Who loves Puppies?

In November 2018, we went to pick up our new puppy. Never having one before and being retired, we gave it a lot of thought before we decded to commit.

We used an online site and was contacted by Debbie, who had both parents, and six pups. We had already christened ours Tilly, and visited two weeks after they were born.

I didn’t think we would be able to choose with them all appeared so similar. To me they looked like baby Rottweilers and it’s amazing how Yorkshire Terriers are all born black with bits of brown, then as they grow they change to a honey and a silver colour.

Debbie, picked up the three girls and they all a had different sized head. We could choose the biggest, smallest or the size in between. We chose the biggest, for no particular reason. From then on we received regular updates and photos as she grew.

I’ll never forget the day we went to collect her. Going in through the front door there was a sea of puppies moving together as one down the hall way. They all looked exactly the same, but Debbie knew each one. It made me chuckle when she pointed out Tilly. The other pups had names too, Lilo, was the other one I remembered.

It never occurred to me that I would be able to watch Tilly’s sibling growing up as well. The other’s in the litter were – Ralph, King, and Mitzi.

Debbie set up a Facebook Messenger group and we’d share photos and antics from time to time. Whenever I read about the other pups, I could always relate to them with Tilly.

The funniest was when Tilly would snuggle on my shoulder, her head close to mine. I sent a picture, and received three similar photos as the others did the same. It was so cute!RalphLiloKingTilly

We didn’t find the first year particululary easy. We hadn’t expected such a tiny bundle to cause so much havoc our lives.

Standing in the garden on a freezing January morning at 5 am, getting her to wee, was particularly gruelling. Then she wouldn’t go back to bed. We took it in turns to lie in, but that didn’t work, we had to both be up or she was scratching on doors trying to get to us.

House training her was very hard, and at times we despared of her ever learning. She is still not 100%, favouring the hall or kitchen for wee instead of going outside. Never anywhere else, so there is perhaps some progress.

In the evening when we settled to watch television, Tilly got up to every kind of michief she could. Running behind the furniture, shredding any tissues or paper. We bought chew spray to stop her chewing furniture legs and our lounge is still full of toys and blankets she has pulled from the bed. Even now, she brings in sticks and bark to chew leaving the remenents all over the floor. It takes me back to when I had small children, (not that they chewed or barked!) and that’s what puppies are as they grow and learn.

Tilly likes to tuck her tail between her legs and run in circles at a 100 mile an hour, usually at 10 pm!

These days, I’ve begun to see suble changes in her. In the evening, she sleeps, waking for a play, then happy to go to her bed and when we go. She’ll sleep all night until we wake in the morning. She knows the times of breakfast and dinner, albeit a little earlier sometimes.

Tilly is full of character. Her head going from side to side as she listens to us speak. Often she wants a cuddle and presses her head against ours. She still can’t walk in a straight line, but once off the lead, is happy to stay by us. She still loves to do fast running and enjoys having the ball thrown for her.

Lately, instead of having to fight her for the ball to throw, she will lay it at our feet and back up waiting for us to pick it up. Then return to do the same. She is very clever with a ball, tossing it in the air and catching it in her mouth. She has a lot of fun throwing it, tossing, and chasing it around. She’ll do the same with a plastic cap too!

Barking excessivly, still drives us mad. She thinks everything that goes on outside the house is her business. A man walking by, horses, a bus, in fact anything to bark madly at. In fact, it doesn’t have to be anything at all. She’ll sometimes stand on the picnic table with her nose in the air barking at the moon.

We live near a jet base, and they fly loudly above. The noise doesn’t bother her, and I think as a consequence, bonfire night, or New Year celebrations, don’t affect her at all.

Tilly’s parent’s had another litter six months after the first. Now we have the thrill of seeing Gracie, Monty, Oscar, and Poppy growing up. Mitzy’s owner, couldn’t resist on of the new pups, so she had Monty as well.

Seeing the puppy antics reminds me how far we have come with Tilly, and I’m to be able to tell them, things will get better.OscarPoppy

Tilly is a joy, and when she was six month old, we got a rescue dog, too. Meggy came from a puppy farm, aged about 4 or 5, they said. She had no collar, no name, and was totally bewildered, and traumatised. She is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and loves Tilly. She has learnt a lot from her and recently begun to play with the ball. Seeing her come out of her shell has been miraculous. When we first had her, wherever you put her, she stayed still, only moving to go from one bed to another. In the two weeks she was in a foster home, she was toilet trained. Now I let her out and the first thing she does is wee. Tilly, the little devil, won’t. I can wait forever for her to perform!

Guess who is top dog? Yes, Tilly. When they run together, Tilly will try and get her to play by jumping on her back or tugging at her ears. Meggy is so tolerant and puts up with a lot. I wouldn’t be without them now. It’s a joy watching Meggy bloom and learn how to be a pet, and Tilly, who still makes us laugh, is growing into a beautiful Yorkshire Terrior.