Clumberdoodle Archie Diary Aged 6 Months Onwards

Clumberdoodle Archie Diary Aged 6 Months Onwards

Pupdate 20th September 2017 – Archie’s 1st Groom

Archie has just turned 6 months old and it is time for his 1st proper groom, so an appointment was made a few weeks ago at a local Ivybridge Dog Groomer A1 K9. I have to say that I was a bit apprehensive, as Archie has a beautiful long wavy puppy coat which is a bit different to the normal curly coats that this breed should have which needs quite short clipping. However this is necessary as when the adult coat comes through it could start to matte with the puppy coat causing knotting. However as I can manage his coat at the moment with daily brushing there are no knots yet!!!

Here he is before

We arrived at Kelly the groomer and although I spoke to her and said that if possible I would like to keep his coat long, I obviously was in her hand to do what was best for Archie and I was quite prepared to see a total change in him when I collected him. I left him barking his head off when I left which you could hear right down the street. Was I going to get a phonecall from her asking me to collect him as he would not settle and it was impossible to get clippers near him!!!!

Three hours later, yes Kelly had been very patient and gradually got him used to the surroundings and the new noises that he would have to encounter and he did settle down. I got the phonecall to say he was ready and I could go and collect him, would I recognise him?

To my surprise he didn’t look much different and he was still the fluffy coated puppy that I had taken in. Kelly said that as his coat was in such good condition she did not want to clip it, and was quite happy to leave it as it was, but this could all change over the coming weeks. He had however been washed and dried, and had been clipped around his face, nails done, bum done and he smelt lovely. I hope he will enjoy his next visit in a couple of months time, when he will have to go again!!!

Here he is after

He is now all ready to go on a short break to Cornwall please click here to read all about it

Pupdate 26th September 2017

Archie has been going to puppy obedience classes at the Plymouth Dog Training Club for a few weeks now, and at the end of the class today unbeknown to us all, assessments were being done and it was announced that 3 puppies were now ready to go up to the next class.  Surprise, surprise, Archie was the first name to be called out, and we were presented with a certificate and rosette from the instructor.  He has been doing very well over the last few weeks, but I was surprised that the teacher thought he was good enough to move up a class.  To think back to his very first class where he was the most disruptive puppy in it and I thought he might be excluded from any future classes, but we persisted so this is massive progress and I am very proud of him.

 

Pupdate 3rd October 2017

Well Archie attended his first Senior Pet Class at Obedience training and it was certainly more challenging, not only for him but for me as well.  He tried his best at some of the more advanced training that was necessary in this class and it was actually me that let him down as on a couple of disciplines I was not sure what I was doing, so there was no hope for Archie. However we did enjoy it and looking forward to next Tuesday, although  A bit of practice is needed before then, mainly on my part.

Pupdate 23rd October 2017 – Crate Update – I have a confession!!

You might have read my post on Archie’s little break away in Cornwall and as he was holiday I did not take his crate and just took his bed which he slept in the bedroom of the cottage which was a big mistake.  When we returned home Archie decided that he didn’t want to go back and sleep in his crate and performed like only an Oscar winning Actor can do!!!  His protests were a sight to behold and even Steve sitting in the room with him reading his Kindle (not to Archie I hasten to add!!) until Archie dropped off to sleep did not work.  The slightest sound and movement and Archie was awake protesting and barking back in sheer devilment!!

So the only option was, to bring him up to our bedroom which he was very pleased about as you can imagine.  He had won!!!  But to be honest, I know we failed and were not hard enough on him, but it makes our lives so much easier at bedtime.  Off Archie trots upstairs and makes himself comfortable on his Gore Pet rug with a little doggy cushion as a pillow on the floor next to our bed and he sleeps happily right through until it is time to get up (and here is another confession)  well on the bed that is, for a morning cuddle.  He then makes himself comfortable snuggled on the duvet (which I do cover with an old duvet cover)  and then he drops off to sleep again and he is quite happy to stay on the bed for as long as he can which has been as late as 9.40 a.m. (without the need to relieve himself!!).   As I have said in a previous blog, we have changed his breed from Clumberdoodle to Slumberdoodle!!!  So the crate is no more, as Archie much prefers our bedroom!!!!

