I have a new baby. She's currently watching my fingers type very quickly. Fascinated, she's always wondering what I get up to. Oh, now she's trying to chew the edge of the screen. Is there anything you won't chew?
Ivy, the 14-week old French Bulldog cross Pug.
She was born on 29 October 2017, a fellow October baby like me, but unfortunately not a Libra. Do dogs' personalities also follow star signs? That's another 'dog question' to add to my list.
The one and only other pet I've had were fish. So this has been a massssssive step up.
She's the most adorable thing I've seen. Even though she has a big obsession with my slippers, paper, my dressing gown, wooden furniture, and anything I pick up to drink - she has been so much fun.
Aside from the obvious hyper and sometimes disobedient behaviour. They are things puppies do, or things that are unique about Ivy, that may surprise you.
1. They will chew on everything and anything.
From toes to toilet paper. The world is just so fascinating! They explore the world by their mouth and they are also teething. Ivy would stroll up to my shoe rack, lie down and have a lil knaw on the edges. It's so difficult to get them off it, but I've found a few tricks online. You have to be stocked up with a variety of chew toys. There are so many materials and textures they haven't seen before so it's vital to keep them entertained.
2. They are not as cuddly as you think.
Stroking them isn't easy. When you draw your hand close to them, they just want to bite it off. In a playful manner, not aggressive at all. We want to stroke them as affection, and they think nibbling your fingers is friendly. When visitors come round to see Ivy, I warn them, she will try to dart for your hand, ears or bite your hair. Leo and I nickname her Piranha. Trying to get her to stop nibbling will take weeks or even months. I read after their new set of teeth are fully through she'll calm down.
3. AM pee appointments.
If you hear me around the house at 3am - 4am, I'm not sleepwalking. I'm letting Ivy out to do her business. Because she's so teeny her bladder can only last a few hours. Instead of waking up at 6am by her, howling for the toilet, I get up a bit earlier so I can have more sleep in the morning. She usually wakes up at 8am - 9am, then has another nap after breakfast!
4. How clingy they are.
Partly because I spend a lot of time at home, but puppies have been taken away from their family so they have an attachment to their new owners. She will grow out of it, and Frenchie's are apparently OK with being on their own. To get her used to solo time, I spend from 30mins to 3 hours outside so she can understand I'm going to come back. She's still so young, you wouldn't leave a baby away from their mother for hours!
5. Eat, sleep, play, repeat!
Puppies get around 15-20 hours of sleep a day! And when they're not sleeping they are looking for meals; dog food, treats, crumbs and dust! Quite a few things look tasty in a pup's eyes. And when they are not being greedy they play with anything they can get their paws on. Running around until they lose their breath! After gulps of water, they pass out. She sleeps from 30mins - 3 whole hours! And then the whole cycle begins again.
If you're thinking about getting a puppy, make sure you read and watch videos about it. You may have been brought up around dogs, but owning your own is a whole different game. Most likely it was your parents doing the hard work. I started going to Puppy School (yes, it's adorable) and I'm learning a lot about dogs' behaviour and mannerisms. I really want her to be a well-behaved and clever dog, so that's probably why I take my role as a dog owner so seriously.
Ivy is my new best friend and I can't wait for all the fun we'll have together.
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