Meet the new member of the family: ten week old Ruffin, here seen showing Smidgeon who’s boss.
I didn’t plan for another puppy. We signed up with several pet rescue charities, but as soon as we mention grandchildren and family dog-sitting, it seems none of their charges are suitable.
I’ve always kept two or three dogs. I must have been lucky, because in fifty years of adult dog-owning, neither rehomed rescues nor canine hand-me-downs have failed to get on together. When the grandchildren came along, Pickle – who died recently in her seventeenth year – was already an old dog with no experience of children. She took to them like a duck to ducklings.
We share a gated drive with our neighbour who also has dogs. Our dogs share both gardens. The one rescue kennel that visited has decreed that the low fence along the dyke bordering our property is inadequate.
The dyke on the other side of the fence is a sheer drop. Next door’s bull mastiff cross, who once cleared a six foot wall in a single bound, has never dared to try jumping it. Neither did my daughter’s ex-racing greyhounds, who predated the fence.
The terrier Houdini for whom the fence was installed, never managed to dig under it or hop over it either. I’m not sure what other kind of canine escape artist the charity was hoping to rehome.
So it’s back to puppy pads and sheets of newspaper across the floors.
Writing Wrinkles 
I am pleased you have got a new puppy. I know you missed Pickle. Is Ruffin male or female?.
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He’s a he. To be honest we’ve been missing Pickle for some time, but Smidgeon didn’t know Pickle when she could hurtle through hedges and leap into open transit van windows from a sitting start. She just knew her as the dog who played with her when she arrived. ~Smidge has been missing their morning rolls together on their backs clicking teeth at each other. And now she’s the big dog – but not for long.
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Best of luck with Ruffin!
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Thanks. I think he’s going to be a bit of an escape artist once he’s got his bearings.
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our dog was like that for the first year after adopting her. she has settled down – a bit…
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I love him already. I remember the vet telling us that a new puppy is certain to destroy one thing you really treasure. For him it was his leather coat. Our last puppy ate her way through the Gospel of John in my leather bound Bible.
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Since it wasn’t that long since Smidgeon was a pup, I’m prepared. All the trailing electric leads are gathered off the floor.
Said floor is covered in newspaper but the back door’s open.
( I was similarly laid-back potty training my fourth offspring – she got the idea with a lot less stress than the others).
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Great that it was recent enough that you knew what to do with the puppy. I remember a friend’s daughter visiting us and when my daughter used the potty the visitor promptly pulled off her diapers and did the same.
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It works the same with dogs. Housetraining is always easier with another dog in the house to copy.
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I didn’t know that. I think we may get a puppy again and need to refresh myself on its demands.
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Constant surveillance for the first weeks. Even since Smidgeon last year. my mind had glossed over the level of attention required.
And after fifty years (since I last had a male puppy) I’d forgotten how much more frequently they squirt than the females.
Perhaps I’m expcting too much of 11 weeks’ capacity for restraint though, after a only week’s training
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As I remember they go all the time!
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Oh he looks adorable Cathy, so pleased for you..
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I’ve already had to add more chicken wire to the gates; should have called him Houdini
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Ruffin is such a great puppy! Full of fun!
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He’s certainly a challenge!
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