It’s a bit of a family affair over on Rock My Style at the moment. To bring you the next instalment of my family’s pooch adventure I’ll hand you over to my Mum.
Following advice and support from the lovely RMS readers, I am now in possession of an adorable little puppy! You may remember I was very undecided about which breed to go for and was after a medium sized dog. After reading all your helpful comments I was leaning towards a cockapoo but was yet to meet one in the flesh.
A day or so later I was out strolling in our local park and lo and behold came across a gorgeous cockapoo. Chatting to the owner she gave me the details of a breeder who was only a few miles from my home. As luck would have it the mum (a cocker spaniel) had just had a new litter. It seemed like fate so I whisked off to meet the mother and her ten puppies and was smitten by a sable and white chap with unusual markings.
Bringing Reg Home
Two weeks later following injections and health checks he was ours. Little ‘Reggie’ had been used to a crate at the breeders so we decided to carry on with the same environment at least in the short term so as not to overwhelm him with new surroundings and provide a safe haven for him.
On collection day I was nervous and excited; Reg looked unbelievably tiny and vulnerable and joined me in a shaking fit.
The breeder gave us a blanket to take home with us so he could find some comfort in a familiar scent. The first night he was very timid but thankfully slept the night through.
Over the next few days his personality emerged. He quickly settled in and developed a distinct sense of mischief. The only time he has been subdued was after his second lot of injections which left him lethargic and whimpering all day. Yes, my puppy is a drama queen!
Reg has quickly become an important part of the family. He is extremely boisterous and chews and nips EVERYTHING in sight. His little teeth are razor sharp but he is so comical to watch. Coming downstairs bleary eyed in the morning to be greeted with yelps of delight is very good for the soul.
He’s now eleven weeks and is able to be taken for short walks though we don’t get far due to the constant compliments from passersby. It’s difficult to keep to the rule of exercising him for five minutes for each month of his life (so a fifteen minute walk each time) but this is the official advice given to prevent the development of rheumatism in later years.
Puppy Training
Reggie embraces all new experiences and is friendly with children and other dogs, as well as favouring men on bicycles!
General puppy training is far from easy but with The Pampered Pup’s suggestions on toilet training, and other than a few mishaps Reg is pretty much toilet trained now. From day one we’ve had a designated spot in the garden so he just uses one area. I’m keen to make sure his mind is stimulated too as he’s so energetic so we hope to start basic obedience classes later in the month.
We love him to bits, the only downside being his overactive jaws. The vet recommended anti-biting spray which seems to have little effect. We have plenty of rubber toys now but I’d love to hear any other suggestions.
I constantly refer to the Happy Puppy Handbook by Pippa Mattinson which provides a wealth of knowledge from dietary advice to travelling in the car. It’s very user friendly and well-written and illustrated.
Thank you RMS for giving me the confidence to bring a little bundle of joy into our home. Reg has definitely enhanced our lives and my once less-than-enthusiastic husband is now completely besotted with him!
I know from the original post lots of dog owners read RMS. If you have any tips to share on dealing with the over-zealous jaws then please do let us know! How was your first month with a new dog? Anyone about to introduce a new pet to the family?
Oh I have loved Reg since he first appeared on Instagram! We too have a Cockapoo, Barney. (If I recall, Lauren ‘favourited’ a pic of mind hiding in the ferns!). Regarding the nipping & chewing, we used Bitter Apple spray which worked a treat for us (it may be what doesn’t work for you though?). It definitely protected our 5yr old from being his target! You have to keep applying though – it made him sneeze if he got too close! The nipping will pass, he is teething and often they are trying to help that rather than be destructive just for the sake of it. But yes it does need to be discouraged! Cockapoos are amazing, ours is such hard work, but we love him dearly and cannot imagine life before him! Enjoy!?
Ahh Barney, what a cutie.
I’ll find out exactly what spray my Mum is using. I’m not too sure if it’s a bitter apple one.
Glad to hear the nipping phase will pass!
He is adorable! Having a dog in your life is so rewarding. We have two west highland terriers a boy and girl they are 9 but still act like puppies! They did go through the chewing stage piglet (the female) was the worst she would chew skirting boards and even ripped wallpaper off the wall. We tried everything to try and stop her but nothing worked she did grow out of it and it didn’t take that long.