Pupdate 1st November 2017

Archie met up with his brother Biscuit today for the 3rd time. Last time they met was at Biscuit’s house, but today it was Archie’s turn to host the meeting. I knew Archie would be very excited, so I kept him out in the garden just before Biscuit’s arrival. Well, as soon as I opened the door to let Biscuit in, Archie went absolutely mad when he saw him through the glass in the door and tried his very hardest with his muddy paws to actually come through the closed door. We safely managed to escort Biscuit into the garden as he too was going berserk as soon as he saw Archie and once they met it was absolute excitement from both of them. They chased each other round and the garden before they eventually calmed down a bit and we went out on our walk.

They both had a great time walking over Henlake Down and then down to the river in Longtimber Woods to try and wash off some of the mud that they had managed to find. We then stopped Rochelles café which is in the arcade where we sat and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee (and cake) whilst Archie and Biscuit sat and behaved – at times!!!

Then it was the long walk back up the hill to home. We thought that both Archie and Biscuit would have been tired as their walk was probably 3 times as long as ours as they didn’t stop chasing each other around and around and around. Once back in the garden they were off again and also managed a game of tug of war with a plant frond.

Then it was time to try and get them to sit still and pose for some photos and as you can see Archie is still the scruffy one!!!

However I am glad to say that once Biscuit left, Archie settled down and we didn’t get much more out of him for the rest of the day.

Pupdate 2nd November 2017 – Archie turned 7 months old today

Pupdate 6th November 2017

It was off to the groomers again today for a much needed tidy up and here’s the proof

When I booked his appointment with Kelly at A1K9 groomers in Ivybridge she only had a slot for an hour and half and said that she would just do another puppy groom as before. I decided to walk him down (which turned out to be a good decision, as you will see). We arrived just before 11.00 a.m and I had to admit that the bottom of his ears were quite matted. It happened very quickly and although we had been trying to get them out, it would take a lot of work to eliminate all of them. She said she was running a bit behind but Archie was left with her and I made my way home and would be waiting for the phonecall when Kelly had finished

Well 2hours went by, no phonecall, 3 hours went by, nothing, 4 hours, nothing, so by this time I was a bit worried, had Archie escaped and Kelly was trying to locate him. Was he being really naughty and she couldn’t do anything with him? Had he completely destroyed her grooming parlour? the mind was wondering. However at 3.30 p.m the phone rang and thankfully it was Kelly. I held my breath in readiness for what she was going to say, but nothing too untoward and she said I could go and collect him. She did say Archie had been a bit wilful (which in my book would have meant he had been extremely difficult and would not sit still long enough for her to do anything!!).

I went and collected him and as I walked through the door, there he was waiting for me, a lovely clean and very fluffy dog. Kelly said she had got all the mattes out of his ears and she had actually scissor cut his coat, which I was not expecting but he looked lovely. She said he had such a lovely coat and he would not look right clipped. Obviously to scissor cut all over takes a lot of time, hence the 4 and a half hours he was with her. She is however very patient with difficult dogs and puppies and takes her time for the dogs to get used to being groomed, and I cannot recommend her enough. But 41/2 hours is a long time for anyone to have their hair, nails etc done, let alone a male dog!!!

As Archie had been couped up for a long time, it was in the car and off for a nice brisk walk as it was actually starting to get dark. Obviously somewhere nice and dry as he was looking beautiful. We decided to go on our favourite clean walk at Saltram so hopefully Archie would come back still looking like he did when he came out of the groomers. Naturally a photo shoot ensued and what a difference to the scruffy photo before he went. How long will it last, until the end of the walk!!!

Pupdate 27th November 2017 Archie’s All In One Raincoat

Every time Archie goes out for a walk, it seems he manages to find any bit of mud and comes home absolutely filthy.  We go walking for an hour and it takes a good half an hour to get him clean.  I even invested in a proper Pethut doggy hair dryer, which I have to say took Archie a little while to get used to it.  It is quite powerful and noisy and if you have a small dog or cat, it could actually blow them off the table!!!!

(this is an affiliate link and I may earn a small commission if you buy through my link)

Particularly this time of year and with all the rain I also bought him a doggy coat, and although it kept his body relatively dry his legs still got wet and muddy.  I thought it would be a good idea to try and find a full body coat that included his legs so started my hunt on the internet.  I eventually found what I thought would do the job a” Cosipet Trouser Suit” which is an all in one body suit, with a zip across the back. The size I had to get him meant that it was a little bit too long in the legs but with elasticated cuffs I didn’t think it would matter too much.

