Puppy love

   We have a new addition to the family. A puppy called Mylo!

If I am being honest, I have never had much interest in dogs and certainly never thought I'd own one!

But a few months ago now, back in the Autumn, I remember watching a programme about Battersea Dogs home.
I watched with interest as we were introduced to all different breeds of dog, each with it's own sad story as to why it had ended up at the home.
People from all different walks of life and backgrounds came to look at the dogs to see if they could offer them a good home and some of the stories relating to this were quite emotional. To see dogs that had been neglected or mistreated going to a good home was so heartwarming and the dogs were so happy as well as their new owners!

The same night as I had watched the Battersea Dogs home programme, the girls and I ended up watching another programme about dog owners who walked their dogs on Wimbledon Common.
It was so interesting as each owner had a story to tell about their lives and also what the dog meant to them.
I was fascinated about the relationship that each owner had with their dog and how in tune they were with each other.
One woman had become homeless but the dog remained with her as she lived in a hostel and she shared that if it wasn't for the dog she didn't know how she'd get through the day.
Another couple had lost their son and taken on a dog because they knew it would be a focus for them, to help them through their grief and again they shared how the dog brought them happiness in what was a very difficult time.

Of course, the girls then started with their usual plea of 'Please can we get a dog...it will be no bother...we'll look after it!" and so on.
But this time, instead of fobbing them off and giving them all the usual excuses I felt that perhaps I was meant to watch those programmes that particular night and that night as I said the bedtime prayers with the girls, I prayed that if a dog was meant to be part of our family then so be it!

Some time later, my sister shared with me about a lady that comes in the bank where she works, The lady had a dog with her and when Donna admired the dog, the lady shared that she had suffered from extreme anxiety and nerves and was fearful of going out but since having the dog, her life had changed dramatically.
She shared how the dog was a great comfort to her and helped sooth her anxiety and fears and also helped her to get out the house because she felt she had a little helper with her all of the time.

As some of you may know, my middle daughter has been suffering with anxiety and fear and struggles to get out but the idea that a dog might help made me seriously consider it.
Could a dog be the therapy Laura needed? On the other hand would I be able to cope?!

Last year I bumped into an old friend and she was walking her new dog. He was a medium size black dog with soft curls and was so cute!
I asked her what breed he was and she told me he was a Cockapoo, a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle cross breed.

She told me how he didn't shed hair and was good for people with allergies and that he was house trained really quickly.
I saw her a few times after that whilst she was out walking him and always admired her lovely dog.

So, after seeing the programmes on television and then hearing Donna's story about the lady who came in the bank, it got me thinking about a Cockapoo...would that be the right dog for us?
And I would have to convince Phil... He wasn't too keen on the idea when I'd mentioned it previously.
But he didn't take too much convincing! Whilst we were watching a film at new year he admired a dog in the film 'I bought a Zoo' and said how nice it would be to have a little dog sat next to him as he watched the film...I sold him the idea of a dog quick smart! His heart softened and he opened his mind to the idea and agreed it might be a good thing for our family and for Laura.

I came home from work one day to find Laura had been looking up Cockapoos on the Internet and she had come across a breeder near Burnley in Lancashire who bred not only Cockapoos but Labradoodles too. They are Labradors crossed with a Poodle.
The website stated that they had a litter of Cockapoos, 4 boys and 2 girls, ready to go to their new homes from the 5th of February.
There was a link on the website to a video taken of the puppies at around 6 weeks.





When we looked at the video we really liked the look of a little golden, boy pup who was very lively at the front of the litter, peering into the camera! And so I sent an email to the breeder and she confirmed the same day that he was available for us to reserve with a £50 deposit... and so we did!

I knew in my heart that it was meant to be. I had prayed about it and felt like the jigsaw puzzle of stories, programmes and bumping into old friends all told me something...Get the pup!

The girls were so excited and started thinking of names for him. They scrolled through pages of dogs names on the Internet and jotted the ones down that they liked.
It was Sarah that came up with the name Mylo. The girls love the band 'Coldplay' and their latest album is called 'Mylo Xyloto' and so Mylo was added to the list. It didn't take long for them to all agree that Mylo was the name they all wanted to call him and so Mylo it is! And I think he really suits his name.

The breeders lived on a farm in Nelson near Burnley and we planned to go to see our pup on Saturday, 2nd of February.
We got some things in ready for our new arrival. A dog bed, a puppy crate and some food, bowls and a few toys.
That Friday, Phil my husband rang me to say he was really unwell and there was no way he could come home that weekend...
The girls were desperate to go and meet Mylo and so I decided I would have to make the journey down the motorway even though I'm not keen on motorway driving! There was no way the girls were going to wait until the following weekend!
However, my very kind brother in law, on hearing that Phil was ill, offered to drive us down there and I must admit to feeling relief at that!

On the Saturday morning we all woke pretty early, unheard of when it comes to my girls and excitedly got ready to meet our new puppy! It was a beautiful sunny day and I felt peace with the decision we had made to get a dog.
Sadly, Laura didn't feel able to come with us. Her anxiety was too much that day, even though she couldn't wait to meet Mylo, so she stayed at home with my sister, her Auntie Donna.
So, me, my brother in law, his youngest son (my nephew) and my girls, Sarah and Eleanor all travelled down  the motorway, eager to meet Mylo.