Oh no Stacey, not the wallpaper!
West Highland Terriers are adorable too, and even cuter in pairs! x
He is adorable, his colour and markings are so pretty. I’m always the one against a dog in my relationship as my boyfriend would have one in a heartbeat, but I would feel mean that we were out all day. He does joke about turning up at home with a puppy one day to win me over.. and looking at Reggie’s little face does make me think that I would buckle with the cuteness! Good luck to your Mum and Reggie – and is that Graves Park by any chance?
Hi Katie, good spot! It is indeed Graves Park. For some reason Reg seems to prefer Millhouses Park more!
My Dad was really against a dog but wouldn’t be without him now. It’s funny how you change your mind once they arrive 😉 x
How adorable! I definitely second the Bitter Apple spray, worked a treat with all our three. As for chewing, ours love antler bones. They last for ages and don’t splinter like many others – definitely no rawhide! Hooves are great, too but they stink pretty badly ? Putting a bit of peanut butter in a kong toy gives hours of fun, too!
I was looking at a Kong Toy yesterday on Amazon Maike. They seem like a great idea.
The kong toys are really good, pricey but worth it. My rescue dog used to chew everything in sight (including my favourite nude heels sob), We used a combination of moving everything out of site, plenty of chew toys and training but I think mainly she just grew out of it. They’re like toddlers really, everything goes in the mouth for investigation!
Ha ha Claire. Why do they always get the shoes you love the most?!
Completely in love with Reggie – he is so cute. What a perfect addition to the family. I really do want a dog so badly, but I know it’s not fair at the moment. One day, we will leave London and have plenty of space for one of our own to run around. *sigh*. Until then, I will follow Reggie’s adventures avidly! x
Aww Sian. It’ll be worth the wait x
Friday morning cuteness! Gorgeous puppy. Sleeping through the night immediately is very lucky, we had about a week of heartbreaking crying to get through – the new baby this year has been a better settler at night than our puppy was last year! The Pippa Mattinson books are great – there’s another one about recall training which is handy too. There’s also a website ‘the Labrador forum’ which is worth a look if you haven’t already been there. It stems from Pippa again so lots of positive training and advice from fellow dog owners with a positive training approach.
For the biting, it does stop (honestly). For us, the recommended ‘ouch’ and move away didn’t work in the long term. We had to move to ‘time outs’ for the puppy in her crate (not the best location I know but was our only option). Usually she just fell asleep for half an hour and calmed right down. Kongs stuffed with all kinds of goodies are good anti-bite tools too as it keeps them occupied for ages (once they figure out how to get the fillings out).
Good luck and hide your good shoes 🙂
Fab tips Thanks Steph x
Ahhh puppy fun! 🙂 I’ve raised 2 miniature dachshunds so know all about the joy of having a pup! We were given the advice for nipping puppies which worked for both of ours – if they nip you (normally in play mode) then squeak really loudly like a litter mate would. This is how they learn how much is too hard to bite and the loud squeak snaps them out of it. I would steer away from antler chews, my Mum is the practice manager of a vets and the amount of articles sent in to her and actual patients that have cracked teeth from the stag/antler bars is rather scary. I would stick with Kongs (filled or unfilled), the Kong brand do lots of other types of hard toys and also Nylabones are really good too.
Good luck and we can’t wait for more Reggie updates 🙂
Thanks so much for the warning on the antler bars Jenna. Sounds like kong toys are worth a try x
Ah I love the puppy update! I have two jugs (Jack Russell x Pugs!) who are now 5 and still bonkers. We found the squealing worked well for us with Bruno and also quickly giving a toy to chew instead of your hand! We didn’t do so well with the sleeping through – he still wakes us up at about 5 every morning!
Oh no Jen! I don’t think I could manage a 5am start for 5 years!
Good lord this dog is cute!!
Thanks Zoe, we think so!
Ahhh. Little Reg! Great to see him gracing the pages of RMS. Not so great though when I am having to rag my brand new shoes out of his mouth! Cant believe that Mum and Dad were ever without him now; he has just become such a part of the family. He does have a kong which he is getting used to but seems to prefer a raggy old washing line peg to chew on!
