Scamp the champ!

 It was a lovely sunny Friday afternoon. We had some renovation work going on in our house. Our puppy development advisor came over with Scamp. Scamp was tiny for his age. And he was just so ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE. He was an awesome bundle of energy with an amazing personality of his own. He was playful, very naughty digging holes all around the garden. He started grabbing things from the house like slippers, shoes, socks, hats - whatever he could lay his paws on and take it outside. 

Since he was a small puppy he didn't need long walks. A good playtime in the garden was pretty much enough for him. But boy he could play! There were so many games that he could be a part of. Tug of war, chase, football and so many more. That puppy was a bundle of energy. 

He also had this silly fascination for my slippers. He would do anything to get them, even bite my ankle. Thats what he did many times with his tiny puppy teeth 🙂 He was such a sassy personality. He would look at us eating and have the eyes full of expectation. But he wasnt a beggar. He would look at us with those proud eyes to make us give him something. If we didn't he would walk off and chill in the garden. 

He also had this amazing habit of basking in the sun which made us feel he was even human 😂Everytime  he used to wake up from his nap he used to come to a spot on the garden which had a lot of sun. He would be super groggy and sometimes go back to sleep in the sun or rouse himself up. He had his naughty witching hour as well in the evening when he would try to bite everything and everyone. It wasnt meant out of aggression or anxiety, it seems it is a think that puppies do when they are that young. Perhaps something akin to babies having colic when they are around the 4 month mark. 

It was a lot of fun having him around for a little over a week. It kept us fully occupied and very joyfully occupied. When it was time to bid him goodbye it was quite tearful and sad. But then we had the next week to look forward to!

Easter break plan

We have been waiting for the Easter break. There was no earth shattering reason but there were numerous small reasons. 

So, the Easter break is for 2 weeks and comes around April first week. It's the time when spring is in the air. The bulbs are awakening and the tulip heads are budding out. There are sporadic rains in just the right amount which give the newly blossomed leaves after winter a lovely green sheen. It's just the right temperature on most days. The increasing hours of sunlight in during the day also bring in a degree of happiness. Given the cosmic alignment of such happy stuff taking a day off in itself makes one feel happy. 

To top it we were asked to look after a 3 month old golden retriever puppy for a week. Our family adores golden retrievers. After Lucky  this would be our second chance to look after such a young pup. It could also be our redemption. We were sent the picture of the puppy Scamp and he was supremely adorable. We jumped at the chance and said yes.

Our first week of the holiday was thus going to be occupied. For the second week I proposed a road trip to Edinburgh. I had a friend when we were in Ipswich. We have managed to keep in touch. She turns 40 in May. So I thought it might be a good idea to pay her a visit. K agreed quite easily for the trip as well! So that was our Easter break planned. What remained was execution!

Imber - you darling

 As I had mentioned in an older post, we tried to foster a puppy for Guide Dogs. It was a unique experience, but we failed in doing it for the full duration. Our puppy advisor suggested that we should try to foster an older pup. We were very apprehensive that we would be successful in raising or fostering puppies.

A few days later she came up with the need for someone to look after their puppy for a week. It was a 8 month old male called Imber. We had doubts but then we thought, this might be our chance to have a different experience. So we went ahead with the opportunity.

We visited Imber with his carer before he was to come over. His carer Jonny informed us that Imber was the most chilled out puppy one would ever come across. He was a big, happy Labrador Retriever who just filled our  hearts with joy.

Imber came to us on a Sunday morning. For some time he searched around for Jonny. He was a bit on guard, walking around the house and following people - especially K. We called over Papa, Mummy and my sis who are all tremendous dog lovers to meet up with Imber. When they came over, the house was quite busy. Imber was happy and friendly with all of us. But he was still a bit fazed at his new surroundings. He was unsure of how to behave and what looked to us, not too keen to let his guard down. When people moved, he moved. When everyone sat down, he sat down as well. We thought he was going to tire himself with absolutely no rest throughout the whole day. It seemed like he did indeed for around 9 in the evening he started dozing off. He went off to his crate and was fast asleep by 2130.