Well it arrived and Archie tried it on.  Steve, just took one look at him, laughed and said he would not take him out wearing it, as he looked ridiculous.   However it was not a very nice day today so thought I would zip Archie up in his waterproof bag, as that what it looks like and venture up on the moors to see if it would reduce the cleaning off time.  I have to say he does look quite stupid and I really was hoping that we would not meet anyone.

See what I mean? Archie isn’t very impressed either!!

Well we only walked out of our drive and someone with a dog was coming down the road.  I could sense a little smirk on the face of the owner, and he was obviously thinking “what on earth does that poor little dog look like!”

We walked up the muddy farm track to Henlake Down, and once we got to the top, I wanted to see if Archie could actually run in the suit, so threw his tennis ball.  It was just a short throw and apart from him rustling when he ran it didn’t seem to inhibit him in any way, so more balls were thrown at longer distances.  He bounded along and he obviously didn’t mind his new clothing.

The grass and long undergrowth was very wet, but  Archie continued to chase his ball finding all the muddy tracks and puddles. It did look as if the suit was doing its job as all that appeared to be wet and muddy were his feet.  Then it started to rain just before  so his head was now wet (a hood therefore would have been a good design)  so once we got home I was anxious to see if his body and his legs were in fact dry, and apart from drying his head and his feet the drying time would be reduced greatly.  WRONG, I took off his coat only to find that his legs were wet and muddy  His actual body was dry but to be honest I have no idea why his legs were wet, but it seemed that the wet had actually soaked through the material.  So it sill took just as long to dry him off, as his legs had to be washed and towelled off first before they were blow dried.  So basically he went out looking like a laughing stock for no reason.  Would I use it again? probably just at night  for a quick walk around the block, where he wasn’t running or chasing a ball, and hopefully with no fear of actually meeting anyone!!!

Pupdate 6th December 2017 Archie’s Christmas Party

The day had come for Archie’s 1st Christmas Party which was organised by the Plymouth Dog Training Club. Fancy dress was optional (although there was a prize for the best fancy costumer.). I hunted high and low to try and get Archie a Santa costume, but without success as they were all too small, so I just opted for a pair of flashing reindeer antlers. I had to slightly adapt them and sew on a piece of elastic to the headband to under his chin, otherwise they just kept falling off.

Here is a photo of him all ready to go to the party.

The party was held at one of the two training halls, so dogs and puppies from both venus attended so as you can imagine there were quite a few there.

We arrived to see quite a lot of dogs wearing fancy dress costumes and Archie (as usual) was very excited to see so many dogs, and he didn’t know which one to go and say “hello” to first, but I am sure he managed to go around and meet the majority of them. I didn’t count how many turned up, but it must have been around 30.

The party kicked off with a game of musical chairs, where sheets of newspaper were scattered over the floor and when the music stopped you had to get your dog to sit on a piece of paper – otherwise they were out. As with the game of musical chairs after each stop pieces of paper were taken away until there was only one piece left and the winner was decided. It was quite funny as one puppy decided on its first “sit” to actually do a wee on the paper – obviously the toilet training kicked in. Archie lasted a few rounds but then he got knocked out.

Then there was a relay game, where two teams were formed and the dogs had to complete a little obstacle course, consisting of a small jump, some cones to weave in and out and then a tunnel at the end. Once a dog was through the tunnel it was then the turn of the next one. I have to say that Archie enjoyed this as he loves jumping over obstacles, being it legs, bracken and gorse bushes or actual jumps, but in the pandamonium that ensued, I am really not sure which team actually won. At one stage 3 dogs were trying to go through the tunnel at the same time (as a team was obviously cheating and not waiting their turn – which wasn’t ours!!). Dogs were refusing to go through the tunnel and at one point the tunnel was collapsed up which made it easier for those who were refusing to go through it.

Then it was the judging of the fancy dress, females judged first and then the males. Archie just made up the numbers as him wearing just a pair of flashing antlers was not going to win any prizes, but at least he took part!!!

The last game of the evening was great fun. You had to walk around with your dog and then the instructor would shout out a number between 0 and 6 which related to the number of feet that you were allowed on the floor. So obviously 6 was your dog’s 4 legs and your own two legs. If she shouted 0, then no feet were allowed to be touching the floor, so you basically had to lie down with either your dog lying on its side or actually on top of you. Four could have been the owners’ 2 legs, with the two front paws lifted up so the dog was just standing on his hind legs. This was quite a mental game for the owners as you had to try and work out in the quickest possible time how to actually work it out.

