As requested here is Neo with his Reindeer ears on, he was not impressed at being asked to pose in them again but submitted with the bribe of chix treats! Excuse the dirty nose! he'd been out in the garden to bury his chew, we'd not let him go an do it the other night cause it was raining so its been buried under the sofa for a few days, he must have forgotten about it as he was surprised when I handed it to him and went straight outside with it.

As you can see I've put up the Christmas tree, I wasn't going to bother this year as with Neo and a new kitten I thought it would be more trouble than its worth but I relented after much nagging from other half and have been pleasantly surprised by how little notice the animals have taken of it. I've even been able to leave the presents under it unmauled. Wouldn't go as far as allowing them free access to the living room when I'm out though, think that would be pushing it!!!

Well the dog class xmas party was hard work.

There were probably three times the number of dogs there compared to normal so when we walked through the doors you could almost see neo going 'wey hey' and that was it for the rest of the evening! Couldn't do a thing with him, no concentration whatsoever, it was just like having an excited child! His love interest was there with her pretty angel wings on which didn't help at all!

At least he seemed to have fun, the reindeer antlers didn't stay on for more than a few seconds so we gave up with them, I'll attempt to get a photo of him wearing them and post it next time, he really does look daft, I mean cute in them!

I've done almost all of my xmas shopping over the internet this year so have had to wait in for a number of deliveries over the last few weeks. Next year I will have to have a cage put round the letter box, Neo has destroyed two delivery cards this week, one I managed to piece back together so as I knew which delivery service it came from but todays was apparently beyond recognicion! except that it was blue and white! I just spent a half hour contacting the remaining deliveries to find out which carrier they use so I can arrange re-delivery. I love my dog!!!!!!

Back again!

Well yet again I've not kept up with this on a regular basis so I doubt there will be anyone still reading it but just in case there is we're still here.

Neo is a year old now!

He is doing well except for a bit of a tummy problem which we're working on. We've had to take him off his usual kibble as he was vomiting at least once a day so he had a few weeks of chix and rice and is now happily eating chix mince and a mixer. Hes not lost any condition and never once showed any signs of being unwell so its all a bit of a mystery. The vomiting still happens but only once or twice a week and is a small percentage of the meal he ate the night before so we're going to continue as we are for now.

Unfortunatly a few days after I last wrote I had to have my cat put down, it was very sad, he'd been with me through a lot and I miss him very much as did Neo, because Neo seemed very down without Tiger around we found him a new playmate a bit sooner than I would probably have done if we'd not had Neo.



Devon, has made himself very much at home and him and Neo are becoming firm friends, providing of course Neo gives him plenty of respect!

Neo is still enjoying his dog classes, except last weeks which I completely forgot about until my friend Bev sent me a text the next morning asking if I was ok!
Its the Christmas Party tomorrow evening and Neo has been bought a set of reindeer antlers which hes not too happy about so don't expect them to stay on for very long!

Whenever I try to vaccum this rug Neo appears to cause havoc! When I finally managed to finish he immediately fetched his bone and set about providing the next lot of dirt for me to vaccum!

Better late than never!

How lazy i've been, can't believe i've not posted since the begining of July!
Neo is doing very well, hes had another growth spurt, his head is huge and his paws as big as my palms but the more he grows the softer he gets!!
Hes had his second holiday last week, we went to the Pembrokeshire coast for a week. The accommodation wasen't as ideal as the one we had in Norfolk as there was nowhere to let him out to wander around on his own, we just had a small veranda which wasen't enclosed. We had to drive 20 to 30 mins for the nearest suitable beach, not spoilt like were were in Norfolk with the beach a five min walk from the bungalow. It took us a couple of days to settle into it but we explored in the car and found some lovely walks and beaches, at least when we go back to the area we will know the places to go. He was very well behaved as always and took no time at all to settle into the cabin, he was rarely left alone, a couple of hours a couple of evenings when we went out to eat, he was probably glad to see the back of us for a while!
It was a longer journey this time but he handled it very well so perhaps next time we can venture further afield.
We've started attending a new dog class, during the summer they've run weekly fun sessions which he and his friend Floyd have enjoyed, they've been learning fun stuff like weaving under our legs, playing dead and doing turns while moving forwards, I don't think Neo is going to take up 'dancing' but it was fun to learn a few of the moves. On Monday the real classes begin and he'll be working towards his Silver award. I'm pretty confident he'll do ok as hes mastered most of the required elements of the award, just some rough edges to iron out. Both him and Floyd have taken a fancy to a pretty little spanial there so there will be some muscle flexing going on i'm sure!!
We go on regular walks now with Bev and Floyd, both the dogs love playing together which is great as they've known each other since they were 12 wks old. Neo is very vocal when hes playing and often sounds like hes killing floyd, we get some strange looks when people see them jumping around together, Neo has the brawn and Floyd has the agility so they are well matched. I have now made a new friend in Bev and really enjoy our hour long natter a couple of times a week.
Will post some new photos when I get home on Monday.

He did it.

He passed his 'Bronze Citizen' award last week.
He was such a good boy and did so well considering hes not even 8 months old yet.
We had to demonstrate a controlled walk on the lead around the hall with the others then walk in and out of the others, I was expecting trouble with this as he always wants to sniff and play but with some gentle encouragement we managed it fairly well. His down stay and waiting to go through the gate were all perfect.

I've just read through what is required for the 'silver' award and am now thinking maybe the bronze is enough!!!

A few photos taken by a good friend.

Now I've gone and done it!

