Fun with Chester!

 As I mentioned yesterday, Chester, a 12 week old Labrador came over for the day today. Bramble was delighted! They both get on really well, and as they are a similar size were well matched as playmates!

Chester is adorable, and Bramble and Chester spent pretty much the whole day playing. Add in a bath (they got very muddy) and a short nap (curled up together looking super cute) and they had a fun filled day!

The weather here was lovely and sunny so us guys were out playing with them and we also filled up the paddling pool with water for them to splash around in! We threw some treats in for them to dunk in and get out - so they got quite wet!!

Chester also met the goats and hens. He wasn't bothered by the hens although was trying to play with the goats! Bramble is so used to them now she goes up and says hello, then wanders off - she's not too interested in them!

Chester is coming again tomorrow so Bramble's in for another fun day!

Bramble's Trip to Town

Bramble outside AADI shop!

Yesterday we took Bramble to town. She behaved herself very well! We walked around the street, and she wasn't in any way reactive to the traffic, people or dogs, so that was very good. We walked past one of AADI's charity shops, so obviously we had to get a photo.....!

She had a great time at puppy class this week, as there were two other Labrador puppies. Is it just me or do Lab puppies like to play slightly more full on than other puppies?! Anyway she had a whale of a time. It was so cute as we had all three colours - Bramble = black, Casper = Yellow and Chester = Chocolate.
We are minding Chester for the day tomorrow and I just have a feeling they are going to be playing all day! Chester is another AADI puppy too.

Well Bramble is doing well with "stay" making more progress as initially she found this quite a challenge! She has pretty much got the hang of it now!

Thats all for now, but I will put up photos of Bramble & Chester tomorrow!

Bramble's First Restaurant Trip!

Being a good puppy @ the restaurant!

Yesterday Bramble had her first trip to a restaurant, which went very well. She had had a busy afternoon playing in the garden (the weather was warm & sunny, for a change!) so happily settled down for a snooze. She didn't fuss for the food and did us proud.

Loving her Kong!

She loves her kongs, which I normally stuff the night before and pop into the freezer, which means it soothes her new teeth coming through, satisfies her urge to chew and cools her down on these sunny days - being a black dog she gets hot quickly. 

We have been doing some training in the garden, and she is doing well now with all her assistance dog commands. I also practised getting her to walk beside the buggy, which will be good for in shops with a trolley, too. 

Talking of shops, she recently had a trip to Tesco which was a success, she did really well. Bramble seems to take everything in her stride, and is always well behaved, especially if you have treats!!!

She is growing quickly, although seems to be taking after the Labrador more than the Newfoundland in several ways.

Bramble with her squeaky ball!

It's Easter....!!!

Bramble and Amber

 It feels like we've always had Bramble now, and life without her would be very different - although she can be cheeky at times, she's a lovely puppy full of personality.  In fact though, she's only been with us just 2 months! In that time she's come on leaps and bounds; nearly housebroken already, behaves very well in jacket out & about and is best friends with our two dogs, Amber & Holly. The three of them get on very well and like to play together outside. Bramble still annoys them sometimes but she's learning her doggy manners now!

With Holly

I like to do training with the puppies in the garden - because if they don't listen to you or behave in the garden then there's no way they will in the outside world. So I'll often take Bramble out to do training and learning all her assistance dog commands "forward, steady, hup up, stop, stay, come, leave it & more" She is very responsive to training and is really attentive, especially if you have some food - typical Labrador  Ruled by her stomach!!!!

Wishing all of our blog followers a very Happy Easter!

Fundraising Fun

Yesterday we took Bramble to a local Fundraising event for AADI. Abbey, a 7 month old Labradoodle who is a puppy in training was there, and she walked around with us, also there was Charlie, a fully trained working Labrador.

We walked around the town, raising awareness of AADI and there was also collecting buckets too. We brought the dogs into several places - Superquinn (which for some reason Bramble isn't keen on), Boots, Easons, Penny's and the Church.

Bramble was very good, and wasn't too distracted by Abbey, she behaved very well. She didn't want to walk past a particular shop in the street and Abbey was the same - I wonder why?! Anyway she came past with some convincing and the help of treats!

They got lots of attention from people coming up to ask about them, and Bramble really enjoys that!!

Bramble is growing big now, and was almost as big as Abbey. Almost!

Bramble did really well, walked nicely on her lead and did a really good job. Well done Bramble 

Bramble's Doggy Friends

Bramble is getting so confident now meeting all sorts of different dogs, thanks to puppy classes. She goes on a Monday, (where she meet puppies her age) and then Wednesdays, (where she meets adult dogs). Because she goes both nights it's ideal really as she is meeting all sorts of ages, sizes and types of dogs. Tonight she spent most of the time playing with Cuddles, a small crossbreed. They got on really well. Cuddles is pretty much Bramble's size and luckily likes playing just the same way as Bramble does; rough & tumble! Not all dogs can cope with her enthusiasm and energy and full on attitude towards play but Cuddles enjoyed playing with her so everyone was happy. In puppy classes she also gets to meet new people, as there are all the dogs owners (who, being dog lovers, pet her and make a fuss of her witch she loves - especially tummy rubs!) and sometimes other children come too. So puppy classes offer great opportunity for socialisation for Bramble and now she runs into the vets happily (unlike some dogs who hate going to the vets!)

Bramble fell asleep like this the other day, she was one tired pup!

Puppies often mouth but Bramble rarely mouths and when she does she is so gentle! We tend to just trade her for a toy and praise her for the trading when she chooses to chew anything inappropriate. We have had no furniture chewing really, touch wood, but if anything is left on the floor then she'll chew that - shoes, cardboard boxes, children's teddy bears etc but we just blame ourselves for leaving them around and trade her for a chew - the antler ones are her favourite!!

Bramble is encouraged to go crazy with all her energy in the garden, and be calm in the house, which is basic assistance dog manners. She is not being "walked" as such yet, because she is still young & her joints are a concern. She gets her "working" outings, a few free runs a week and lots of playtime in the garden. When she's 6 months old we will start walking her but to begin with it will be short 30 minute walks. She is getting the idea though of being calm in the house, I will let her outside to play with Amber & Holly, or I will go out play with her, and then she comes inside and settles down, normally in her basket. It helps that Amber, on the whole, refuses to play with the puppies in the house, so they quickly get the idea that outside = play & go crazy, then house = calm & settle down.

Bramble's Trip Today!

Today Bramble had an outing to a soft play centre. It is important for Brambles socialisation that she goes to as many places as possible, so when our friends invited us to meet up with them at a local soft play centre I decided it would be the ideal opportunity to bring Bramble along for her first experience of soft play!

It went really well. As it is the Easter break there were lots of little children running about but Bramble is great with children and loves their company. She knows to be extra gentle with little babies, which is amazing, especially as the youngest in our house is 4. There was a particular toddler who loved her and kept coming up to pet her which Bramble took all in her stride.

At first when we arrived we went to sit down at one of the tables (and I'd tied Bramble's lead to it hoping she wouldn't do a "Marley" ) Initially a few people came over to see her but after a while she settled down under the chair and fell asleep.

She was sat in perfect view of the slides so she saw all the children sliding down and running around and playing. She was excellent.

About half way through our trip there I took her for a walk around nearby the car park, and she saw a tractor & a forklift truck. She wasn't too sure about them at first but as always, the treats came in handy, and helped her realise they were positive things!

Again, she did a clean walk, and I am really impressed with her. She's coming along so well in her training.

Back at home her latest thing is to play with her water bowl, sticking her paw in it and splashing about !!