Ahh I didn’t realise he had a kong. Was going to order one for him! x
Ahh bless him. Reg sounds a very well behaved and clever pup. I’ve had my dog since she was 9 weeks old, she’s now almost 8. We had a week without sleep when she arrived but as with everything such as nipping she grew out of it, but I did look like I was self harming for a few months with so many scratches on my arms. Pups grow so fast so take as many photos as you can while Reg is tiny.
Kong toys are definitely worth spending the money on. As well as lasting much longer they take the worry out of pups chewing something up and swallowing it. I’m going to try Bella on a bone for Xmas this year. She tried one at my aunts house last week and loved it but when she was younger she just wouldn’t have known when to stop and I would have been terrified of her swallowing bits of bone.
I don’t know if your mum is planning on having Reg neutered but if she is thinking along these lines it is always better to get it done when dogs are young.
Can’t wait to hear more about Reg as he grows up x
Ha ha Claire, I wouldn’t really call him well behaved!
Fab to hear Bella grew out of the nipping.
Yes I think they’re planning on having him ‘done’ quite soon. He’s just been invited to a puppy party at the local vets (!) I think the idea is to get them used to a happy experience in the surgery so they’re not so scared when they have to go in for a procedure. He has a better social life than me!
I’m sorry Claire but I must respectfully disagree with your point about castration. Lots of vets now recommend waiting til about a year to avoid hormonal problems that may shorten a dog’s life span. It’s always your choice what to do and when but there are two sides to this debate- talk to your vet. Apologies for going all serious on this gorgeous post.
Hi Lucy, all views welcome 🙂
As you can probably tell I don’t know too much about puppies so when I say ‘soon’ it’ll be whenever the vet recommends. My Ma and Pa are becoming quite the experts though!
Claire’s mentioned below her little dog was one when she was spayed so older than Reg.
A puppy party sounds great! I had Bella spayed when she was one (you have to wait for bitches to have their first season) and it was amazing how fast she recovered. Reg will be up and about causing mischief in no time
Congratulations he is soo beautiful! What a lush little bear ???
Practically, as others have said squeak and stop is the best way to stop play biting in its tracks. You can also leave the room if you need to emphasise the message.
Other tips- freeze carrots for a healthy chew toy, and if you can bear it freeze liver and leave him to chew outside. Gross but good for keeping occupied!
Finally I really recommend “Puppy School” classes- fun, positive reinforcement and good value.
Enjoy every minute, I miss our dog every day ? x
I think I prefer the sound of freezing carrots rather than liver! Definitely one for outdoors!
So sorry you miss your dog Lucy x
Oh my days. He is adorable! Currently trying to persuade Ste that we need a puppy because Hector adores dogs but having little luck. Apparently having an eleven month old, a cat, a house refurb, a vegetable patch and his booming business is more than enough to deal with but I think these photos of Reggie might make all the difference 😉
Maybe once you move in to your gorgeous house Lolly? Hector would love it! x
Ahh I love this. We have a 5 year old cockapoo called Riley, got him as a puppy from 8 weeks old so this brings back memories. I actually hated the first few weeks, he wouldn’t stop biting, ripping holes in our favourite clothes and had a lot of house training to do. I admit I cried a couple of times in frustration at it all. But he’s the love of my life now and never fails to make me smile everyday. Pup cuddles are the best. You’ll have a lot of fun with him xxx
Oh no Rebecca 🙁 If you can get through the first few weeks you can get through anything! Love that you have a cockapoo too x
Hello, my Mum is also in Sheffield and is looking for a Cockapoo breeder local to her. She had a beautiful Alaskan Malamute for 11 years who we lost a few months ago and she is looking for a puppy to take home next Spring. I would be really grateful if you could let me know which breeder your Mum used, and her experience with them – as it is so hard to distinguish the good breeders from the bad.
Hi Laurie, so sorry to hear about your loss.
My Mum had a very positive experience with Dreamfields based up at Dronfield.
Hope this helps x
Oh fantastic, we are just down the road in Troway so we will be sure to get in touch. Thank you ever so much! X