The bronze award test is happening next week and I've entered us! Wasn't going to do it this time but hes been doing so well and as its only £2.50 I thought we may as well have a go, whats the worst that can happen! Ok well we could fail but then we've gained the experience for the next time. I'm most worried about the controlled walk bit as his concentration is nil when there are other dogs walking around at the same time, also he has very little interest in playing with his toy when at dog class, more interested in whats going on around him! so getting him to leave his toy on command won't be a problem...... he won't have picked it up!!!


We took him to the East of England Show in Peterborough at the weekend. He was a little over excited to begin with but soon settled and was as good as gold. I use a halti on him when we're in crowds as he does tend to pull and lunge a bit so this gives me a bit more control, the trouble is he dosen't really like it and I don't always need that much control so I was finding myself swapping between the halti and his collar until I discovered the double lead. I had seen people using one and then found a stall selling them. Its great, I can use just enough pressure on the halti when needed but otherwise can leave it loose and just use the collar, no more swapping the clips around.
One of the funniest moments was while we were walking around the livestock sheds. He wasn't keen on the cows so we went to look at the pigs which are all in their own pens. It was a hot day and all of the pigs were laying down asleep so Neo was quite happily sniffing around the pens, I swear he didn't realise there was anything alive in them as he came across one whos snout was poking out under the gate, of course he had to investigate and jumped a mile when the snout moved!! same happened with a trotter sticking out! Thankfully when we left all pigs still had snouts, ears and trotter still attached!!

Oh I almost forgot, hes started cocking his leg much to Brians delight! must be a man thing!!
I noticed he'd started 'marking' a bit a few weeks ago so figured it wouldn't be long, then I got a text while I was at work to inform me he'd finally managed it. Hes still perfecting the art, a bit wobbly but hes getting there (Neo that is not Brian!!)

Home from hols

On our way

First glimpse of the sea







Well Neos' first holiday was an all out success I'm pleased to say, he was an absolute star. The drive up there went ok, he was a little restless to begin with but soon settled, he'd also had his travel sickness tabs. We spent a few hours with my mum and he was very well behaved, explored the house then settled down in front of the fridge until he had to be moved to a more convenient spot in the living room!
When we arrived at the bungalow he had a sniff round then we went for a walk on the beach as I was impatient to see his reaction to the sea and sand.
It was only a 3 min walk to the beach, you had to climb up over a high sand dune and it was great to see his reaction when he reached the top, the brakes went on and he just stood there with tail high and ears forward then practically threw himself down the dune in excitement!!
Up until mid morning the beach was usually deserted so each morning hubby went for a cycle and neo and I had a stroll on the beach, he became a real beach bum! and it was lovely to see him enjoying himself so much, we rarely had to use his lead, if we came across people or other dogs he stayed with us on command so I didn't have to worry about him jumping on some poor unsuspecting sunbather! He loved every minute of it. He wasn't too keen on the sea and would only get his paws wet which suited me fine as didn't fancy having to go rescue him if he decided to go for a swim! He loved the miles of sand and wonderful smells not to mention the digging!



He settled down in the bungalow within a few hours of being there, I was worried about having to leave him alone in a strange place as obviously we couldn't take him everywhere with us but he was fine and slept most of the time he was on his own, can always tell as he meets us at the door with a big stretch and yawn (plus all furniture was still intact!), he was also never left more that a few hours, just enough time for us to go out for dinner a couple of times.
Most of the holiday was spent walking or sitting outside reading while he slept or pottered around the front of the bungalow. Although it wasn't enclosed it was at the top of a dirt track and he quickly learnt how far he was allowed to go so was never out of our sight.
It really is a very dog friendly area with lots of cafes and pubs happy to accommodate him with a bowl of water and some fuss. We were so lucky with the weather, beautiful and sunny but with a coastal breeze to keep us cool. I didn't want to leave and am already planning our next visit! Am just worried now that he'll be bored going back to our 40 min walk on Borough Hill!

Eve of Neos First Holiday

We're off for a short break tomorrow, up to the Norfolk coast with Neo. We've rented a bungalow on a campsite in Eccles for four nights. Its his first trip away from home not to mention the drive which will be his first long car journey since I picked him up from Colchester. He does ok in the car now although I wouldn't go as far as saying he enjoys it, 'tolerates' is probably closer to the truth but hes certainly not distressed by it so fingers crossed all will go well. We're visiting my mum on the way up, she lives about an hours drive from where we're staying. My mum is not what you'd call a 'dog person' so Neo is quite honoured to be visiting her home, I don't envisage any problems though as he is such a good boy in the house, hes almost 7 months now and the worst hes done is chewed the bottom of the garden shed door. Mum has met him before but he was slightly smaller then! so mum be warned hes grown!
Its like taking a child on holiday (I'm guessing), hes got his own bag and I've had to write a list of stuff to take so I don't forget.
Everything has been washed for the trip, the car, the dog and his toys. As you can see from the photos hes a little concerned about me torturing his toys, he sat under them for a full 5 mins!!
Am hoping my next post will be full of praise for him and news of a successful break, fingers crossed.

Shoes all in one piece

His new toy



Wow, its been almost four weeks since I last added to my blog, have been pretty lazy! We completed our final puppy class this evening, moving up to play with the big boys next week! Hes done so well, a real star. Haven't quite mastered the 'stand and stay' but is certainly best in the class for his 'sit stay' and 'down stay' and the best thing is he really seems to enjoy the classes so we'll now be working towards the Bronze Citizenship award.

He went in the water for the first time on Saturday. There were a couple of Labs playing in the water and he stood watching for a while, then the front paws went in, and out again! then he got brave and stood with all four feet in the water and finally to a leap in to belly height, that's as far as it went but not bad for a first go. I was really pleased that it hadn't really bothered him, I didn't think he'd take to it so easily as he can be a little wimpy at times! We're taking him for a holiday to the Norfolk coast at the end of the month and I'm looking forward to seeing how he takes to the sea.