It was great fun, but needless to say Archie and I were knocked out again!!! So we didn’t win any prizes BUT Father Christmas made an appearance and each dog formed an orderly queue to meet Father Christmas and to help themselves to a “doggy” present from his sack. Archie chose a dual coloured tennis ball, as he loves chasing his tennis balls, but manages to lose an awful lot.

I can best describe the evening as organised bedlam, but it was great fun and all the canines (and their owners) seemed to enjoy themselves.

Archie however carried on enjoying his party as when I came home Steve and I had a cup of coffee, Steve having a brandy and I had a baileys and a piece of cake. I took the glass of brandy and the glass of baileys into the lounge before I poured the coffee as Steve was upstairs. As I was carrying the coffee into the lounge out comes Archie licking his lips with drips of baileys down his chin. He had decided whilst no-one knew he was in the lounge to help himself to my baileys.Although he didn’t manage all of it, he did consume a little, which he seemed to enjoy and continue his very exciting evening!!!

Pupdate 19th December – last post of 2017 – Archie’s Goes to the Groomer

Yes it was time for Archie to go to the hairdresser again (he has spent more time there than I have done the whole of my life!!).  It was up with the lark as his appointment was at 8.30 a.m which was a bit of struggle as Arch usually gets up at between 9.00 & 9.30 a.m.  So it was an early breakfast then we walked down to the groomers which take about 15 mins and hoping he would relieve himself on the way as morning toilet is about 9.30 a.m!!

Kelly told me  a good couple of hours, but true to form it was in fact 4 hours later when I got the call to go and collect him.  Well, I have to say he looked gorgeous, and as before she hadn’t clipped him short so he still looked like Archie with his fluffled up coat, although he did smell a bit “ponsy!!”

Just were about to leave Kelly opened up a large storage box which was filled with different coloured and designs of dog bandanas and she found a nice red one with reindeers that she tied around Archie’s neck, he looked quite handsome!!

Unfortunately he had to go out for  walk, and it seems when he goes out Archie usually finds the mud so t wasn’t long before his lovely clean fluffed up coat was spoilt.

Pupdate 25th December 2017 – Archie’s 1st Christmas

Archie seemed to enjoy his 1st Christmas, although he was a little bit concerned when the all the Christmas decoration boxes came down from the attic.  Archie doesn’t like anything that isn’t normal, so these unsettled him a bit.  Once he got used to them being around, he naturally wanted to help and thankfully they all went up without Archie breaking or eating any.

Archie’s first Christmas Day arrived and the morning started with him just having to wear his Christmas flashing reindeer antlers.

It was then time for him to open his rather large pile of presents (he seemed to have more than we did!!).  Now I thought that he would have been over excited and just wanting to rip them all open as fast as he could, but no, he took time to open each one and study the contents.  He had quite a few cuddly toys, a large nylabone, a stag antler bone, two selection boxes, some hide chews in the shape of a ball and a huge tennis ball, that was too big to hold (although he managed to tease a bit of the outer covering off so he could actually hold it in his teeth).  He loved nudging this along the floor and then playing football with it.

I think he wondered what on earth was going on, but he seemed to enjoy all the fuss, and loved it even more with all these doggy treats, and he managed to get through the day without being sick!!!

Once he had opened his presents he had a lovely walk and then the day just got even better when he was allowed a couple of small pieces of turkey with his dinner.

However he was a little upset on Boxing Day, as there were no presents under the tree to open and it appeared that all the excitement only lasted for one day.

Interesting Health Issue

I thought I would write a post about an ear problem Archie had and the resolution you might find an interesting read.

I did a lot of research on dog food before we had Archie which included comparing raw food against complete dry food and opted for the complete dry food. Once I decided on the complete dry food I then did some more research and found a website that compared different brands and eventually opted for Natures Way which is gluten free and is very natural and the puppy formula also contains 60% chicken.

Archie loved this food and his stools were always perfect (I know, but as a dog owner you will know that a lot can be gained by checking their stools) and he was very happy and healthy. Apart from one slight problem and that was inside one of his ears, which became very red ear and had brown wax like muck and also was quite smelly. However it was only one ear that was problematic and the other was lovely pale and clean.

