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Its time to introduce a new team member
A liver and white German Short Haired Pointer
Born on February 11th 2014
The smallest of 13 puppies
The team didn’t seem complete without a gsp and I wasn’t in a position to say yes when I was first told about them, my commitments changed in early March which allowed me the time for a new puppy. I mentioned it to Amie who was on the phone making app0intments to see the litter, then on the internet checking the price of puppies, in next to no time. The appointment was made for Amie to take my up to the Barnsley area to see the puppies one night after Amie finished work. We arrived about 8pm and puppies were a bit sleepy. The puppies mum Rolo was in excellent condition and very pleased to see visitors, she made a big fuss of both me and Amie. Rolo was very happy to introduce us to her daughter from a previous litter and all her new puppies. We were able to handle all the puppies whilst the 2 adult dogs were present. John the breeder explained Rolo was an excellent mum, he showed us which puppies were left for sale, 4 dogs, 2 bitches. We handled them all and Rolo happily settled down to feed her brood not all bothered that Amie was still cuddling a puppy at the side of Rolo. I sat and cuddled a little boy for along time but decided that wasn’t a good idea, I would be constantly comparing him to Jed, I wasn’t looking for a replacement to my special boy, I was looking to have some fun with a new little life, so it was going to be a bitch puppy but which one!!! All the common sense and puppy testing experience disappeared from my head, they are all wonderful!!! John explained that the one he new as 3 spot(because she had 3 brown patches on one side) was the smallest in the litter and had been handled a lot to make sure she had her fair share of the milk. So which one, well I didn’t really want a large dog and I definitely wanted one that had been well handled, which to be fair they all had, so back to the dilemma, well in the end I went for little 3 spot as she had a small white spot on her nose, not very scientific I think !!!! So I paid the deposit and we left Rolo with her brood all tucked up.
Preparations for the big day. Off to the shops for a bed, toys, D A P diffuser and spray. I all ready had a puppy crate and bowls. The home coming is getting closer and I have no idea what to name my bundle of joy. The diffuser is plug in a week before puppy’s arrival and the crate is in place. Amie had arranged to take me to bring the puppy home after work one evening when the puppies were 8 weeks old. I took with me plenty of towels a toy and the D A P spray to spray on the blanket to bring puppy home on, D A P helps puppies to settle when they may become stressed leaving their family behind. Its also not a good idea to wear perfume on this occasion, I bring puppies home on my knee and I want them to bond with my sent not a perfume to confuse the puppy, needless to say Amie did the driving. My puppy was one of the first to go to a new home so we carefully made sure with John that we had our 3 spot, paid the rest of the puppy price and made sure we had all the relevant paper work and diet sheets ect. Puppy was a little restless and we arrived home safely. The first job is to make sure puppy know were to toilet so I take her out on to the yard, at this point she goes flat to the ground in fear, time to quickly rethink that plan. I calmly pick up puppy take her in and put paper down near the door, I will try again the next day. After time so explore the kitchen we head off to bed. the puppies crate is in my bed room were I can hear if she gets distressed or needs to go to the toilet. We have a comfortable night, puppy is eager to have breakfast and I start to introduce puppy to my 2 quiet labradors. They get on well and puppy is happy to trot round the garden with them and toilet outside with the big guys. Still no name!!!
Settling in process! This is a very important time with a new puppy and quite scary for the little bundle of joy. I have a small plastic dog bed in the kitchen with vet bed in, it is placed near the radiator, a low double feeding stand for food and water, and a few puppy safe toys, also a piece of the blanket that came with puppy 3 spot, that had been in the puppy pen at Johns, this as the sent of her mum and litter mates and is quite comforting to the new puppy. As already mentioned there is a D A P diffuser plug in. Old news papers are near the door for toileting in my absence. I don’t allow new puppies to have free run of the house until they are toilet trained because youngsters can find it had to find the right place if they are given to much room to roam in, so I have a dog gate across the kitchen floor. The next thing I need to do is place a dog ramp on the back door steps as these are to high for a young puppy to negotiate, now it is time for our first training session for puppy to learn how to walk up and down a metal ramp, with some tasty bits of chicken placed on the ramp this is soon achieved, so with the back door safely propped open and the dog ramp in place my bundle of joy can explore the outside world and learn to toilet outside.
My next task is to train the recall. I do this by blowing 3 pips on a gundog whistle every time I feed the puppy. This puppy as also been given goats milk as a supplement to her mums milk because she came from a large litter and was the smallest. The goats milk is a real bonus in teaching the recall whistle as she loves the milk. I soon realise that I have a very fast learner, in next to no time I can recall for food and milk no matter were or what this puppy is doing, FANTASTIC!!! The next thing I teach is to sit for food and teach early food manners by using some of puppies kibble at meal time before she as the whole meal.
Time to contact my vet for a check up. It is advisable to have even the healthiest of puppies checked over by your vet within the first 3 days of owning them. I also activated the puppy insurance on the first day. I ring my practice to arrange an appointment and have to register puppy 3 spot as GSP puppy due no name, however there is a name in the back of my mind relating to several whining sessions when puppy needs something, especially a cuddle when she is tiered!
Puppy is gaining her confidence at a very fast rate but also looking to me to help with the things she can’t quite understand. I don’t allow to much time playing with my other dogs as I want the puppy to bond with me as a leader not my other dogs, however it is time to introduce her to all of them not just the quiet labradors, Henry and Fizz but also the more rowdy weimaraner Guy and the whirling dervish known as mad Max the working cocker. The puppy is quite curios and wants to make friends but great care is taken as so as not to allow them to frighten her, Guy as never liked little puppies under his feet and tends to run off grumbling. After a day or two Guy starts to show the puppy how to hunt in the hedge rows in the garden and go on point at the birds hiding in the hedge, ok she’s not so bad after all, but it does look like the little and large show. All the dogs are getting on with great care not to allow a youngster to race round to much with big dogs, she needs to put her energy into growing strong bones muscles and tendon etc.
It’s got to be time for a name and Winnie because she whinges and whines for attention seems to suit puppy 3 spot very well, also know as Winifred when she is very naughty. Now she really does fit into the family.
