MOLLY COMES HOME

I got the call. My puppy was ready. Mum was ready to see the back of her unruly offspring! The dog mother I mean.

Molly had a little orange collar on and all her siblings had had different coloured collars as they nearly all looked alike. Molly of course was the cutest. My eldest son came with me. We arrived with a good bottle of Veuve Cliquot to toast the occasion and by the time it was time to go I was a bit “out of the zone” so it was lucky I wasn’t driving.

Molly was mine. At last.

I staggered into the front seat with her in my arms and she didn’t make a murmur. I’d been away on a long holiday (I’d been advised to go away before taking on my dog as it would be some time before I could go away again) so Molly was the last of the puppies to go. I felt dreadful and really emotional. Emily, the mother, had disappeared as though she knew that was it.

I suddenly burst into tears as I realised I had torn this little thing away from her mother and brothers and sister. Even though it was only Mum left. What I was doing was to relate dogs to humans and how I would have felt if I had lost my children. Not sure whether it was the champagne or the emotion speaking. My son died of embarrassment. Luckily he didn’t die for long as he had to take the wheel.

Just before I went off on holiday I had taken an old t-shirt over to Mrs. Browning. She had put it in amongst all the dogs. It came away smelling of them all so when we drove away we had Molly, her orange collar, and a smelly t-shirt. It would calm her apparently and is a clever thing to do when you are taking a puppy away from all it has known. At least it has some smells of its old life and gives it some re-assurance.

I didn’t work for the first two weeks. I work a lot from home so it was easier BUT I didn’t take any phone calls. It was as though we were on a different planet.

I wanted to give Molly all my undivided attention. To have a happy dog I believe you have to put in a lot of time and trouble for those first few weeks. You can’t get a puppy and then leave it for hours at a time because it suits you. It’s unkind and spectacularly cruel. Then people wonder why their puppy is difficult. It’s not the puppy. It’s the thoughtless way you’ve behaved.

We had made part of the house puppy-proof. We’d changed a good 17th Century Oak Kitchen Table to a cheap pine charity shop table. We’d changed good 17th Century Oak Kitchen Chairs to cheap Stickback chairs. Anything of value that could have been chewed had been taken out and stored in an outhouse.

I knew puppies would chew. Everyone should know that. It’s a natural thing and puppies should NOT be punished for doing it. It’s to strengthen their teeth and to allow the baby milk teeth to fall out easily. Once that has happened they suddenly stop chewing. Then you can move your good furniture back.

I didn’t care if she chewed cheap stuff……..go for it girl!

I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Whoops…………

First of all though we had to get through the first night.

The pitiful crying of a lonely puppy left on its own for the first time in a strange home is horrendous.

What did we do? Did I survive? Did I go and comfort her?

THE VERY BEGINNING

When I had made THE decision to get a Labradour puppy the next step was WHERE and what colour.
The colour was quite easy. I’d had friends who’d got cream labs and they always had white hairs on their clothes and you’d have to do a lot more hovering. I’ve got a few really expensive LBD’s and so that was out. It would have to be a black one.
I was also bit wary of the in-breeding element of the chocolate ones……….
I hit the telephone to all the farmers I knew quite well in my local area. Its full of farmers and so that seemed for me the most logical thing to do. I didn’t quite use the Yellow Pages but very nearly.
I believe that you should know where your dog is coming from. And it should come from a happy mum and a happy human family and you should know this family quite well. Or be in a position to raise merry hell if you’ve been sold a sick puppy. You wouldn’t in all honesty be able to give it back (and if you are one of those people then shame on you) but you could get your money back to help correct the problems.
Anyway, I found my family. They were a local farming family (thirty miles away and around here that’s local) where the family pet (don’t get me started yet on those who buy dogs to go shooting with) a black labradour Emily was pregnant with seven puppies and due in two months time.
I went along to meet Mum. She was a contented and very friendly dog who was allowed to wander around the house wherever she wanted and was plainly very much loved. A really good start.
Mrs. Browning was happy to put me on the “list” but she first gave me the third degree. Why did I want a dog? Where was it going to be kept? And it went on and on. I came away with a feeling of what it must be like to be crossing an illegal border! I was pleased though that at least they were keen to know where their puppies were going and how they were going to be treated.
We agreed the price and we also agreed that I wouldn’t choose “my puppy” but Mr. and Mrs. B. would! Why? Well they felt they would know the puppies best and would know what I wanted and could match me up with the puppy they thought would suit me. They did agree I could have a girl. Hopefully there would be a girl amongst them or else what would I do? Ah well………
And they also wanted to come and see the puppy after the first three months to see if I was keeping her properly and then again after six months. After that if they were happy then I would be left alone! If they were unhappy they would take my puppy back. On that they were most insistent.
Good for them. I only wish all puppies had owners who were concerned about where they were going and whether they would be well treated or not. They did say that they would refuse to give a puppy to a family with very small young children.
Why?
Because the puppy would not be treated well and would come last in the pecking order. If you are going to have a well trained dog you have to be able to have the time to train it properly and that starts from the word go………….no-one who has small demanding children can do that.
And also they would refuse to give a puppy to someone who would leave it in the house from the moment they left for work to the moment they came back. It is cruel.
I totally agreed. I was in an ideal position. I was in the right place to give my all to my new puppy. I was in pole position!
It was a good beginning………….
Emily went into labour on time but sadly lost two of the puppies. They were down to five! And miraculously there were two girls and three boys. I had my puppy. Finger’s crossed.
I went over immediately and of course fell in love with all of them. After the fourth drink of a good white Australia wine toasting the new arrivals I wanted to take all of them home – I did have the room – and was tempted to start my own pack.
Even at £500 each I didn’t care.
We agreed that I would come back a month later to see which one they had chosen out of the two girls for me! I couldn’t wait.
Unfortunately, I had to walk home.