Another mile stone, hes progressed from being shut in the kitchen overnight to now having the run of the kitchen and hall. Not bad for only 6 months, his bed is under the stairs right next to a shoe rack and not one shoe has ever been touched! We've been so lucky with him, the only things hes had a chew at are the wooden handle of a basket and the base of the garden shed and even these were only fleeting moments that haven't been repeated. Following the advice in the puppy books has really paid off, right from day one whenever he started on something he shouldn't have he was told 'no' and given a chew toy. I was really sceptical about this working but it has proved to be good advice!

Unfortunately for me he was never taught the difference between an occupied flower pot and an empty one, he's always been given plastic flower pots to play with, there are four or five scattered around the garden so when I came back from the garden centre with some new plants I never gave another thought to leaving them at the front of the raised bed ready for planting the next day................

............two out of the three plants didn't survive! Lesson learnt!!

Please play....

This goes on inside and outside of the house, I can sit and watch the cat chasing him across our decking then the dog hides behind the bush at the end while the cat sits and waits for him to dare show himself, inside it usually ends up with Neo being chased round the coffee table!

Hubby reckons Neo has given the cat a new lease of life as instead of sleeping all day he now fits in time to chase the dog!

We took Neo to a Country show last Sunday at Kelmarsh. It was his first experience of such a large crowd of people and dogs and he behaved extremely well.
It seemed that every other person had a dog with them and being such a friendly Rottie he absolutely loved it, what was great was that we didn't have to worry about 'not so friendly' dogs as it wasn't the place you'd get away with taking an aggressive dog.
He also got his first look at Ducks, Goats, Pigs and Chickens, thankfully all were safely secured in pens as he just wanted to play with them!
Am looking forward to taking him to another soon.

I've purchased a 'Dogmatic' halti as while at the show I had to keep him on a fairly short lead which led to a lot of pulling, normally he is pretty good and doesn't pull but I think there was so much going on he was just impatient to greet the next dog or get to the next smell.

We had a go with it today, I put it on him when it arrived and gave lots of treats then took it off, later on I did the same again then we went for a short walk in it this afternoon. He has taken to it pretty well, he doesn't make drastic attempts to get it off, a few half hearted attempts when he thought I wasn't watching! He isn't totally happy with it and makes a face when he tries to pull and ends up facing me! I do think its going to make a big difference though so we'll be persevering with it.

+

I ordered a wine glass for a friend and it arrived very well packed in some thick cardboard, as you can see Neo took great delight in shredding it, not so long ago it would have taken him days, now its a matter of minutes!!
I'm so pleased with how well behaved he is when it comes to his bones etc, I have no problems approaching him when he has a bone and he leaves it for me when asked. Its funny really as his preferred position with bone is to sit next to you or if he can he likes to put his front feet and bone in your lap. I gave him a pork roll (dried rolled pig skin for those not familiar with dog chews) this morning and was mildly surprised when he allowed the cat to sniff at it. I'm sure its mostly his gentle nature that makes him so unprotective over his food but I think i'll still take some credit for the training we've given him to get to this point. Hes never had his food or a chew removed from him without having something tasty to replace it and that has proved to be an excellent training tip.
Talking of training, hes still excelling at his puppy classes. Last week we put them in the stay and I was able to walk to half way across the hall, return to him and repeat before he was allowed to move and he performed this twice, the only pup to remain in the stay that long. I can feel my head swelling as I write!

Another milestone!

Neo enjoyed his first off leash walk today.

We're lucky enough to have the run of my in-laws farm with well fenced fields and not another person or dog to be seen. We have always intended to only let him off the lead there and not in public. I feel it is an unecessary risk to let him run free in a public place when we have the run of the farm, he is a breed with a bad reputation and will be a big dog who would easily scare someone who didn't know him, I know he wouldn't intentionally hurt anything but don't want to put him in a position to be hurt himself or blamed for something not of his doing. Besides hes got a long flexi lead which hes quite happy to jog along on and stop to sniff at regular intervals, hes not the most energetic dog in the world!

Anyway, we've practiced his recall at home and at puppy classes, also while in the park safely attatched to the flexi lead, each time the results have been good so I decided it was time to attempt it without a safety net.

As usual he was as good as gold, I called him to me a number of times throughout the walk and each time he trotted over took his treat and trotted off again. It was lovely to see him free and doing his own thing.

I had forgotten how social having a dog was. We have a small park at the bottom of our street which provides a nice half hour walk so if we've not been anywhere else I take him there for his daily walk, I've started to regularly meet the same people and they often stop and have a chat. Yesterday I had a natter with a couple of old chaps walking their terriers, they both thought Neo was lovely and kept commenting on how well behaved he was which I was really chuffed about. Its very gratifiying when your dog is praised for his behaviour and makes all the hard work worth it.

This is Neo indulging in his new hobby 'digging away at our foundations'
As fast as hubby fills it in its dug up again. I haven't the heart to stop him, besides that area is earmarked to be paved in the summer so the problem will be solved. We always know when hes been indulging as he comes in with it all over his nose.


Puppy class went very well again last night, Neo was very well behaved and did everything asked of him, almost first time! He thoroughly enjoys these classes and I'm so glad I decided to continue going. Hes certainly forming a friendship with two of the smallest dogs, Rocco the Beagle and Rosie the Daschund. Will try and get some photos of them together next week.

