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Tuesday 28 May 2024

There is a Very Good Reason why Old People Shoudn't Have Babies...

 ...or take on young puppies.  

They are exhausting!  Really exhausting.  Routine life goes out of the window.



Yes, they are adorable bundles of fun but they chew carpets, rugs, furniture, fingers and clothes.  All with great enthusiasm and affection, even when they accidently draw blood.  Then there is the over enthusiastic gardening.  Not digging, yet.  Just grabbing any foliage, flowers or moss, along with a side-serving of bird poo, if available.  The careering around the garden, oblivious to the danger of a drop onto the paving slabs, or the danger of squeezing into a narrow gap by the wall.  

They also get between, in front, just behind and to the side of your feet.  Every footstep has to be monitored.  One develops a kind of 'puppy walk' widely spaced feet and constant scanning!  It looks weird, but it does work.  Very necessary when one is older.  Last thing we need is a tumble, or an injured puppy.

Winston was due to move in here on Sunday morning, but in the event he came at around 5pm on Saturday.  He is an amazing ball of energy who keeps on going, until he suddenly stops.  Snooze time.  Luckily he has plenty of naps.  I couldn't cope otherwise! 

Once he gets to sleep I spend time working with the old cats.  They are coming round.  Millie is still not impressed, but she is back in her favourite high-level spots and demanding food, special food because she is so traumatised.  Nice try Millie!  

Sparky has assessed the little chap, decided that he is a bit of a nuisance, but not a threat.  She has taken over the porch and insists on being fed out there, luckily it is quite large and has a very long window sill.  Between that, and the bench seat at the end, she is quite happy.  She has her own entrance, fresh air, a great view of the bird activity in the garden and access to all her facilities.  If she and Winston happen to come face to face in the garden, she stands her ground and he leaves her alone.

It has gone better than expected.  The length of my day has expanded, my knees have callouses from crawling around the floor playing with Winston,   I am grubby and worn out, but all my animals are happy and my husband is still getting fed homemade food.  The house even gets an occasional hoover - mainly because I am determined that the puppy will become used to all the normal household appliances, doorbells, telephones, and so on.

He is crate trained now and sleeps in it from 10.30pm until around 4.30-4.45am, when I let him out to do the necessary in the garden.  So far, so good.    He also takes daytime naps in there. It is his special place.

It is early days, but he is a delight.  Yes he has slightly weak back legs, but the vet has checked him over and is not concerned.  Yes he is rather brighter than my usual boys, so bright that I should be putting his name down for a good school, were he human.  Luckily he is not. 

Yes, our nice peaceful life has been radically changed, our routine totally trashed.  That is a good thing.  It is too easy to become set in our ways.  A little shake-up now and then is probably good for us.



26 comments:

  1. Hope you're having a lot of homecooked food too. You need lots of energy. Young Winston is doing you so much good. You're more alert, fitter, your mind working at top speed. Oh boy, Elaine. After all that you're full of cheer. Good on you.

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    1. Whenever I begin to flag, I will use that (more alert, fitter, mind working at top speed) as a mantra, Linda! He is worth the chaos and hard work. He is definitely stretching this 71 year old woman. Haven't crawled so much since I was in nappies. Ah, here he comes, it seems that nap time is over.

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  2. He is adorable. The exhaustion will lessen - or you will become accustomed to it. He won't be little for long but his strength will grow with his length. I look at Gilbert, now 18 months old, and remember his little puppy ways, which are now adolescent ways.
    Labradors are lovely - always willing to please.

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    1. Winston is a little bundle of mischief and totally adorable. He is most definitely keeping me on my toes, didn't realise our house was filled with so many tempting dangers! Right now he has fallen asleep, so I am snatching a few moments to dash off a couple of replies. Are adolescent dogs as difficult as adolescent humans can sometimes seem?

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  3. Although I have no experience of puppies or dogs at all I can see some similarities with new kittens. When my four came to me from the mother they had their own sleeping crate but they would, of course, fall asleep anywhere they felt like it and I soon discovered that when they made nice little nests in my woolly hat or my Viyella winter coat that I had carelessly left on the chair they were also chewing. One kitten particularly loved to chew anything woolly or soft and if I turned my back for a second she would have her little teeth which were like pins into things. I was soon having to take up darning again very quickly. I also still walk around the house with steps as you describe as the kittens, now grown up cats, will drop to sleep anywhere that takes their fancy and will walk in front of my legs as a normal course of their journey. I am very careful. Winston looks like he is adorable.

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    1. It must have been interesting watching the individual characters emerge from the four kittens, especially as they were from the same litter. My two are doing well, it has only been a few days and things are beginning to settle down, the internal stable door between the kitchen and the boot room are extremely handy for helping to give the girls some space away from young Mr Winston. Darning! I have a small pile of things awaiting just such a repair. It is one bit of sewing which I quite enjoy, once I get going.