We took him to the vet as it was clearly troubling him as he was shaking his head violently every so often and then would sit and scratch it. After examination he said that it was probably a yeast infection and many breeds of dogs with droopy ears will usually get problems with their ears. A medication of drops was prescribed and hoped that it would clear up. Weeks went by without any improvement so it was back to the vet again who prescribed another form of medication. Again after weeks, there was no change. I then tried some stuff that I bought at a Pet Superstore in the hope that something would work but again nothing changed. I then scoured the internet to see if there was perhaps a natural remedy and found that a weak solution of white distilled malt vinegar had helped other owners. The vinegar cleaned the ear and also kept bacteria away so decided to try this as well. Although it did help a little the problem was still there so we were resigned to the fact that this could be a permanent problem and just carried on every couple of days with a cleaning routine.

Here comes the interesting bit

Our neighbour’s daughter has dogs of her own and is a rep for raw dog food and is also very knowledgeable on doggy ailments and health problems. She was visiting her parents one day and asked if she could come in and see how Archie had grown and also for him to have a play with her 2 dogs. During our conversation she asked how he was and I said that he was fine except for his ear problem. She immediately asked what I fed him on and did it contain chicken to which I replied yes. She said take him off chicken immediately and do not feed him any poultry or game, but switch to either lamb or beef. She said that her own dog had a similar problem and after spending £1,500 on vets bills she did some research and she found that chicken contains a lot of additives that some dogs are allergic to. She stopped her own dog eating chicken and in about 2 weeks the problem cleared up. She also passed this information on to other dog owners who’s dogs had ear problems (with most just infected in one ear) and in most cases in about 2 weeks the ears cleared up.

I was very sceptical as it is usually chicken that is used to help dogs and puppies with health issues, but I was willing to give it a try. So I purchased the lamb variety of Natures Way, although this was adult food and not specifically for puppies, but Archie was 9 months old and was told that he could go on adult food now. Well 2 weeks went by and although there was a slight improvement nothing substantial, but over the next few weeks there was a vast improvement and the redness has also gone and no brown at all and we haven’t had to clean his ears for days. Archie doesn’t shake his head any more and the scratching has stopped, so unbelievably it seems to have worked and I thought I would pass this information on to other doggy owners who have had or are still having ear problems to try this very simple remedy. It might not work for everyone but I can certainly recommend it, and a simple change of food has saved expensive vet’s bills.

I would be very interested to know if any doggy owners try this and find that it worked for them.

Pupdate 18th January 2018 – Archies mode of transport change

When we knew we were going to get a dog, I had to get rid of my lovely little Fiat 500 as it would not be big enough and trade it in for a very nice 8 year old Jaguar estate car which we thought would be an ideal car for Archie to be chauffeured around in.  I was very upset having to sell the Fiat but it just was not practical for a dog.  Well Archie appeared to like the Jag and he quite happily sat in his crate in the boot whilst he was a young puppy.

However when he got too big to travel in his crate he just traveled in the boot which he could manage to get in and out of quite easily, but nearly every time he went out he was sick.  It could just be a relatively short journey but quite clearly he was not happy.  However our main car is an electric Nissan Leaf  and Archie is quite happy to go out in that one, and he can travel long distances in it with no problem.

It was always my husband (Steve’s) intention to get rid of the dirty diesel Jaguar and to have another electric car as our second car, so with Archie not being able to travel in it gave us a perfect reason to change it.  We had had it for 12 months but it was a car I never bonded with, and quite clearly neither did Archie.

Steve scoured the internet for a replacement but there was nothing around that we really wanted and made the decision as there were no suitable electric cars to go for a smaller petrol car and get another electric vehicle in a few years time.   As a second car it wouldn’t be used that much and a petrol car is less of a pollutant than a diesel.  So after long discussions I suggested that another Fiat 500 could be the choice as I had already worked out that Archie could  sit on the back seat with a doggy harness?   As my other Fiat was a red one which I loved the only colour Fiat I would consider would be a red one and and would you believe it but  a red one was being offered for sale with the colour interior I wanted in a garage only a few miles away.

It was love at first sight and another little Fiat joined our family, I was over the moon.   It is called Wygly II (my first one was called Wygly – made out of it’s number plate) and I just refer to any Fiat 500 as a Wygly, so it just had to be named Wygly II (sad I know!!).