I took him to see a new vet last week which opened up in Jan. I had noticed he was scratching his ear and had developed a bald, slightly sore patch under it and I wanted a second opinion concerning his loose stools.
The vet was very good, a big fan of Rotties, apparently he did some work with the gentleman who origianally imported the breed.

He suggested that the dandruff and loose stools were all connected and if we sorted out the skin problem the rest would come right.

So I left with a bottle of ear drops and instructions to wash him twice a week in Vosene (sp) and to feed him nothing but his JWB food and treats. He also said to stop feeding the puppy food and start him on the adult one as the extra protein wasn't required and could be causing the problems.

I was a bit worried about changing the feed but others assured me it was ok and they had fed their pups adult feed without any problems.

Fingers crossed we'll start to see an improvement in a few weeks, the ear is already sorted so just the dandruff and loose stools to go!

Puppy Class #2

Just got back from his second week at puppy class, he was a little star again. We had to do a 'wait' command while we walked through a gate then call them through, he did this very well, twice!
Our recall was a success, the instructor held onto the dog while the owner walked away then turned and called them at which point the instructor let go. Neo came straight away, I'm in no doubt the hot dog sausage was his main focus, but hey it worked!
I'm pretty sure he'd go to anyone who called as long as there was food involved as while watching the others he was straining at his lead every time another dog was called to their owner!
I have to say I actually enjoyed it this week which is a relief after last week, this time I went with no expectations and just went with the flow. Its a pleasant group of people as well with a variety of pups.
Neo seems particularly taken with a Beagle and a Daschund, its so sweet to watch them play together and Neo is very gentle.
Will actually look forward to next Monday.

Puppy Class

Well what can I say!

Am not entirely sure what I expected but I didn't expect to be considering not going back!

Firstly I'd like to sing Neo's praises as he was exceptionally well behaved considering hes not been in the presence of so many puppies before, in fact I would say he was probably one of the calmest and best behaved.

Before we'd even entered the hall a woman pointed out to me that Neo's habit of putting his foot on top of other dogs is a sign of dominance, I already know this! we are working on it and hes ten times better than he was, I have to say the thought 'theres always one' went through my mind. A few mins later I found out she is also an instructor who is training our instructors dog!

We all entered the hall and sat in a circle while the instructor introduced herself and checked she had all the dogs and owners on her list. She then went through some other stuff which I struggled to hear above a couple of barking puppies (not Neo!)

She then asked if we all had our 'poop bags', everyone answered yes. I felt things were rapidly going down hill when she asked us to produce said bags! felt like I was in primary school!

Herself and the instructor who's acquaintance I'd made earlier then went round the room to check all the name tags. Now I know that Neo's is wrong as I have his name on it, after having it done I was told this is not such a good idea as if he were to run off someone else could claim him just by calling the name on the tag. I had not had a chance to get another one done, on checking the tag the woman not instructing pointed out it was not a good idea and I was a bit 'naughty' having it on there!
I think hubby was just getting ready to kick me under the chair as he could see by the look on my face that I was about to 'bite' said instructor!

'Naughty'! do I look 5 yrs old!

Next we got up and moved onto a rubber matting walkway around the hall. The instructor wanted to see if the pups would do a 'sit' and a 'down'. Neo has no problem at this at home but I wondered how he would be with all the distractions so while she was going around the hall I practiced with him and he did just fine.

When she got to us she asked for his treat, I had brought some 'Probiotic Healthy Puppy Treats' she took one look and said 'Oh i don't think these will work'!!!!!!!
Oh my god! how long has she known my pup? oh all of 10 mins, versus the 8 wks I've had him and trained him perfectly well with said treat!
Apparently I should have come with cheese or some other smelly treat. That all very well, yes, he loves cheese and I do use it for his training sometimes but I do try and limit it preferring to use something slightly less fatty.
I couldn't bite my tongue and I did point out that the treat was perfectly adequate for my dog. Neo then proceeded to do a perfect 'down' for her!

Ok I know I'm not the most patient of people but I really did feel like I was a 5 yr old back at primary school! and to be perfectly honest I was bored!

I am going to go back next week in the hope things improve, we're going to do 'recall' and thats not one of Neo's strong points so hopefully we will learn something and the socialization is good for him. Think hubby will have to accompany me again though to keep me under control!!

Toys and Bones

Many years ago I had a wonderful Black Lab, he was the kindest, most gentle creature, loved everybody...........until he got hold of a bone! Then he turned into a snarling, growling monster! It would start the second you got within a few feet of him, he would never bite, you could still get your hand on the bone but it wasn't a pleasant experience so we tended to leave him to it. It was totally our fault as he was never taught not to be possessive, he was the same over his food.

This is not a mistake I intended to make with Neo so from day one he was fed with us sitting with him, fussing him and putting our hands in his bowl, the time spent doing this has paid off and we have no problems with possessiveness over food.

Hes 16 weeks now and I've been putting off giving him bones as haven't wanted to deal with the fallout! then someone rightly said 'wouldn't it be better to do it now rather than wait till hes bigger!' of course this made sense so off I went to the pet shop for some bones.

When I got back I did a few mins of training with him then gave him the bone. For the first 10 mins I held onto it which he was fine with then I went out and made a cup of tea came back and took hold of it again, asked him to 'leave' which he did, I even pretended to have a gnaw of it myself! The only time he snarled was when the cat decided to get in on the action. In my house the cat is higher in the pecking order than him so I told him off and made him allow the cat a sniff at the bone, he waited patiently until the cat wondered off again. So all in all it was a success.
I'll give him another one next week and repeat the process.

Hes also now having Tripe Sticks, these smell awful! but he loves them and has shown a little bit of possessiveness over them when hubby has been with him so that's being nipped in the bud at the moment.

