Follow my little Betsy

Just wanted to say a little about buying a dog from a breeder.  

When we went to see Betsy, she looked so adorable .  I did notice that she was sneezing a lot and her nose had white stuff coming out if it.  This should have rang alarm bells but I just fell in love with the little helpless pup.  When you buy a puppy they should have had their first injection at eight weeks.  Betsy was now 11 weeks and had no injections yet.  I asked the women why, she just said she had not had time as she worked a lot. I feel that this is a bad breeder.  On the way home we called at the pet store for supplies and a lovely lady called Miriam said she thought the pup was unwell.  Straight away we took her to the vets and they told us she had a respiratory infection and prescribed medication, hoping the pup would get well.  Unfortunately, she was unable to have her first injection.  I text the women who we had bought her from just to let her know that Betsy was unwell as there was another pup still in her care.  I received a text back saying I will call you tonight - never heard from her again on this matter. Fortunately Betsy recovered and went on to had her injections.  So just take care when buying a pup. 

As it got nearer to Betsy going out I had mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension.  The day arrived we put Betsy's pink harness and lead on and we were ready to go.  I had been putting her harness and lead on for a couple of weeks to make her feel more comfortable for when we actually went out.  Outside was a big new world to Betsy, at first she sat on the pavement just looking around.  I did not expect Betsy to want to walk straightaway but I was surprised - she just loved the walking! We have what they call the dog walk so lots of different breeds go there. A couple of dogs came over to sniff Betsy and she was ok but a bit unsure.  As time goes on and we go there regularly, Betsy gets more confident.  As a family we are all happy to take Betsy out and share all the responsibilities of having a dog. 

A New Day.

It's 7 am, the snoring has stopped and I know it is time to get up. Betsy has only had two injections so for now she is doing her business on the balcony or in the crate on the newspaper. I get out of bed and carry her to the balcony and say " go potty Betsy." I know it sounds silly but it works! Then the poo dance starts, it is so funny. Betsy runs from side to side, bucking her legs like a horse until she decides to go. After everything is cleaned up, I head back to bed but Betsy wants some cuddles so I get my pillow and lay with her on the sofa until we both fall asleep again. 

At breakfast time, Betsy is fed first. She doesn't beg for our food as we have never given any to her so she is quite content with her dog food and treats. We use the treats to teach her commands and tricks. So far she will sit, give each paw and high five. She will also lay down and jump through a hoop. 

At only 5 months old, Betsy is making great progress and we are very proud of her! 

 

At the beginning.

Sat in bed listening to my puppy Betsy snoring so loudly.  I was wondering if the lady next door would be able to hear her as the window in our bedroom was opened.  

I live in an apartment on the 5th floor with Charlotte our daughter and Martin my dear husband.  Betsy has been with us for 11 weeks now and what a wonderful experience it has been so far.  Before Betsy came on the scene it had taken me months to decide to get a dog and I knew in my heart that I wanted one but actually getting a dog was a big decision.  I thought of reasons why not to and then the reasons for getting a dog.

Reasons for not getting a dog:  

Expense - not just the cost of the puppy, also vet bills, food, toys and possibly kennels.

Time -  a dog takes up a lot of your time they need a great deal of attention.

Potty training and dog training in General is hard work.

Long Term Commitment.

A dog is completely dependent on their owner.

Sacrifice's in your own life style.

Reasons for getting a dog:

Companionship they are so loveable and give so much.

Socializing great for meeting new people.

Good exercise.

They make you laugh and do crazy things.

They are part of a family unit.

  In the end the reasons for getting a dog really appealed to me. I remember sitting at my computer scrolling through the adverts of different breeds.  I decided on a Shih Tzu and read as much about them as I could digest. I contacted a lady who advertised a female black and white puppy for sale.  We arranged to go take a look.  Arriving at the house we were greeted by the owner who took us to see the puppy.  We took one look and knew she was the one for us.  So thats how things started with Betsy.  She was so small, a cute bundle of fur.  Life changed so dramatically from that day on.  It was like having a new baby in the apartment. 

We had bought her a crate for sleeping in but Betsy was not having any of it.  Eventually, she slept in our room on a red rug at the side of our bed.  Who needed an alarm clock not us.  Puppies need to go out about every 3 hours so Martin and I took it in turns.  We got into a good routine and the hours got longer and longer in between. Now Betsy sleeps through most nights.