We cover the back set with the boot liner that used to be in the Jaguar and it is a perfect waterproof protector and then a doggy Noodle Dry Rug and Archie sits quite happily on the back seat in his harness and seat belt and loves it. So why did we have to sell the original Wygly in the first place?

Just one little thing though, now I have another Fiat 500 I am not so sure that I will want to swap it for an electric car, unless of course it is for an electric Fiat 500 which are manufactured solely for the Californian market but nowhere else in the World yet and I would be first in the queue  so watch this space!!!

Pupdate 1st February 2018 – Archie’s Change of Diet (again)

Further to my previous post about taking him off his complete dried food containing chicken and changing it to lamb because of his ear problem which worked, he wasn’t putting on any weight and in fact was losing a bit.  It wasn’t much only a few grams but with him still being classed as a puppy I was a bit worried, as although he shouldn’t be putting on as much as he was when he was younger, his weight should be increasing albeit at a much slower rate.

When we first got Archie I did a lot of research on what food I was going to give him, whether to go down the raw food route as many dog owners use it and swear by it, I decided on a good complete dry food.  However after him not doing so well on the adult lamb complete dry food, I decided that I would try him on a raw diet.

I contacted my friend (Sally) who is my local rep for Nutriment and here is the link to her website, and I know she will be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have.  She suggested putting Archie on the complete duck variety to see how he got on.  Well he absolutely loves it, although when I first gave him his first meal he was very tentative before he tucked into it.  We used to have a little ritual with his dried food, where he would go and sit in his bed and then we had to play a game where I went out of sight to see if I could catch him out starting to eat his food before I gave the “okay” command.  This could go on for quite a while as he was quite happy to sit in his bed and wait.  However on the raw food, he waits by the door and when I tell him to wait he sits and licks his lips and as soon as I give him the “okay” command he is there.

Soft poos are gone as they are now lovely and hard all the time and a lot smaller.  It is hard to believe that on a food that is very soft that this would happen, but it does and I believe that is because of the bone that is included.  It also has eliminated the “doggy farts” (sorry but I cannot describe it using any other words) which used to make anyone in the vicinity cover their noses – all you doggy people will know what I mean!!

Archie seems to be thriving on it and he certainly looks forward to every meal.  The only slight downside is that it is quite a bit  more expensive at the moment than the dried stuff, as he is still on puppy portions, but this will reduce once he becomes an adult which will be in a couple of months time.  Also due to the fact that he had the ear problem I was limited to the variety of this food that he could have, but there are various and less expensive options, so plenty to choose from to suit your own individual needs.   We have also had to purchase a little chest freezer to store a months supply (16) of what I can best describe as a very very large sausage each weighing 1.4kg.  It comes frozen so it does take up quite a lot of freezer space.  However the quantity needed is relevant to the size and weight of each individual dog and I believe that the food also comes in boxes of 5oog for smaller dogs, so storage would be less of an issue.

If you do decide to change to Nutriment and contact Sally, then please tell her that Archie referred you.

Some Information on What it contains

The Label Showing What the Ingredients Are

Pupdate 8th February 2018 – Archie’s Latest Trip to the Groomers

Another 6 weeks had passed and it was time for Archie’s next  appointment with Kelly at A1K9 groomers.   As usual he is down with a very patient Kelly for a good few hours but always comes out looking very handsome.  This time Kelly had taken quite a lot off and his coat was certainly shorter than it has ever been and gone was the shaggy coated Archie.  He had quite a lot of frizzy puppy fur and he was looking quite scruffy but Kelly clipped all this off and although I took a sharp intake of breath when I first saw him he did look quite lovely and certainly looked a lot more neat and tidy, but how long will it last??????

Pupdate 20th February 2018

As I have reported in a previous post, Archie goes to an obedience training class run by the Plymouth Dog Training Club.  He progressed up from the Junior class to the Senior Class (although he is still only 10 months old) and was was now with dogs who were well behaved and most of the time all very obedient.  He was the new boy in the class and it depended on what mood he was in whether he actually did as he was told.  However the instructor must have thought he was doing very well, as at the end of the class on the 20th February 2018 he was presented with a little trophy for the progress he had made over the weeks.  I was totally gobsmacked, but of course very proud of him.