I'm afraid I spoil him a bit when it comes to toys, each trip to the pet shop I like to get him another one as don't want him to become bored and start on the furniture, so far we've been lucky and he hasn't destroyed anything, I'd like to keep it that way! I swap the toys around every few days.

So on Tuesday I arrived home with this
Well, this is a very scary and dangerous toy, you wouldn't believe it to look at it but Neo assures me it is and shouldn't be approached without extreme caution and lots of barking and dancing around! I've seen him scared of the vacuum, the ironing board and the pushbike but never a toy! It is very funny to watch. Hes only happy when the scary toy is back in its box.


I'll keep getting it out and perhaps as he gets older he'll feel less threatened by it!

Hes growing up.

Hes growing so fast! Two and a half weeks ago I weighed him down at the vets, (hes too big to sit on my scales) he weighed in at 11.5 kg, I went down a couple of days ago and he is now 16.5 kg, seems at the moment he is putting on a steady two kg a week.

Certainly filling out nicely, developing his adult shape and putting on some muscle.

Hes becoming quite a vocal boy, loves to grumble while he is playing or being towelled down, I'd heared about the 'Rottie Rumble' and they certainly do, its pretty funny to hear, I do try to dissuade him from it outside the house as to those who are of a nervous disposition or don't know Rotties it would sound like hes growling but if you heard his growl you'd know the grumble is nothing to worry about!!

We've had a couple of challenges last week, he objected to having a piece of stick removed from his mouth, something I've done many times without a problem, this time he decided he wanted to keep it and put up a little protest! It was a short lived protest and he was left in no doubt as to who the boss was! the incident hasn't been repeated since although I'm sure there are many challenges to come.

Last week his perfect world had a slight hiccup, we went to a friends house where he was playing with their Jack Russel, one minute they were playing and the next things had turned nasty. Although I was in the room with him I didn't see exactly what happened to set it off but I suspect he got a little boisterous and didn't heed the JT's warning so things escalated, to be fair to Neo he did submit but the JT didn't back off. Thankfully there was no damage and he didn't seem to bothered but since this altercation he is much more respectful and a little cautious when meeting new dogs which is a good thing as he did tend to go at them with both barrels which dogs didn't appreciate.

A couple of days ago I went for coffee at my friends who owns the Springer Spaniel and the Cocker Spaniel, both female, I've mentioned them in a previous post. Both the dogs have been round to us separately to meet Neo so we thought it would be good to introduce him on their own territory. I was a little nervous about how he would react after his little upset the week before. Initially he was a little nervous but both the other dogs greeted him with waggy tails and within minutes the three of them were chasing around the living room like the best of friends, in fact by the end of the visit we decided that they are both a little in love with him!

Socializing is going pretty well now hes able to get out and about, we have a local country park which is a great place to go and meet other dogs and children, hes so well behaved, rarely trys to get their hands in his mouth, keeps all his paws on the ground when meeting people and dogs and doesn't pull on the lead, hes doing us proud and appears so much better behaved than many of the dogs we've met. Lets hope this continues next week at his first puppy class.

(If I can't chew them at least I can sleep amongst them)

Finally all the snow has gone, and our lawn now resembles a hippo mud wallow! Of course Neo has no problems with this at all, I'm constantly wiping his paws.

He is now enrolled in his puppy classes, they start on the 9th of March. It was an encouraging sign that the lady who registered us was very enthusiastic about him being a Rottie, I'm getting so used to the negative comments that it was a refreshing change. I was a little worried that he wouldn't be welcome.

A couple had taken their Beagle pup down to the registration, I've gotten so used to the size of Neo that I found it hard to believe that this scrap of a pup must be around the same age!that has triggered off another worry! hes 12kg (probably more now) of rottie pup who is pretty boisterous and has a favourite game of flooring anything smaller than him with a carefully laid paw across the back!! This is just his way of playing but unfortunately those smaller than him don't feel the same way! I really hope this isn't going to make us unwelcome.

Hes doing very well out on the lead, he likes to stop and sniff all the time like most dogs, I don't mind this at the moment as hes young and our walks are short, hes also pretty good at moving on when told so its not a battle of wills, but the plan is to get him to keep moving when walking on the lead and sniff around when off the lead. Not sure if this is the right thing to do but if your short of time then I feel the exercise is more important rather than a constant stop start.

We don't have children yet but have seen something of the joys(?) of raising a family as I have a young niece and nephew. Having Neo has opened my eyes to what having children around is all about. When it was just us and the cat life was pretty simple, the cat ate and slept and apart from some affection when he asked for it he required very little else. Now Neo has entered the fold all has changed, him and the cat behave like a couple of toddlers, Neo wants to play, the cat doesn't (or he makes out that he doesn't), hes forever trying to stick his claws in Neo's nose and yelling at him, now Neo has got quite good at dodging these weapons while at the same time flooring the cat with his big paws, you'd think that the cat would take the nearest escape route but oh no he just goes back for more! In fact its almost comical, one second I'm yelling at Neo for chasing the cat out of the room only to watch the cat chase him back in a second later! Its like watching siblings running around. Have given up trying to break up the fights now as they both seem to have settled into a routine.

I find myself having to time my activities around the pup like you would children. I try and only go out, have a bath or do the ironing when hes due his nap as I don't like to shut him in the kitchen more than I really have to, at least if hes sleepy its not such a big deal. My trips out have to be timed in between feeds and letting him out to the toilet.

We're still getting up at 3 or 4 in the morning to let him out and again at 7 although now hes getting older its noticeable that hes managing for longer. In a few weeks he may even go through the night, fingers crossed.

