As a first-time puppy owner, I had no idea that there was a limit placed on how long the first puppy walk should be. To me it made sense that a puppy would walk until it became too tired and then you picked them up and carried them. But oh no! Freya’s first ‘big’ walk
As a first time puppy owner, I had no idea that crating a puppy was controversial. For me it made complete sense; it meant that while Freya was small and vulnerable, she was secure, safe, and snug and – crucially – I would be in full control when it came to leaving her on her
We had no understanding of the side effects that may be caused by puppy vaccinations. I could remember the children had mild symptoms after their inoculations, along with a loss of appetite, which made me think to look up information on line from a reliable source. I found the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) website
My instincts were right, we had a sick puppy on our hands. Once home Freya’s snuffles developed into a hollow cough and she was refusing food and, more worryingly, water. I contacted Alison immediately by email sending her a video of Freya so she could see exactly what the issue was. She responded within 10
The day had finally arrived to pick up our puppy – all was ready. It was a 45 minute drive to Nantwich and when we arrived we had been given a code to enter the grounds. We were greeted by a very friendly man manoeuvring a sit on lawnmower who, having established we’d not been
The day was nearly upon us and in my enthusiasm I had already spent a small fortune – not just for the actual puppy, which Mark joked was the most expensive mongrel he’d ever come across – but also on the paraphernalia I’d convinced myself she would need. We’d rounded off our holiday by staying
It was while on a walk with Hilary and Owen in Tatton Park we met Ruth and husband Geoff out on a puppy training exercise with other owners. We were immediately attracted like magnets to 12-week old Amber, Ruth’s tri-coloured cockapoo puppy, and we struck up a cockapoo conversation (naturally). Ruth also introduced us to
So not one to waste time, I immediately began my research exercise to find out as much as I could about this increasingly popular cocker spaniel/poodle cross. There was a slight interruption in play when my neighbour Sarah, who had recently bred labradoodles from her lovely chocolate Labrador, let me know that one of her
And so here is the story of how our cockapoo envy all began! Never having been able to have a dog because of asthma and allergy issues as a child, I’d always longed for one – Enter Hilary – Hilary was an old school friend who I hadn’t seen for years, but thanks to the