The next day was a working day. But K had decided to take .25 days off for the entire week. We were not going to do the same mistake as with Lucky which was to try to manage work and a puppy at the same time. Being able to finish early allowed K to give undivided attention to the puppy. K did most of the caring tasks for the puppy - the feeding, the toilet tasks, the walk. Though we accompanied him, K was the main care giver. This made Imber bond supremely with K. The very sight of K used to make Imber's tail go round and round like the wings of a helicopter :) It was so cute and crazy.

The girls fussed over Imber like anything. They were always around him, playing with him, combing him. There was one time when Imber came over and fell asleep on Chiyaa's lap! It was just the most adorable thing ever. By day 3 he was getting way more comfortable and confident with all of us. He started to be naughty and try to chase and steal shoes. Day 4 he even went to the extent of sitting all smug on the sofa. 

Imber was becoming such a lovely part of our life. It was amazing going on those brisk walks with him thrice a day. We took him to a park where he ran around. We were still scared to let him off the lease, but he loved chasing the kids around while on the lease - making us run in the process. He loved playing fetch. Giving him treats and getting those tiny licks from him was just precious.

The day Imber was to be picked up, felt quite emotional. We took him for a 45 minutes walk around our neighborhood. When Jonny came over, Imber went crazy with joy. He literally ran all over the house giddy with excitement. We had to let Imber go, but it was an immensely enriching and warm experience for us.

We took some time to recover, but we felt had done a much better job and way more justice to Imber. We were more confident and also relaxed, which helped us all have a wonderful time. 

Lucky to have you

 Lucky - the puppy was to board with us for 2 weeks. When the guide puppies are raised they are boarded in many different homes. This gives the puppies a chance to interact with a wide variety of people because they could be matched with any person in the future. Before boarding Lucky's raiser Alison decided to bring her over to our house so that we could have a feel of her. When Lucky came to our house she was hyper, she was manic with excitement. She ran around, climbed on us, went exploring and was just crazy all over the place. We were just as excited to have her. We couldnt wait for her to come and stay for the 2 weeks at our home.

The day she came, it was super hot. She was settled on the floor and avoided the carpeted areas. She was all right with us and a bit curious to explore. But given the heat she went off to have a nap quite soon. We had been warned that since she was 4 months old, she was teething. She could have a witching hour from 6-8 in the evening when she could go a bit bitey and try to get a bit more aggressive. The plan was to try to take her on walks during that time so that she could settle down a bit. The first day, K took her on a walk with the girls. She was a bit uncontrollable and they did have a tough time in the 1 hour they were away. At night when we all settled down and K was with Lucky. She puked out all her food and then re-consumed it. It was a harrowing experience for K and he immediately called the helpline. They confirmed that this is quite normal behaviour with puppies! Some time later Lucky settled down and K could get his sleep too.

The next she woke up right at 6 and K was at her beck and call. He took her to the toilet, gave her breakfast and then a short walk around the neighbourhood. Since it was a warm day again, she was quite sleepy and inactive during the day. In the evening once the girls came back, she was hyper with them. She tried to - what looked to us - pounce on Chiyaa. I have been with dogs before so it looked like normal behaviour to me. But K and Chiyaa were quite shocked. We tried to keep her calmer by playing low intensity games. She retired eventually and she slept peacefully on night 2.

The continuous work was taking a strain on K. As with a baby there are a million things to be done with a puppy. Alongside a full day of work, it was quite strenuous. K pulled through the day. But in the evening it was a repeat of her aggressive behaviour. This time K got very nervous since he was very concerned about the safety of Chiyaa. K called up the helpline and asked for advice. Sensing his mental state, they recommended that it would be best if the puppy is removed from our house.

The next day our assigned puppy development contact came over and took Lucky to board her with someone else. Lucky went away in the car and left a gaping hole in the house. A lot of things reminded us of her - the shoes she had chewed on, the place in the garden where she used to go crazy, her smell. It was a long recovery for us, and for me in particular. It took me quite some time to get used to not having her. And it made us feel bad that we probably reacted hastily and incorrectly. But what was done was done. As a final closure we decided to visit Lucky at Alison's house after a few weeks. She was so much calmer and well behaved, it was such a pleasure to be with her. Lucky - it was amazing to have you with us. And hoping you have a splendid career as a guide dog.