Introducing a New Puppy
When we lost Alfie suddenly, one of my main concerns was for Holly, who was his constant companion for the whole of his nine years, They did everything together sleep, eat they even pooed in unison! Holly was the oldest and definitely the boss but Alfie was her protector and soul mate, I can honestly say that they never had the slightest tiff.
First Days
It wasn’t like that in the beginning, far from it!. Holly was five and had got far too clingy with me. It was lovely to have such a devoted dog but I was worried for her. She seemed to be forgetting that she was a dog, just focusing her whole life around me. She is a chihuahua mix and reading about the breed they do tend to attach themselves to just one person.
So, I set out to find a friend for her. At the time I wasn’t involved in dog rescue and I’m ashamed to say that we bought Alfie from a breeder. I am cringing as I write this but hindsight is a wonderful thing!
We chose a puppy who would grow to a similar size as Holly, with a very laid back temperament.
If I’m totally honest it wasn’t just Holly I wasn’t thinking of, my daughter had left home and I had a very bad case of empty nest syndrome. The desire for a puppy in my life was like a physical need, a pain in my stomach that would only heal by the smell of puppy breath!
We bought Alfie home and introduced him to Holly outside the house on neutral ground just like the books tell you to. Holly took one look at this tiny ball of black and white fluff bouncing all over the place and bared her teeth. She hated him!
I was so concerned about Holly hurting the puppy I kept them separate and only let the two meet under strict supervision. To say I was worried was an understatement, I could never see Holly accepting Alfie, What had I gone and done?
Three days after he arrived I was doing some housework and became preoccupied. I looked into the garden and there they both were….playing! I must have left one of the doors open. I can’t tell you how relieved I was. Holly had accepted Alfie and they were never apart until he died of cancer in April this year.
Additional Reading
Have you recently added a puppy to your family?
Are you overwhelmed by how much time and training is required?
This post provides some handy tips when introducing a new puppy to your home.
I can relate! We adopted Annie weeks after my youngest left for college and the nest was empty. It seems that I welcome dogs whenever I have a big adjustment in my life.
Me too! Dogs comfort us when our lives take a different path. I can honestly say I have never met a Newfoundland but it has gone on my bucket list since reading about your beautiful dogs. x
Maybe we can make that happen someday!
I’ m so sorry for the loss of your beloved pet. What will you name the new precious puppy? When Molly passed away at 14 1/2 I had to sit on the floor and pretend to eat at her bowl just for Jessy, who had been her companion for 14 1/2 years to eat again. He had forgotten how to eat without her. It was so sad! But he attached himself to me and in hindsight I wish we would have done what you have and gotten another puppy for him to live his days out with.
You sound as crazy about dogs as I am.Pretending to eat from a dog bowl is just the sort of thing I would do! x
Crazy about them!!! I loved these dogs with the same love I give my family. They were my family. When Jess got cancer I made him food from scratch every day. His tumors shrank. He lived 8 months past when the vet said he would. The day he suffered was the day we said goodbye.
The time we have with our fur babies is so short. But oh the joy and love they give us. Then we are blessed once again when a new ball of fur enter our lives.
So true xx