mostly the missus.

She is getting more confident and exploring more, but thankfully running back to base when she needs. It's our biggest nightmare - we live with a right of way at the bottom of the garden with a farmer's field just over the fence. There's only so much checking of fencing you can do. This thing is without a joke the size of a rat....

[AerBabe]

I'm pleased things are going well. It won't last ... just wait until she starts getting more confident.

However...

We decided not to crate her

I read this as 'we decided not to giver her her own safe space where she can retreat if necessary'.
Please reconsider! It is not punishment, it is her own den. Line it with a large piece of non-slip vet bed and chuck a large blanket over the top. Feed her in there and put in a few toys. She will love it.

[JoeC]

I read this as 'we decided not to giver her her own safe space where she can retreat if necessary'.

Forgive my ignorance but why is a cage needed to achieve this?

[Paultheparaglider]

Because even the smartest of dogs aren't able to lock the loo door behind them and quietly read Flyer magazine for an hour.

[AndyR]

Seamus (my retriever, now 15), has my version of a crate. It's called the kitchen.

Much as I understand the thinking behind a crate, I've just never warmed to it for my own pets.

But then he's been trained to be quite happy on his own whilst his owners are out at work. He has spent time with me at work, we have often spent whole days together just walking and having fun. But I can leave him for the day when necessary. Building tolerance slowly and ensuring they're happy is key. He is however the most laid back dog I've ever owned.

A spaniel I owned which I spent every hour of every day with in the early days, even taking her to work with me, proved disastrous. Separation anxiety was a huge problem for her. She used to destroy wherever she was if I dared leave her for even 5 minutes. Learned a lot from that experience.