A Dog Is For Love

I'm so, so tired!

I had forgotten how tiring it is living with a new puppy! Feel like I've got jet-lag but I haven't been anywhere. It is all coming back to me how it was with Hazel - the biting, chewing, scratching and licking. The mad half hours of frenzied activity, dashing back and forth, round in circles and behind the settee. The tugging at the corners of the tablecloth, my collar, the buttons on my blouse or the sleeve of my jumper. Constant vigilance is required to make sure those needle teeth dont break through the TV wires or the central heating pipes.

Then there is the getting up in the night so that she is "clean". I am used to my full eight hours of unbroken sleep and waking up when I am ready. I know I have been lucky there not having to set an alarm.

The morning routine has changed. I get up early, take puppy out, come in and give her her breakfast. Whilst she is distracted with that, I take Hazel out for her walk. Then come back, have my breakfast whilst observing the first mad half hour of the day and issuing commands and admonishments. Take Daisy out again to perform. Woops! - sometimes too late, clean up before finishing my tea.

If we are lucky she has worn herself out by 10am and crashes out. My chance to go and have a bath and make the bed, then get a few things done before the lunchtime routine. That is unless she has fallen asleep on me, and then it is hard to resist spending a while staring at her and thinking how lovely she is! Aah, butter wouldn't melt!

Of course I have spent extra time with Hazel too when the puppy is asleep. Taking her out to play in the garden for a bit or giving her a good cuddle. If I lay on the floor with her for a bit I can close my eyes and catch forty winks!

It is all worth it and I wouldn't change a thing. These puppy days are precious and I am making the most of them. Just have to get some matchsticks to keep my eyes open!

Chocolate Poodles

Hazel has two chocolate poodle cousins in Somerset called Ellie and Raz. We like to visit in the summer and always have lots of fun and games.

Ellie came first and when we visited her as a tiny puppy she was fascinated with Hazel's tongue. She was wearing Hazel out and as she was panting, Ellie kept trying to bite her tongue. Mix that with trying to catch her tail and Hazel was totally worn out. As ever, though, she was very tolerant of her new "friend", which I am sure she would have named Nuisance, Pest or Stupid Thing!

A few years later the poodle breeder was looking to re-home Ellie's mum Raz and so she came to live with Ellie and her human mum Pam. Ellie has calmed down (a bit) these days so when we visit Hazel is able to relax and they all get on fine.