May 27, 2015

Pupdate with Preloved

I love dogs and as a family we have always had a dog as part of the family. My current dog is called Meg and we acquired her from a website you may not expect – Preloved. After my previous dog sadly died after a long and happy life, we started looking for a puppy. Previously, we have always rehomed male rescue dogs but we decided as a family that we wanted a female puppy. After some searching, we discovered Preloved and their ‘Pets’ section. You can search my area and we quickly discovered this adorable picture of some Chesapeake Bay Retriever crossed with a Bedlington Terrier puppies listed in our local area.

I love scruffy dogs, so the puppy on the right quickly stole my heart. We were looking for a cross breed which wasn’t too big, so this cute little puppy met our requirements perfectly. We quickly contacted the owner and arranged a visit. We all headed over to the owner’s home, where we were met by three gorgeous puppies. We also met the mother, a pure Bedlington Terrier, as well as the Chesapeake father, which is really important. I distinctly remember my brother sitting with Meg in his arms, and simply saying “this one.” We took her home with us that very day, By choosing Meg in the school Summer holidays, we had six weeks to toilet train, bond with and generally spoil our new puppy. It made the whole process much easier and meant that Meg could spend time exploring our garden as well as the house.

Meg aged 9 weeks.

I would highly recommend that you take your dog to ‘puppy school.’ We took Meg to a 6 week course with Charlie’s Dog School, where Meg learnt the basic commands needed for your dog. We could all attend, meaning that my parents and us children could all be involved in the training and learn the commands necessary. We didn’t attend any more classes after the initial puppy level, but Meg still knows the basic commands she needs.

Meg aged 16 weeks

Seven years later, and the brown smooth haired puppy has somehow transformed into a big bunch of curls! Despite her mix of retriever and Bedlington, she definitely resembles a Labradoodle and is often confused as one. She’s a lovely natured dog who sleeps on my bed every night and is always there for a cuddle! Check out the transformation over the last seven years – she looks much older than she is!