We are now fully relaxed and recuperated after our two-week holiday. The children are settled back into school and I have finally reached the bottom of the holiday washing basket. One evening, as I was flicking through my favourite sections of the Blackmore Vale, namely Property and Pets, I came across an advertisement for Black Labrador Puppies. Of course, these adverts are not uncommon but on this occasion I felt drawn to calling the number. Fatal, I hear you say.
We had been planning to get another dog for many months, to give Molly, our border terrorist, a sibling. However, a bit like waiting for your child to walk before planning a second one, my plan was to wait until The Toddler was potty trained before getting The Puppy. I would love to say that I have succeeded and have kissed goodbye to nappies for good, but sadly The Toddler relapsed during our two-week break, so we have had to start the long torturous process again. Now, I digress. Having enquired about the puppies, we went and saw them and within days were the proud, but slightly nervous owners of Clover, a nine-week-old black Labrador.
The children were thrilled although I suspect this will be short-lived, once her small teeth become even sharper and she is chewing into a beloved Spiderman slipper or some nice juicy Toddler toes. The border terrorist is also pretty pleased with her new companion and was happy to give up her bed beside the Aga within a day. She has also learnt to eat at double the pace in the fear that The Puppy will turn her attention to her bowl, in true Labrador style.
So, here I am potty training and rearing The Toddler and The Puppy side by side. In fact, my observations tell me that they are very similar and the same disciplining techniques are effective with both. With accidents, both are swiftly placed either on a potty or on the grass, the Toddler is reminded to say ‘Thank you’ when I put his plate in front of him, just as The Puppy has learnt to ‘Sit’ before hers and the same stern, serious voice is applied to both. However, I have had to train the Toddler not to chew on the small puppy bone that he discovered lying in the grass yesterday.
Many people have remarked, “How are you coping?” Well, the mop and bucket is now a permanent fixture in the corner of my kitchen and my arm muscles are firming up nicely, with the amount of ‘slooshing’ I am doing. My attitude is if I am housebound with The Toddler, I may as well throw a puppy into the mix. I know what you are thinking – the woman’s barking mad, and perhaps I am!
