Ness' bit of everything

Meet Lola, not a show girl. But our new furry addition to our family.

She is a chocolate and tan miniature dachshund. Born 16th April 2018 and currently as of this blog post she is 4 months old.

We have been talking about getting a dog for a while and after travelling we saw it as the perfect time to get one. Alex is now working from home which means Lola wouldn’t be alone for long periods of time.

So, Alex and I don’t like to talk about it but the first week of having Lola needs to be spoke about. IT WAS TOUGH. Tougher than I ever imagined. I understood that there would be crying as we had taken her from her mother and siblings at just 8 weeks old. However, I was not prepared for the constant crying, taking her out 3/4 times a night to the toilet and the unbelievable neediness.

We had a crate ready and we placed it by our bed as this was the recommended practice. We intended to then slowly move her away from the bed into another room as the weeks went on.

However, she’s smart. She knew that crying would lead to her being let out to the toilet. At 3am she would look up at you, almost laugh, then run around and not even wee.

Having her next to our bed for 5 sleepless nights, we had to change strategy.

We moved on to a method called…tough love. We ‘puppy proofed’ the downstairs bathroom, placed her bed, water, a puppy pad and of course Lola inside. We warned the neighbours then we shut the bathroom door that night and we wouldn’t then open it until the morning. The howling was brutal and did nothing for my anxiety. Alex handed me some ear plugs and we tried to sleep. The first night in there she cried 10pm until 4am, she only stopped when she wore herself out. After a few more nights in there the crying was decreasing and Lola was starting to sleep through the night. (Yes, it sounds like parenthood)!

After a week or so in the bathroom we were also getting to the point where there were no little presents left for us in the morning. This was now bliss, a sleeping puppy and no mess to clear up before my morning coco pops!

This was the worst hurdle and looking back that first week to 10 days were, well, not pleasant. After this we have had minor things to deal with but each week is getting progressively better and she is turning into the puppy I envisioned owning.

After her last injection, she could then walk in public and socialise with other dogs. This was also another turning point. Also, being able to get out of the flat with an over energetic dog was a great relief.

The walking is getting better. Most dog owners have a problem with pulling. We have a problem with constant sniffing, dragging behind and just not moving. This has improved slightly due to the increase of treats we carry on walks, training her to heel and persistence.

Granted she has given us hours of frustration, but we now couldn’t imagine our home and lives without her. So here is our family and I hope to share more adventures with Lola in the near future.

Ness x

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