 

A Very Proud “Mum”

Pupdate 27th February 2018 – Food

Archie was loving his new duck Nutriment Food and seemed to be thriving on it and has put on some weight,  but his ear problem reared it’s ugly head again.  Sally, the Rep the one who suggested to take him off chicken and turkey did say that sometimes duck can also be a culprit.  However she did say that most dogs are okay on duck and only a few percent will experience the same problem, so it was decided that we would try Archie on the duck.  Would you believe it, but Archie is one of the “select few” (as she calls them)  that is allergic to duck, which makes him allergic to all fowl.  I had to stop using the duck and Sally suggested I bought  some minced lamb for a few days until she ordered and delivered the beef variety.  Once off the duck his ear cleared up again.

The Nutriment range also includes beef and lamb, but the lamb is rather expensive so today he is going to try the beef variety.  This again is a complete raw food, but the beef does not contain any bone, which is certainly not a problem (except that his poos might be a tad softer).  The beef variety does however have a slight aroma to it!!!

Pupdate 28th February 2018 – Archie Discovers Snow

It was forecast that the Country was going to be extremely cold with sub zero temperatures and heavy snow which was blowing in from Siberia and would was known as “The Beast from the East”.  Living in Devon in the south west of England we usually escape the extreme weather (except for flooding) but today we were hit.  Heavy snow which laid very quickly turning it into a winter wonderland, with strong winds blowing the snow around.

The door was opened to let Archie out, who I have to say was very hesitant at first and was quite sure what this white stuff was.  The first thing he did was sniffing it and then licking it,then he pushed his nose in it like a snow plough and snorted and blew it everywhere, and from then on he just went absolutely mad and he wouldn’t come back in – he absolutely loved it.   The trouble was that as it was so cold the snow stuck to his fur and turned into snow balls that were very difficult to get off.

When we eventually tore him away from the fun and brought him back inside (as it was really too cold to stay out very long), he jumped on the chair and looked out of the window as the snow fell, itching to get back outside.  He pestered us constantly throughout the morning to go outside for more fun, but then after lunch he went out for his walk up on the moors behind our house.  To save his legs and tummy growing snow balls, we decided that he would have to wear his all in one suit,which a) he doesn’t particularly like and b) he looks rather embarrassing.  As you can imagine he had a wail of a time and didn’t want to come home.

During the afternoon he still wanted to go out and play in the snow, and when it was time for bed and as every night to go out and have a final pee before bedtime, he forgot about going to the toilet and just wanted to play in the snow and refused to come in, he was worse than a child!!  Eventually he did and so to bed, only to wake up to see the snow was still there.

Pupdate 1st March 2018 Archie plays in even more snow today

In Devon today, we were put on red alert at 3.00 p.m as storm Emma was coming up from the Atlantic and colliding with the Beast from the East, so more snow and blustery winds.  So after breakfast it was out in the garden for day 2 of fun and games.  It was however bitterly cold but Archie loved it and he would have stayed out there all morning.

With the thread of the red alert at 3.00 p.m, it was just down to the local dog walking park, as it really was too blustery to go up on the moors today.  Archie met up with a cockapoo and they both  had a whale of a time chasing each other round and round the park in the snow.  Archie is not the quickest of dogs, so he does get a bit frustrated if a dog he is playing with, runs too fast, but he has that all sorted as when they run past him he just hold on their tail, so he can keep up!!!

Back from the walk, then a repeat of yesterday watching out of the window, and crying to be let out into the garden to play in the snow.  It was now after 3.00 p.m and as expected the snow was getting deeper and deeper and the winds stronger and stronger.  The deeper the snow got, the more Archie enjoyed it.

I haven’t been out in the snow- honest

Saturday 3rd March 2018 and the snow is still here

After the freezing rain laying on top of the snow on Friday 2nd March and we were  housebound as it was too treacherous to go out.  Saturday however was a better day to get around and we decided to go up on Henlake Down to see how much snow was still up there.  We were amazed that there was some very deep drifts in front of some of the hedges and Archie enjoyed another day of snow fun!!

Sunday 4th March 2018 – The Snow is still here

We thought we would go for a nice long walk today, not anticipating to see much more snow – how wrong we were.  We walked up over  Henlake there were still some drifts beneath sheltered hedges, and then we carried on along the top path of Longtimber Woods.  Normally this is a very muddy deep path, but not today, it was still covered in snow and ice.  We then dropped down to the river Erme and walked through the woods and again were most surprised to see even at low level it was still covered in snow and ice and I have to say it looked very picturesque.

The river however, was a raging torrent as obviously due to melt water.  It was quite dangerous and Archie had to be put on his lead, as one slip he would have stood no chance.