The journey went well and we found the farm easily with the directions we'd been given.
Funnily enough, a good friend of mine was born and raised in Nelson, small world!
The farm was high up, looking over the town below. The houses below were terraced and were stone built and you just knew you were in Lancashire.
The farm was surrounded by fields and the sound of barking and horses neighing greeted us as we parked up. As well as breeding dogs, the farm owners owned stables and a saddlery and a horse and its owner were standing in the lane as we parked up.
There was a court yard and behind the gates a few dogs were roaming about. They came up to the gate and barked loudly which sent the owner to the front door.
She welcomed us in and asked if we'd had a good journey and if we'd found them with no bother, which we did.
We stood in a large open plan  kitchen/sitting room with tile floors and an open fireplace.
She opened a door off of the kitchen and in ran Mylo!

Oh, he was so cute and I knew that everything was just right. The breeder had said that if the connection wasn't right on meeting him or if we changed our mind then she would refund our deposit no problem. But our first meeting with our little pup couldn't have gone any better!
He was a little shy but playful too and the girls held him and stroked him whilst I had a look at the rest of the litter who were kept in a small building/barn attached to the main farmhouse. The rest of the litter were very sweet too but I know Mylo was the pup for us.
We also met Mylo's mum, a beautiful cocker spaniel with a brown and cream wavy coat and his dad, a black miniature poodle with a tight curly coat. It was obvious that Mylo looked more spaniel than poodle but as they grow their coat can change so I guess we will have to wait and see what he will eventually look like!

The breeder was very professional and gave us Mylo's family tree, details of his vaccination and when the next one was due and and she told us to get in touch if there were any problems.
It was good to see that Mylo had been well cared for and brought up on a lovely farm for the first 7 weeks and 4 days of his life.

He was great on the journey home and fell asleep on a puppy pad on Sarah's lap for most of the journey...that is until we were 8 miles from home. He suddenly got travel sick! But he was ok and thankfully we were almost home.
The sun shone brightly through the window of the car and Eleanor took a photo of him as he lay on Sarah's lap.
The suns rays shone around his head like an angel...our little blessing from Heaven...and he most certainly is. I felt so peaceful about bringing him into our home and just knew that he was meant to be for us!

As we arrived home, Laura met us outside. She had the widest smile and her cheeks were rosy with excitement. Her eyes were fixed on him and she smiled and laughed as she held him in her arms...I felt a bit emotional knowing that, for Laura, little Mylo could be the breakthrough she needs...
We got Mylo for the whole family but it was Laura that got us thinking of the idea to get a dog and the idea had come to fruition. Mylo was here now, with us, forever.

We all went inside and Mylo went into the kitchen and did a little wee on the kitchen floor! We laughed as he sniffed about and looked around.
My sister Donna and my brother in law were there with their boys plus me and the girls and so Mylo must have felt quite overwhelmed! And then my mum and dad came to see him too! So it was a day of meeting new people and settling into his new home.

A very tired Mylo!

 

Mylo at 9 weeks.

 

That night we put him in his new bed inside his puppy crate, with a blanket and a cuddly toy and he did cry for a good 20 minutes but settled after a while. We had been advised not to go into him when he cried, otherwise, just like a baby, he would cry and expect us to go into him all the time. It was hard leaving him to cry knowing he must miss his mum and siblings but he settled into a bedtime routine really quickly with lots of love and cuddles from us.

Phil was home the weekend after and he loves Mylo just as much as we do! Phil's good at rolling around on the floor playing with Mylo and runs him around the garden on his lead. Every weekend when Phil comes home he remarks how much Mylo has grown! He does seem to grow overnight sometimes. And now when Phil leaves on a Sunday he has one more member of the family to miss!

Mylo learnt to toilet outside really quickly and we only used puppy pads by the patio doors for a week just in case he didn't make it in time!

Mylo has four small meals a day at the moment of dry puppy food, which is what he was started off on but he is also partial to a scrambled egg! He knows when it's being made and it's coming...he stands by the microwave waiting for the 'ping' and gets very excited, wagging his tail and letting out a little bark!

He has already learnt to 'sit' and this week is learning 'paw' where he gives us his paw. He is adorable and if you are friends with me on Facebook you will have seen how I can't resist updating 'my status' about him, usually with a photo...or two!
He will have his second vaccination in less than two weeks and will be able to go out for walks a week after that.
I can't wait to take him 'walkies'! He has been practising on the lead in our back garden and is already getting used to it.
He loves walking in the borders and playings in and out of the heathers!

 

He also had fun when it snowed!

 

He loves the fuss and attention he gets from everyone and I think that he really is the cutest dog in the World!


I'd love to know if you have a dog and what your relationship is like with him or her or perhaps you had a dog growing up that meant the world to you...
Please share your doggy stories, it would be so lovely to hear about them!

I will no doubt write more about Mylo's adventures on this blog from time to time so you will get to know how he's doing and what he's been up to...hopefully nothing too mischevious!


And finally, a video of the Barron Knights singing, 'The Sit Song'. A spoof song about Barbara Woodhouse's methods of dog training from her days on the television back in the 1980's

My sister, Donna, thought it was was funny and shared it with me...It really made me laugh and I'm sure it will make you smile too!