First trip to the beach

Yesterday was so hot, we decided to take a picnic to Kingsgate Bay, where Eddie had his first swim, found that he particularly likes munching seaweed, and generally causing chaos chasing kids and other dogs. We met a 14 week old golden retriever, who he played with in the pub garden, who turned out to be from bexleyheath! He seemed to bring more sand home than was to be found on the beach, but it's a dead cert that we will be going again.

First walk

Saturday morning was an exciting time as Eddie was finally allowed out on a walk. Despite the harness and lead training descending into chaos in the garden - usually with Eddie on his back with four paws in the air and the lead clamped firmly between his chops - once out in the countryside he took to it like a duck to water!



Try as he might he couldn't keep up with his cousins, but he gave it his best shot! Never seen such a happy puppy!

Eddie's first road trip

It's been an eventful week - last Friday night we set off to Cheshire to visit family and Eddie was a little star in the car! Thanks to the father-in-law's directions and a nice traffic jam on the M6, the journey took us 5 hours in all. At the other end, Eddie came face to face with a border collie and two labradors - and swiftly fell in love with Bracken.....

Worst weekend

It's been an upsetting weekend, with Eddie coming down quite badly with sickness and diaharrea on Saturday morning, a rushed trip to the vets for injections and antibiotics, and two days of Eddie getting steadily worse before he seemed to turn a corner. He didn't eat, drink or move from his bed (ok the sofa) for about 36 hours.

Luckily, getting him to lap water and rehydrating salts from a syringe seemed to be a bit of a hoot for him - and while most ended up on my lap, enough went down his gregory for me to panic less.

It brought back all the feelings of loss associated with Pepsi and Oscar - our rescue cockers who were both lost to cancer. I just can't see a dog being sick now without this sense of dread taking over me.

Anyway, lots of tears shed on Sunday. But by Monday afternoon he was perking up a little, we were managing to get his antibiotics down (and to stay down) and the rascal that we have grown to love over the last four weeks was finding his feet again.

By this morning, he was tearing about the garden like a jack rabbit, and generally giving me the proper runaround. Food is being demolished and he's drinking water from a bowl again. What's in store when I get home tonight I wonder?

Two steps forward...

... one step back! After a much better week where Eddie seemed to be behaving a little better - not crying so much when we went to another room without him and not nipping and biting us so often (as puppies do) - last night and this morning has seen him turn from Mr Cocker to Dr Hyde!!

He's also snaffled himself something horrid from the garden (most likely as he has a penchant for digging up cat poo from the flower borders), which means that yours truly had to get up at 1am and 6am this morning (after six bottles of Stella and a curry last night!) to take him to the loo, by which time I felt so sorry for him I put him in our bed.... big mistake! He saw that as his cue to be an absolute menace until he fell fast asleep at 7.30am.... just as the alarm went off for work!

Still, I can't help but forgive him anything when he sits on me for a cuddle, then dozes off on my pillow with his little nose tucked under my neck for warmth... this is why God made puppies so cute!

Look mum I made the stairs!

Well, aren't we having fun? Eddie can now get upstairs quite confidently, but is a total jelly and has to be carried back down. And at 12 weeks old today he is growing into a big furry, heavy lump!

Lazy pooch!

It's been an eventful week so far. Eddie has learned how to climb the stairs so there is no escape from the little monster! Unfortunately he gets upstairs in just a few bounds, but the big jelly can't get back down on his own and has to be carried. Still, it's good exercise for me and the other half!!

Consequently, all the running out into the garden and back, and straight down the hallway and upstairs takes it's toll on an 11-week-old!!

What a weekend

Little Eddie is growing so fast I can hardly believe it. He's almost too heavy to pick up now, and he's still only 11 and a half weeks. I'm starting to think we have a giant on our hands.

At the vets on Saturday morning he took his microchipping and final injections in fairly good humour, but hid his worming tablet under his tongue until the vet's back was turned before spitting it back onto the table! The look of innocence on his face soon turned to horror as she firmly stuffed it back down his throat. Take that!

The worst moment of the weekend came when I consulted the Cockers Online Forum guys about his constant nipping and biting - to be kindly informed to get used to it as it could go on for a whole year.... no way! My hands look like I've been pulled through a paper shredder already. My next plan is out with the oven mitts and on with the cricket pads.

He's definitely a cocker!

Well, if ever proof were needed that we have a 'proper' cocker spaniel on our hands it came yesterday while trying to do the laundry. It suddenly dawned on me that our 11 week old has kleptomaniac tendencies, rather than cute puppy inquisitiveness, as he stalked me round the 'whirly gig' washing line just waiting for something to fall... of course, I dropped a sock and was promptly faced with a furry ball of frenzy desperately trying to snatch the spoils before me...

It was a flashback to Pepsi, our first rescue cocker, who lurked around every corner like a recalcitrant hoodie. She stole anything and everything - socks, shoes, remote controls, mobile phones, magazines, ipods.... she would drag the laundry basket halfway across the bedroom floor in an effort to release a sock through one of the holes.... she would wait until I knelt down in front of the washer and then pounce - all for the precious swag she could run off to guard while growling menacingly at anyone who dared to approach.

Do I believe in reincarnation? I'm beginning to wonder....

Three weeks in

Week three: he's finally broken the husband. On arriving home from work tonight, the door opened, a puppy was thrust into my arms and the hubby fled (in tears i think) to the nearest pub. He does whine a lot, but really, call yourself a man? (Eddie, not the husband).

Three weeks in

Week two: well, Eddie has certainly leaned a few new tricks in this first week. He's missing his litter mates and seems to think that the cats are perfectly acceptable substitutes. Undeterred by their hissing and growling, he finds it a jolly great hoot to launch himself at them while they unsuspectingly snooze... it is kind of funny to see them jump through the roof in shock!

All my trouser legs are ripped to shreds, I can't count the times I've set off down the garden to be suddenly disabled in one leg by a tiny ferocious beast hanging on for dear life and trying to shake my pants off, and it has become the latest craze to jump up and grab whatever is hanging lowest from the rotating washing line and using it as a canine roundabout... added gusts of wind that speed up the process and give an extra puppy thrill are most welcome.

Three weeks in

I'm not so good at this blogging lark since our home PC went to the big scrap heap in the sky, but I am renewed with enthusiasm to document our 'bringing up puppy' experiences, so here goes...

Week one: Eddie is a gorgeous tiny bundle of fur and teeth! Within two hours of having him home I have had one minor heart attack (finding him chewing and eating a glass vase) one broken toe (chasing round and round the sofa in an attempt to occupy him and stop him getting an early ASBO for continually howling) and at least 10 extra crows feet (per eye) from the late nights and early mornings...... i may never have the energy to wear make up again at this rate