My favourite relatives to visit were always ones with a dog or better yet dogs. Whether it was a Christmas party or a general visit, my number one priority would be to seek out the family pet. When my parents finally agreed to a dog ten years later, I was ecstatic.
To be honest, a Labrador Retriever wasn't my first choice. I wanted to rescue an adult Heinz 57 at the local shelter or rescue, preferably a senior. However, everyone else wanted a puppy. My breed suggestions were knocked down until we finally settled on the lovable Lab.
We first met chubby Bobby at 5-6 weeks. He was the oldest male with the biggest head in his litter of ten. He was actually our last pick but if we could change things, I wouldn't have it any other way.
 |
| Bobby at 5 weeks |
We took him home at 8 weeks in a red box with newspapers at the bottom, a squeaky frog toy and a blanket that had been thoroughly "puppy-fied." The drive was 3 hours back and after some sight-seeing, he fell asleep to the radio broadcasting, Domino by Jessie J.
 |
| Exhausted from sight-seeing |
Lunch was two chicken wings. We had a few accidents which were completely my fault. Late afternoon, he fell asleep under the table beside his beach ball we had dug out from storage. At night, he curled up around our feet. He was a dream for the first two weeks. Keyword: was.
He cried bloody murder. He threw tantrums. He climbed the box we used as a divider for the crate and got stuck (which was promptly removed!). We expected that (well, not the latter) and thank God, the neighbours didn't complain!
And, we can't forget the "landshark" phase. He ripped holes. He pulled my pants down. He gave me scars. He made me cry. He was absolutely relentless. I expected the nipping but this wasn't "nipping." This was BITING. I was upset and frustrated. He was the spawn of Satan. He was at his worst at 12-16 weeks and it was here, that I was about to give up.
 |
| A nap in the afternoon |
He cried bloody murder. He threw tantrums. He climbed the box we used as a divider for the crate and got stuck (which was promptly removed!). We expected that (well, not the latter) and thank God, the neighbours didn't complain!
 |
| Finally asleep after throwing a tantrum |
And, we can't forget the "landshark" phase. He ripped holes. He pulled my pants down. He gave me scars. He made me cry. He was absolutely relentless. I expected the nipping but this wasn't "nipping." This was BITING. I was upset and frustrated. He was the spawn of Satan. He was at his worst at 12-16 weeks and it was here, that I was about to give up.
But, I reminded myself that this was a commitment I made so I grabbed on and held on. Eventually, with a Herculean amount of patience, time, persistence and love that I didn't think I ever possessed, we curbed the biting. It was from here on out that our bond really started to grow.
Puppyhood is a lot harder than it looks. Adolescence is just as challenging. With challenge comes rewards and what you sow is what you reap. Bobby and I have come a long way from a place of frustration and tears to a day full of laughter and happiness.
I started this blog to document our life together, as well as, help others with their journey along the way because I certainly would not have managed as well as I did without the support and help of the Lab Board.
I don't claim to be an expert by any means but hopefully, you'll find my posts helpful. I have written up a rather lengthy post on the "puppy nipping biting" phase.
No comments:
Post a Comment