Pupdate 10th March 2018 – Food

Just a quick update on his food.  Archie loved the raw duck Nutriment food, but unfortunately we had to stop as his ear problem came back, which was always a possibility with any fowl.  I put him on the beef raw Nutriment variety, and he seemed to like it but after 2 days he brought the whole of his dinner up.

The following morning I put a small amount of the beef and a handful of kibble in his bowl but he tossed the beef on the floor and just ate the kibble, so at dinner time he just had a bowl full of kibble.  The following morning  I did a test and put some kibble in one bowl and some of the beef in another.  Archie sniffed the beef then walked away and went straight to the bowl with the kibble and ate the lot.

So Archie clearly did not like the beef and he is back on Wainwright’s lamb and vegs kibble, yes a change from Natures Way, which had changed their ingredients and were not showing such a good score on the allaboutdog website.  This very interesting and informative website  rates all sorts of foods and what each contains, so if your dog is allergic to any ingredients it clearly states which brand contains what.   It is a shame not to continue with the raw food, but Archie has made his mind up that he didn’t seem to like it anymore.  I would have liked to have tried the raw lamb Nutriment, but it was too expensive.

Pupdate 18th & 19th  March – We thought it was all over, but no the snow came back

It had been lovely and mild after the Beast from the East finally melted away, only to be whitened out with another blast of snow this weekend, and Archie was over the moon.  We probably had just as much snow overnight than we had a couple of weeks ago and the whole area was bathed in a winter wonderland again.

I won’t bore you with too many  photos of yet more snow, but I couldn’t resist these.  One of him in the garden waiting for someone to play with his ball and one of our very wintry and very cold ascent to the to Henlake.   The other two are of Archie and his “snow balls” which attached themselves to his legs and tummy and just multiplied the longer we were out.  By the time we got home, he could hardly walk with the weight of them as he had accrued a fair few as you can see and he was not a happy chappy!!!   He really could have done with 2 pairs of snow boots!!  He tried a few times to eat them off but this was in vain as they were stuck like glue and the only way we could get them off was with a blast from the pet hairdryer.

Pupdate 23rd March 2018 – change of Archie’s food again

I had to stop using the Wainwrights Complete Lamb & Vegetable after a week, as Archie was poohing large amounts 7 or 8 times a day which is certainly not normal.  I was feeding him the same amount as I was doing with Natures Way and it was actually less than the recommended amount, so his excessive poohing was nothing to do with quantity.  After a week he also lost 2kg in weight, so obviously the food was going in one end and out the other without any actually staying in his body.  I certainly would not recommend this food to anyone.

So I came to the conclusion  that I would  not bother with any more kibble and decided to go back down to raw route and to try the  Nutriment raw, lamb formula.  Archie absolutely loves it and is thriving once again.  His poohs have now reduced to 2 or 3 times a day and they are now a lot smaller and hard and he is putting the wight back on that he lost.  To “undoggy” people you will probably wonder why talking about dog poohs is necessary, but if you own a dog you can tell a lot about the heath of your dog by its poohs!!!

If anyone was watching Crufts there was a discussion one day between various people about food and which was best – raw or dry.   One person taking part was  one of the regular female presenters who championed the raw diet and said that she used Nutriment which she considered to be the best.

Pupdate 24th March 2018 – Archie wins a rosette

There was an event on at Newnham Park, Plympton called Newnham Bark, which included a family dog show and I entered Archie in the puppy class and amazingly he came 3rd – why not 1st I don’t know, but he won a rosette and a little goody bag.

There was also a little agility course that dogs could have a go at which I have to say Archie was very good at for a first attempt.  It only consisted of some small jumps, a ring to jump through, a couple of tunnels (one he did very well, the other not so good) and the weaving poles, which after a short while he got the hang of.

I know he will love doing agility so as he will be 1 year old on the 2nd April (which is the minimum age that a dog should start doing agility)  I will be taking him to the South Hams Agility Group.

There was also a little flyball course laid out for dogs to have a go at.  Now I thought that Archie would love this aswell, but clearly not as he was absolutely useless.  I was really surprised as he loves to chase a ball, but he flatly refused to do it.

Pupdate 2nd April 2018 – Archie’s 1st Birthday

Archie turns 1 today, so please see the photos and what he got up to on his birthday in a new post.  You will also be able to see how he progresses in the year to come, by clicking this link