Photo of Poppy by Gary Walsh for my parents 25th wedding anniversary - how cute!
Number 1
Puppies are hard work.
It might not come as a surprise to some people, but puppies are seriously hard work! They require constant attention and are full of energy, nothing still seems to wear Poppy out. Now Poppy is seven months old, we seem to have got her in some sort of routine, she wakes up at 6am has her breakfast and goes back to sleep for around an hour. She then goes on a really long walk then comes back to the house and has a short nap. She spends the rest of the day chilling, playing with toys, eating and watching out the window! Poppy will then go for another really long walk at about 4:30/5pm, have her dinner and then relax again for the rest of the evening until she goes to sleep at about 9:30pm. Sometimes if she is really hyper we have to take her out for another long walk at about 8pm, this doesn't usually happen but if it does she normally falls asleep straight after!
My essential list for when you first get your puppy -
- puppy pads - essential
- a blanket that they've had since they were born and has the scent of their mother
- lots of cuddle toys
- patience!
Poppy and Tom
Number 2
Puppies need walking - a lot
Another obvious point to some, but I honestly did not realise how much dogs needed long walks. Before our last dog passed away she was so small and quite old - so she would only go on a five minute walk on a evening and was quite wore out after that. At least once a day Poppy will have to go on a really long walk - preferably to the field or beach where she can be let off her lead to have a proper good run around! We have to walk Poppy whatever the weather - sun, rain, wind, snow! She must be walked whether you're going to get wet or not. You should definitely invest in a good, waterproof coat, especially if you live in England, good walking shoes and a good harness for your dog.
Poppy at the beach!
Number 3
A sleeping routine is hard
When we first got Poppy, she was very much like a baby. She cried throughout most of the night and would wake up super early. A lot of people would say this is what its like to have a human baby!
Poppy is now pretty settled into a routine, as I said in number 1, she falls asleep at around 9:30pm and sleeps all the way through till about 6am which is really really good compared to restless she used to be! The secret to this is consistency. You must have a routine thats the same every night to make sure she falls asleep at the same time, meaning she normally wakes up at the same time too.
Poppy asleep between me and my mam
Number 4
Your puppy won't want their picture taking
Poppy has recently began posing for pictures, but for the first seven months as soon as she saw my phone or camera she would stop doing whatever cute pose she was doing and begin scowling at me or run off. If I want to take a photo of Poppy now I would usually involve treats or a toy to grab her attention, or just make a really weird noise that tends to get her attention! Pretty much all of my camera roll is now pictures of Poppy.
A rare photo of Poppy sitting still, in exchange for a treat of course!
Number 5
Getting a puppy will probably be the best thing to ever happen to you
Poppy is so much more than our pet, she's a part of our family now. Having my own business and working from home means I get to spend a lot of time with Poppy, and she is really good company! We all have no idea now what we did before her or what we would do without her. I would 100% recommend anyone getting a dog but to remember how much hard work they can be for the first few months. Having a dog is a lot of hard work, a lot of responsibility but its all worth it. Coming home and Poppy running over and bringing one of her toys as a gift to greet me with every single time beats all the sleepless nights and walking her in the rain.
Me and Poppy!
Please feel free to leave any comments,
xx