I've noticed that my living room is a constant obstacle course of toys and chews which includes yogurt pots and plastic milk cartons, my wood and tile floors are constantly decorated in large paw prints and my rugs are becoming black and furry! In my life before Neo I was a fairly house proud person and liked everything to be in its place, how thats changed! I do try to keep on top of the floor cleaning and the picking up of toys but am slowly realising I am fighting a loosing battle!

Hmmmmmm maybe theres a reason we still don't have children!!

Have had enough now!

One day of snow was fun, two was ok but now its just getting annoying! Yesterday was the first day I've managed to get the car out of my street and that was cause I had to get to work! It was sheet ice on the street on my return this morning and being bit of a whimp I got hubby to meet me and drive it down the road!

Its so unfortunate that this weather has arrived on the first few weeks of Neo being able to go out and about on his own four feet, I'm very aware that the next few weeks are important in regards to his socialization but its proving difficult to get much done as we've only managed to get the car out once this week and that was a quick trip into town. As he is still so young his walks have to be fairly limited so they are confined to within 15 to 20 mins of home and theres not an awful lot going on around here!

There is a small public field behind our estate so we've gone for short walks up there and hes befriended a Dalmation and a little girl. Our trip into the town centre on Sat was a success as he got lots of attention and loved every minute. Hes a real people dog at the moment and greets everyone with lots of enthusiasum.

Hes a little star on the lead, he continues to amaze me at how quickly he learns. Hes getting bolder now and striding out ahead so instead of encouraging him forward I'm having to encourage him back!

I still find it hard to believe how hes grown, well I can believe it, but I can't belive it, you know what I mean. I think back to how he travelled home on my lap that first day, wouldn't manage it now! He now has the whole of his crate to sleep in, it was initially partitioned off in half then increased to three quarters, in only five weeks hes grown enought to need the whole space!! People keep commenting on how big his paws are, personally i'm trying not to notice!!

In such a short space of time hes become very much part of our family and its been great watching how hes changed, hes gone from being a very quiet solitary pup who didn't really want to interact to a pup who loves to play and explore, has boundless energy and gives and wants plenty of affection.

Snow, snow, snow.....

I thought the snow we had a few days ago was a lot, I certainly wasn't expecting to wake up this morning and find drifts against the door! Its bad enough today to prevent the cars leaving the drives, hubby had to walk to work, lucky I don't have to do my commute for another three days!

Neo thinks its great fun, we had snow the day after he arrived here but nothing compared to this, hes been in and out all morning running around.







I'm surprised he has any energy left, friends came over last night with their young Cocker Spaniel 'Bella'. She really didn't know what to make of Neo as despite being 6 months younger than her hes a real bruiser when they are stood together and probably weighs more. His form of playing is also very boisterous and I don't think she appreciated 9.5kg of puppy jumping on her the whole time. She did get her own back however as she really does have a turn of speed and spent 5 mins running rings around Neo in the back garden! After they left he slept for an hour, woke up long enough to eat his dinner then slept for another hour!

We took him for his first walk yesterday, just a 10 min jaunt around the block. We'd done a little bit of lead walking around the house with the bait of bits of chicken but I didn't know what to expect once we got outside the front door.
He was actually pretty good for a first go, there were a couple of disagreements about how long he could stop and sniff for but these were won by me with the promise of more treats.
Its going to take a bit of patience and a lot of bait before the walks flow along nicely but we'll get there.

Tagged

A few days ago I was tagged by borderblog, worried me a bit as I am supposed to tag five others but haven't got five other blogs to tag! how sad!

Anyway, the instructions were to go to file or doc, open fifth folder and go to the fifth pic, post and describe, tag 5 other bloggers.




This is it. It was the home I made for my resident frog. I think he (or she) has been returning to the garden for a few years now hiding under some planks of wood, we had to move the wood so I decided to provide a better habitat. Its just a large plant saucer with stones and some pond plants. Well, the frog thought it was wonderful as he spent the entire summer submerged in it, the presents of dead slugs probably helped to!
In the autumn I upgraded to a small garden pond, I think the frog had already left for the winter but am hoping to see it again come the spring and hope he likes his permanent home.

I now tag:

Camera Trap Codger (Chris Wemmer)
My Art Stuff (marancat)

A few more pics

E. Coli

Finally an answer to Neos icky tummy. Its been going on since we got him home, most of his litter apparently had a slight tummy bug so we put the diarrhoea down to that and also the stress of leaving the litter and going to a new home.

A week on and it hadn't cleared up so he was taken to the vets twice and given antibiotic injections which seemed to help for a day but then the diarrhoea returned.

On Monday we took a sample to the vet (yuk!) and the results were in today. He was due for his 2nd Jab today so hubby took him down for jab and results.

It seems he has rather too much E.Coli in his gut which is causing an inflamed stomach lining, apparently all dogs have a small amount. We're now just waiting for some more tests to see what strain it is and which antibiotic to use, fingers crossed they will be available by Monday.

Thankfully the vet still gave him his jab, I was worried it would have to be put on hold and it would be another few weeks before he could go out, poor thing is starting to get bored in the house and garden and the cat is getting just a little frustrated at being barked at!

Hes also allowed to go back onto his normal puppy food so we'll reintroduce that slowly over the next few days, hes eating like a horse at the moment, polishing his bowl and asking for more, looks like a little barrel after a meal!!

Only a week to go before his first walk.

Well, the icky tummy drama is continuing, the third visit to the vets resulted in yet another antibiotic injection and a request for a 'poo' sample which Neo dutifully produced yesterday and I left for them this morning, fingers crossed we should have the results by the end of the week.

