Well injections, worming and flea treatments all taken care of. Now we can venture into the big wide world!
First stop Puppy Classes run by our vets. Socialisation with other dogs is so important so we enrol immediately. For such a feisty outgoing pup she behaved very unexpectedly, creeping into class she hid under my chair and left a puddle on the floor. She was the biggest puppy in the class but seemed to have lost all her bravado. Week two was a different matter – definitely our Tess – bold and cheeky, chasing all the other pups around. And by week three she was in charge having lots of fun. These classes are a great way to introduce your puppy to the outside world in a controlled environment and the girls who run them are full of useful tips.
So the next hurdle was to go out for a walk. We headed to our local park and on the advice of my sister let her off her lead. Very scary, but the best advice possible. I was terrified and intended to keep her on a lead until her 10th birthday but you must be brave. Puppies are very nervous and keen to stay close to you for safety so couple this with recall training and a tit bit reward when they respond and you can’t go wrong can you???? Distractions are the biggest problem as puppies do have selective hearing so beware of anything more interesting than you!!!! Which lets face it to a pup is everything!!
Tess quickly met other local dogs and would happily play all day if we let her. Remember the rule – 5 minutes exercise for each month of your puppy’s age in the early months. You don’t want to overwork them at too soon. She also fell in love for the first time (but not the last – she’s very fickle!) Her first love was Sam a very handsome English Springer Spaniel just a little older than her. She was immediately smitten and would chase him all over the park. Very touching and comical to watch. This is what I meant by something more interesting than me!!!
But as Tess grew in size and confidence the park was not enough. Luckily we live close to a dog owners paradise – The Magog Downs. Now Cambridge isn’t known for its hilly terrain but this is a super area for walkers, joggers, kite flyers and especially dog walkers. It has hilly downs surrounded by wooded areas (a favourite haunt for a Welsh Springer Spaniel) all circled by a 3 mile fenced dog walk, a totally safe environment for even the naughtiest dogs. Once we’ve completed our walk we end up in the dog play area, another fenced field specifically for dogs to roam off the lead.
Not only does Tess have a large number of ‘best friends’ but so do I which adds another dimension to my dog owning life. We meet owners with every breed imaginable from Labradors and Retrievers, Spaniels and Terriers of all kinds to more unusual breeds such as Vizsla, Rottweilers, Deerhounds, Lurchers and Pointers. It really is a doggy heaven!! Tess’s favourites (and mine) include a darling little border terrier, a puppy Labrador and Retriever and an English Springer Spaniel and her latest love, Flash, an English Pointer. They are besotted with each other despite the size difference. Some days we don’t even manage our walk as we all converge in this area and they all chase balls and Frisbees and each other round and round until we are dizzy watching them play. Once again a super way to socialise the dogs and such help for me swapping stories with the other owners and getting advice from those who have had years of doggy experience.
First stop Puppy Classes run by our vets. Socialisation with other dogs is so important so we enrol immediately. For such a feisty outgoing pup she behaved very unexpectedly, creeping into class she hid under my chair and left a puddle on the floor. She was the biggest puppy in the class but seemed to have lost all her bravado. Week two was a different matter – definitely our Tess – bold and cheeky, chasing all the other pups around. And by week three she was in charge having lots of fun. These classes are a great way to introduce your puppy to the outside world in a controlled environment and the girls who run them are full of useful tips.
So the next hurdle was to go out for a walk. We headed to our local park and on the advice of my sister let her off her lead. Very scary, but the best advice possible. I was terrified and intended to keep her on a lead until her 10th birthday but you must be brave. Puppies are very nervous and keen to stay close to you for safety so couple this with recall training and a tit bit reward when they respond and you can’t go wrong can you???? Distractions are the biggest problem as puppies do have selective hearing so beware of anything more interesting than you!!!! Which lets face it to a pup is everything!!
Tess quickly met other local dogs and would happily play all day if we let her. Remember the rule – 5 minutes exercise for each month of your puppy’s age in the early months. You don’t want to overwork them at too soon. She also fell in love for the first time (but not the last – she’s very fickle!) Her first love was Sam a very handsome English Springer Spaniel just a little older than her. She was immediately smitten and would chase him all over the park. Very touching and comical to watch. This is what I meant by something more interesting than me!!!
But as Tess grew in size and confidence the park was not enough. Luckily we live close to a dog owners paradise – The Magog Downs. Now Cambridge isn’t known for its hilly terrain but this is a super area for walkers, joggers, kite flyers and especially dog walkers. It has hilly downs surrounded by wooded areas (a favourite haunt for a Welsh Springer Spaniel) all circled by a 3 mile fenced dog walk, a totally safe environment for even the naughtiest dogs. Once we’ve completed our walk we end up in the dog play area, another fenced field specifically for dogs to roam off the lead.
Not only does Tess have a large number of ‘best friends’ but so do I which adds another dimension to my dog owning life. We meet owners with every breed imaginable from Labradors and Retrievers, Spaniels and Terriers of all kinds to more unusual breeds such as Vizsla, Rottweilers, Deerhounds, Lurchers and Pointers. It really is a doggy heaven!! Tess’s favourites (and mine) include a darling little border terrier, a puppy Labrador and Retriever and an English Springer Spaniel and her latest love, Flash, an English Pointer. They are besotted with each other despite the size difference. Some days we don’t even manage our walk as we all converge in this area and they all chase balls and Frisbees and each other round and round until we are dizzy watching them play. Once again a super way to socialise the dogs and such help for me swapping stories with the other owners and getting advice from those who have had years of doggy experience.
Dog owners are such nice people!!
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