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Tuesday 29 July 2014

Monday 28 July 2014

New Discoveries

One of the joys of a new puppy is watching and sharing in her first experiences, some being quite humorous with others quite challenging.
Bath time I believe is referred to by Delilah as massage time.  Entering the water in the laundry tub was first met with anxiety but it wasn't long before she was at ease in the warm water with suds lathering as I scrubbed massaging from head to tail. Once rinsed she enjoyed being ruffed up whilst being dried with the towel.

Dharma always loved visits to the vet, since her first puppy school class she relished all the loving attention and treats she got from the staff.  Both her and I became close to vet assistant Donna, we cried together when Dharma passed.  I hope that Delilah comes to love Donna and feels comfortable at the vets.
Delilah first visit was for a check up to ensure she was healthy with no hereditary conditions etc. With only dirty ears requiring drops for a couple of days and a slight overbite she was given the ok.
Given that I brought Delilah from a breeder that originally was going to show and/or breed, Delilah had not been exposed to much outside her tiny dirt floored pen. She is nervy around strangers and flinches with her tail between her legs at the sound of passing cars.  The severity seems to be reducing the more we take her for walks and her confidence gains.
My uncertainty if Delilah was toilet trained was answered when I caught her doing No. 1's inside on Daisy's bed!!!!! mid stream I grabbed her and whisked her outside onto the lawn stating wees must be done here. Underestimating her intelligence it has not happened again and she now goes to the toilet on the command of "do wees".


Tuesday 22 July 2014

Settling In

Delilah is just over five months old. I wonder if she was a younger puppy would Daisy have accepted her more easily.  Daisy was an amazing mum to her two litters. I think Daisy sees her as competition rather than a pup that she can be attentive too, as I've seen her with puppies in the park and mums dog Abbie.Delilah too is weary of Daisy, apprehensive after being put in her place a couple of times.  However she follows Daisy very closely, learning the layout of her new home, running from door to window depending on whose home and in what room of the house, hoping to be let inside to play and be cuddled.

View from my bathroom window.


Introductions

Delilah was fully alert on her journey to her new forever home, her big brown eyes longing gazed out of the bars of her cage. She couldn't settle only the occasional long blink, she was timid, uncertain of what was going on I constantly reassured her with a loving voice that she going to be ok
Daisy meets Delilah with some trepidation but after the usual doggy sniffing in the usual doggy places, we placed there leads on and a walk to the park to bond and stretch their legs.
It didn't take long for Delilah to bond with Phil, she followed him so closely just behind his heel, i'm not sure how she actually didn't get hit!  Daisy chased the ball, and Delilah chased Daisy trying to grab hold of her lead, a funny sight.
It soon became apparent that Daisy was not to fond of Delilah joining the family.  Night time cuddles became Daisy escaping to the top of the head rest of the couch whilst Delilah ran circles around the lounge room from Phil to myself to the laundry to refresh with a drink of water.
Daisy's jealously even resulted in a couple of snarls and snaps to asserted her authority and to ensure that she still got our attention and affection.

Emotions

Driving along the highway approaching Eaglehawk I was flooded with emotions......  It was just a week ago that my beloved pug Dharma went to heaven.  We buried her along with her favorite squeaky toy in a grassy spot in the backyard where she spent hours warming herself in the sun. Daisy our Pug cross spent time at mums with her dog Abbie to keep her company, on her return home Daisy has been miserable becoming our shadow, needing attention, affection and company.
Loving memories of 13 wonderful years with Dharma filled my thoughts, with each tear that trickled down my check I wondered am I ready for a new dog? These emotions escalated when I arrived at the address, taking a deep breath I opened the gate and walked the long drive way.  Observing my surrounds I could hear dogs barking and noticed an array of pug statues :-)
I'm here, ready or not Donna here I come!
I was expecting to fall madly in love with her at first sight, but it never happened?? Several face time phone calls to Phil I still wasn't sure.  I'd just driven 3 hours to go home alone?
It wasn't until an hour later when I was sitting on the veranda with Jock & Elaine chatting when Donna being cheeky was trying to climb up into another dogs bed when I called out using her new name "Delilah, come here" she turned and sprinted towards me into my arms .... she had me, she was coming home with me.