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  4. I'm exhausted reading - rather you than me is all I can say! Although it will be lovely when you have a companion for walks again

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    1. I must be totally barking, or if I wasn't before, I am now! He is a delight, but it is jolly hard work keeping him safe.

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  5. Winston is very handsome!!
    I think you won't have much trouble,
    he'll get used to it right away because he's so small!

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    1. He has grown a little already, Katerina. He is a bit of a mischief, but so loveable with it, that it is impossible not to smile, even as I try to teach him to be better behaved.

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  6. Hello there, I agree with every word you've said! Our current lab is 14mths old next week, we've had him since he was 8wks old. I never thought our lives would be "normal" ever again!! The exhaustion has gone now however his normal waking time is around 6am every day! Long gone are the days of a lie in 'til 7!!

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    1. Hello Mrs LH, you give me hope for the future! I don't mind early mornings, I'm just not good at late nights. He is a good little thing - apart from when he is being naughty - by which I mean gardening. So far today he has managed to destroy a large and beautiful peony before I reached him, got stung by nettles, attempted to eat bird poo, ants, twigs...oh, and attempted to eat one of the cat baskets. Such a little mischief!

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  7. Oh, his velvety ears just beg to be nuzzled. I LOVE puppy ears and their soulful brown eyes. Lucky you!

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    1. Thank you, Ana. His ears are wonderfully soft and he still has that lovely puppy smell about him. Totally delightful, even when he is being a little tyke!

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  8. I adopted an eight year old street cat and I walk just as you do. Kitty incessantly wraps about my legs. Your little Winston is indeed a prize. Just keep looking down.

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    1. Will do, Joanne! Best wishes to you and Kitty.

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  9. Good to be careful. Falling is the pits. I know. I took a misstep coming down from a step stool in March. I was lucky though but it was scary until I got the good report that nothing was broken in my back.

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    1. Thank goodness no bones were broken, Marcia. These things happen so suddenly - and we don't bounce quite so easily these days, do we.

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  10. He is just gorgeous but I know where you are coming from. Blue, the cat that adopted us, loves walking just in front smooching against our legs.

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    1. I love the fact that Blue chose you. Right now Winston is lying at my feet, contentedly chewing on a toy, the cats have been fed and told how marvellous they are. I have my second cup of coffee, and all is well, for now!

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  11. Duke hasn’t been here 24 hours yet and already I’m thinking how the heck alive did I manage with previous pups let alone when my twin girls were babies lol How fast we forget ‘moments’ ! One cat is sticking upstairs and the other,
    Malory who is 17 and rules us let alone the rest of the fur and feathers and wool here…has hissed and spat and made it quite clear Duke is to keep clear! Rowan our other lab is also in a huff… Lordy. Just call me the Peacekeeper- all whilst like yourself I adopt a crab side shuffle and try to get other family members to LOOK DOWN lol His lordship is fast asleep at the moment so I must make the most of this time!! How lucky we are to have these bundles of pure joy to get to know x Danette

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    1. Hello Danette, I hope your household, Malory, Rowan and all your fur, feather and wool family are finding a way to accommodate the new boy, Duke. It sounds as though you are more than capable at managing a busy household, Danette. Still a little way to go here, but it is getting better or, perhaps, we are just getting better at it.
      Winston is a wonderful little chap, very affectionate and definitely becoming much more gentle, less chewing on my fingers, more on his toys. He has just dropped off for a nap, so while things are quiet I need to do a couple of outside jobs. He is good at amusing himself for short periods, trouble is that he has a nose for trouble as well as a mouth which likes to taste everything, no matter how dangerous/unsavoury!

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  12. I am so pleased for you. Babies of any sort totally disrupt our routine but it's worth it, really it is! He looks gorgeous.

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    1. Hello Jenny, It really is good to be shaken out of the ruts now and then. I haven't had time to do any blog reading for a while, but I do hope all is reasonably calm at your place and that Keith is doing as well as possible. You are something of a Wonder Woman with all that you do. Take care.x

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  13. How is your new arrival settling in? Little Duke is fast becoming not so little Duke! I can’t believe he’s grown so much already. He’s turned an already full and demanding life on its head and it’s taking some juggling but oh he’s brought so much joy and love into the home it’s worth every bit of these rather frantic early puppy days! Danette x

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    1. Hi Danette, Lovely to hear from you and so good to hear that Duke is finding his place within your busy family life. These pups really are wonderful bundles of mischief and love. At the moment I normally don't have time to even glance at my laptop until late at night, by which time I am too tired to bother. Sleep is more important! Winston is jolly hard work but absolutely adorable. Like Duke, Winston is growing fast, learning a few basic commands (when he feels like it) and is the most beautiful little creature in the world. I hope to post sometime later this week. x

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Lovely to hear from you.
I will try to answer comments in the next post.