Even though his 'stools' are not normal Neo is in fact perfectly ok, on the outside at least. He never appears to be in pain, has a good appetite although the bland diet of chicken, pasta and rice is not really too appealing, and when awake causes complete havoc! the sounds of 'No, get off, down, don't eat that, leave the cat alone etc are constant in our house now!

The mouthing and chewing are improving, as in hes doing less of it, hes starting to understand that he has his own chew toys and the sofa and table legs are not included, he is very partial to the shoes though and thats going to take a bit more work I think. The mouthing is getting more controllable as he quits a lot quicker and on the occasions he nips a bit hard as long as you yell loud enough he stops and looks guilty.

We've been out in the garden this morning as its a lovely sunny day and not too cold, I got a Grey Rose that needed moving so got started on that with some help from Neo, he thought it was great fun and even provided some digging power for a few mins before getting bored and wondering off to cause mischief elsewhere. He has a couple of favourite garden toys which include a plastic flower pot and a piece of fleece nicely covered in mud!

It got to the stage where I needed him out of the way so off to the kitchen he had to go. We've got two pet gates, one from the kitchen to the utility room where the cat has his food and one from the kitchen to the rest of the house, both gates have a cat flap. Hubby reported the other day that Neo has finally worked out how the cat flap operates, only from the kitchen to the rest of the house, for some reason hes not attempted the one to the utility room, probably too scared of the punishment the cat might deal out if he ventures near his food! I left him in the kitchen this morning while I popped down to the vets, completely forgot about the cat flap and on my return was met at the front door!!
This time though I got the better of him and locked the cat flaps!

Training is coming on well, he sits on cue almost every time hes asked so we're now learning 'down' which is taking a bit more time but hes getting there, he sits and waits for each portion of his food, a majority of the time without being asked and doesn't approach the bowl until told to, we can also do anything with him while hes eating and he doesn't bat an eyelid. We've started with lead training today, just a few mins at a time, hes not overly keen on it but can be persuaded with a supply of cooked chicken. Hes due for his second jab at the end of the week, (depending on lab results!) so thought I'd better start getting him used to the lead before the big day when he can go out of the front door on his own four feet!!

Two steps forward, one step back!

Or is it 'One step forwards, two steps back'? anyway............

Towards the end of last week there had been some improvement to the amount of interest Neo took in things but I still wasn't happy with him, he still wasn't as 'puppyish' as I thought he should be and was still suffering from diarrhoea.

I went to work on the Tue morning but asked hubby to take him back to the vets.

Two steps forward............

It seemed that he (Neo, not hubby!) was running a slight temp so the vet gave him an antibiotic jab to kill any 'bad gut bacteria' and sent him home with some 'good gut bacteria' powders to put in his food.

Within a few hours hubby was reporting a much livelier puppy who had also regained his appetite, he'd just finished a bowl of food for the first time in 7 days!

Excellent.

By the time I got home on Wednesday afternoon he was full of beans, in fact he was a different puppy....................

By Thursday lunchtime I wanted the old puppy back!!!

He was relentless, playing longer and sleeping less. Now he has got his energy back and is starting to settle in and find his feet he is also starting to push the boundaries a little so Thursday was a bit of a battle between him and me.

One step back........

In the morning I gave him his breakfast as normal, I've been stroking him and putting my hand in the bowl for every meal since he arrived and have not once had a problem...... until yesterday!

While stroking his ears (which he usually loves) he growled, this was a warning growl not a rottie rumble. At the time I had no idea why this had happened, we had a sharp lesson in submission, he ate the rest of his meal without incident but we've gone back to basics for now as I won't tolerate guarding, I know its an instinct for them but that would not be a good enough excuse if a child or anyone else was to get bitten. So now every meal he has he is required to sit and wait, the food is put in his dish one spoonful at a time and each spoonful he has to sit and wait for, my hand stays in the dish the majority of the time and he is stroked all over. There has not yet been a repeat of Thursday morning. I win.

We've also had a couple of growling instances when I've gone to take something out of his mouth, again up until yesterday its never been a problem. Again it was dealt with firmly and swiftly and we've stepped up the training, he doesn't get anything without sitting first and we've increased the times we tell him to leave something, when he does he gets praise a treat and often the item returned to him, again we've not had a repeat of the bad behaviour. I win.

I am determined to nip any unwanted behaviour in the bud as when hes older and braver I don't want to be having a constant battle of wills, having dealt with the above instances calmly and firmly I'm already noticing a difference in his attitude towards me, we are definitely building some trust and respect which will go a long way in his training.

He really is a very bright little thing, hes learns fast and loves being around people but he is also happy to do his own thing which initially worried me a bit as I felt he was too independent and would be hard to train but as time has gone on I realise the independence is a good thing, he doesn't need constant attention, it gives him some character and so far hasn't interfered in his training at all.

Heres to 'Two steps forward' and forward, and forward.............

Improving each day

Well, what a little star last night, went into his crate with no fuss and no noise, I went to bed 15 mins later, still no protests, no ear plugs required! At 03.30 I had to practically push him out of the door for his 'toilet'.

Prior to Neos arrival I'd done a bit of research on puppy house training and was a bit sceptical about the idea of shutting them up in a cage all night but to be honest its been a god send.

A puppy will not soil his bed if at all possible, the crate is his bed so hes not once had an accident over night, obviously the only downside is having to let him out at a crazy hour but its been worth it as hes learning very quickly to go outside and as he get older he'll get better at holding his bladder. We've had a few 'accidents' during the day but this is normally down to me being too slow to open the door. The crate also provides him with a safe place to be during the day if he has to be left alone.

