Tuesday 23rd October

Still dosed up, but feeling a bit more relaxed with Brody. We’ll get a nice routine going. You sleep all day, and I’ll read and catch a nap. As if. My sister has a dog, Jenny, a Dalmatian, and when Jenny was a puppy, my sister swore by doggy training pads. They are to be put on the floor in the house somewhere easily accessible to puppy, and there’s some sort of liquid in there which gives off a scent to make puppies do their business on it, instead of on your carpet or kitchen floor. He’s had a few wee wee accidents in the house, so I wonder if I should try them.  I go online and check them out. I then get slightly carried away. It’s a website full of great stuff for dogs – anything you can think of! Wow, I wonder what Brody would like – must have an assortment of balls. There’s too much choice! I go for a green lattice design ball that they can get their teeth into, one of those multi-coloured hard plastic weaved balls, a squeaky yellow face ball, and some odour-killing spray.

I have a much better day with Brody. I’m starting to learn signs for needing a poo – manic running around the house or the garden with bum tucked in. With a wee, you never can tell. People say look out for lots of sniffing, but he’s always sniffing, so I’m on constant alert.

We have a good game of ball throwing and running around outside, but then, as I watch him tumbling over and crashing into flower pots, I remember the warnings of taking it easy with puppies as their bones can break easily, and quickly calm everything down.

The house is starting to look rather messy. Anything that’s at his level or within easy reach, we have to find another home for. Shoes, telephone directories, bags, washing, wires – basically, everything. So our coffee table is now piled high with all sorts of paraphernalia, it’s no longer recognisable as a coffee table. More like a stall at a jumble sale. I decide to hoover and put a clothes wash on. It’s time he’s introduced to noise. The hoover he finds quite interesting – what is this black beast with a long trunk that won’t keep still? He keeps wanting to bite the wire – not good, Brody – frazzled puppy not good. The washing machine has his interest too, but slightly more nervous of this one. Who’s chucking those clothes around in there? Stop! Woof! Scratch! Run away!

One thing I must say though. Brody likes to be in constant contact with somebody, especially when he’s settling down on the sofa (yes, we’ve let him up there, I can hear the tut-tuts and see the shaking of the heads). There’s nothing so wonderful as a soft puppy cuddling up to you. Then you’re trapped. The book or remote is always just slightly out of your reach, and you don’t want to move because that’ll spoil the cosiness of It all. You wait for a big sigh and slight stretch of the legs from Brody, and then you make your move, so it’s not really you that’s spoiled it.

By the end of the day, I’m absolutely shattered, and I’m looking forward to going to work tomorrow for a break – no matter how I’m feeling!