Last night was Rachael's fourth in her new home. The progress of the previous night was not repeated. I put Rachael into her crate at 11pm, a little earlier than the night before. And set my … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2012
Rachael’s Fourth Day: Changing a Puppy’s Diet
Our dogs are all fed on a diet of raw meaty bones. Rachael on the other hand, like most Labrador puppies, has been raised on kibble. This is simply the standard dried and pelleted commercial dog … [Read more...]
Third Night Waking for Rachael the Puppy
Here is my third morning report on the night before, for those that are also struggling with sleep deprivation! Last night was a bit better. Rachael went outside for her last wee at around 11:30 … [Read more...]
Day Three: Puppy Socialisation Begins
It would be lovely to allow our little chocolate labrador puppy to settle in to her new home for a few weeks before taking her into lots of potentially stressful situations. But unfortunately we … [Read more...]
Rachael the Puppy’s Second Night
Rachael woke at two to three hour intervals throughout last night. Which is a bit draining if you like your sleep as most of us do! Anticipating the moment I do like to try and anticipate the … [Read more...]
How to avoid noise in a gundog puppy
This article is adapted from an excerpt from 'The Right Start' - a guide to raising a gundog puppy for fieldwork. You can buy The Right Start directly from the Gundog Club bookshop. Noise is a … [Read more...]
Rachael’s Room
House-training can be tricky. It's a stage that some dogs pass through far more smoothly than others. Over the years we have found ways to simplify the process. One way is to restrict the … [Read more...]
Day Two: Rachael’s first vaccination
Many pups nowadays have their first vaccination at seven weeks old, with the second one at around ten or eleven weeks. My own vet does not like this policy as he believes the final vaccination … [Read more...]
Rachael’s first night
It can be very disheartening to struggle through sleepless nights with a little puppy. It is all too easy to wonder if you are doing it all wrong, and to lose your sense of proportion as sleep … [Read more...]
Rachael comes home
At last the big day arrived. We were about to collect Rachael our beautiful new Labrador puppy. It was time to bring her home to join our family. Our journey was prolonged due to a traffic … [Read more...]