Hes been with us almost a week now and not been left alone for any great length of time so that hurdle will arise on Tuesday when I go back to work, personally I think he'll do just fine especially if its arranged so hes tired and sleeps most of the time. In-laws will be popping in and hubby will be returning at lunchtime so fingers crossed all will be well. The plan is once hes house trained to leave him in the kitchen but that will depend on the chewing situation!!

Each day he comes out of his shell a little more, I was actually greeted with a waggy tail this morning which has to be a first, he likes to be in the same room as us and will often follow us around, hes taken to sleeping alongside the sofa in the evenings while we're watching TV.

My impression is hes going to be an outdoor dog, out in the garden he plays and runs around like a puppy should, once inside hes much more reserved which I guess is going to be an asset as he gets bigger!!

Each day we are learning a little more about each other and working on the trust etc, he has such an easy going and gentle nature and he is quickly becoming a loved member of the household.

Now I just have to get him to eat better!! but thats a post for tomorrow.

Although I've been looking forward to getting 'Neo' for the past eight weeks the first night with a new puppy isn't something you look forward to so I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
Plan A was to settle him in his crate in the living room, go up to bed, put in some ear plugs and sleep, all best laid plans............
Mistake was I didn't put my ear plugs in straight away, I used the bathroom first and true to puppy form he whined and whimpered, once I'd heard him I knew I wasn't going to be following plan A! Ok so plan B came into action, armed with duvet and pillow I went back downstairs (hubby was on a night shift, good planning on his part!) ignored Neo and snuggled down on the sofa opposite his crate. Ear plugs in situ I tried to shut out the constant whimpering, after 15 mins I'd had enough, so without much faith of it working I loudly and firmly told the little bundle of fluff to be 'quiet', the was the last I heard from him until 04.00 at which point I took him out for his wee put him back in the crate, repeat of above and nothing more until 06.30.
That went so well I tried a different tactic the following night, put him to bed at midnight, stayed in the room watching TV, which I could just about hear over the din of puppy, at 24.30 he'd gone to sleep so I made a quiet and hasty exit up to bed, ear plugs in I heard some distant noise but was asleep before I could get all soppy!
A quick 'toilet' stop at 0300 then back to bed until 06.30.
Last night even better, didn't even need the ear plugs.
Since we got him home hes been a bit off colour, in fact I was starting to get worried as he wasn't acting at all puppy like, I know he has a fairly laid back personality but this was positively lethargic! He had little interest in his toys, even those stuffed with tasty stuff, wasn't' eating as much as he should and was very distant with us preferring most of the time to sleep at the other end of the room. And boy did he sleep, 5 mins awake and 2 hrs asleep! He saw the vet on Wed and was given clean bill of health but hardly noticed when he got his jab and a worming tab pushed down his throat.
I spoke to a friend yesterday about how un puppy like he was and she reminded me that on top of the stress of a new home both wormers and vaccinations will make them off colour.
As if by magic about an hour after this phone call I discovered that someone had taken Neo and replaced him with a very puppy like puppy! Complete contrast, lively, interactive, suddenly took interest in the toys he had barely sniffed at the day before and just followed me everywhere.
I think I had 'new mum' syndrome and was worrying about every little thing!

Finally......

Well the day we've spent almost eight weeks waiting for finally arrived, very early!
I was up at 5 O'clock, my husband was on nights so wasn't able to come and pick up the puppy, a friend came with me and he had strict instructions to be at my house by 6 or else, hes not known for his time keeping so when he arrived at 6.05 I was pretty impressed!

We'd decided to leave so early as it was to be a 2 1/2 hr drive, mainly on the M1 and M25 so I didn't want to get caught up in the notorious traffic jams.

We actually made very good time, good enough for us to stop off at a little chef for breakfast, we both remarked that the decor hadn't changed in these places since we were children, (some time ago!) and the food wasn't' much better either.

We arrived just after 9.30 at Alisons (the breeder) and were greet by Cali (the dam) and the four remaining pups, plus an extra mouth, Cali had fostered an 8 (ish) week old terrier pup and was quite happily letting her suckle to her hearts content, this is testimony to Calis good nature I think.

My boy was not difficult to spot, being the only fluffy male in the litter. He'd grown so much and I couldn't believe how laid back he was, 'Mr independent but happy to be fussed as much as possible!'

We spent a lovely hour chatting and playing with the pups but I had to get us out of there or we'd be staying the night! pups are so distracting.

Neo (we've finally agreed on a name and stuck to it) left the house with barely a whimper, I'd brought a cardboard box with me for him to travel in but if i'm honest I never intended for him to go in it! He travelled the whole two and a half hours on my lap as cool as a cucumber, waking a couple of times for a treat and a chew on his nylabone.

On arrival at his new home he explored the garden while my friend and I froze our socks off waiting for him to 'be quick'! I don't actually think this happened but I was willing to take the risk that it hadn't so I could go and warm my toes.

The cat isn't impressed with the new arrival and has spent most of the day sulking upstairs although he did oblige us with his presence for a couple of hours this evening before deciding having his bottom sniffed by a puppy was way beneath him and has gone back to bed.

All in all its been a successful first day, Neo has slept alot, played a bit and has had no 'accidents' I was expecting to be following him around with the kitchen roll all day.

Hes eaten very little but i'm putting it down to being away from his mum and litter mates for the first time and all the excitement, will give it a couple of days before I start to panic.

I have no idea what to expect tonight, hes been so good and laid back today I'm wondering if the monster is waiting for the crate door to shut before being unleashed!

Right now hes curled up asleep at the other end of the room, am guessing he'll wake up full of energy just as I want to go to bed! Welcome to the dog world!!!!