Happy Christmas!

Hello, Milly here!

I've nearly been living with Sarah and Nicky for a whole year! I keep reminding them of this because it makes them say things like "we couldn't remember life without you!" and then they cuddle me and give me yummy treats. It's tough being this adorable...

Loads has happened since my last update:

My mums are now married! (I don't really know what that means, except that lots of fancy photos have appeared on the walls with Nicky in a white dress, and people keep visiting us to look at them. I don't know why they're so excited, I'm not in any of the pictures.)

We went on our first family holiday, to the Isle of Wight. We had to travel on several trains, a boat and lots of buses to get to our holiday house and to get around the island. I was very good, and was a bus pro by the time we came home! I also got to go to the beach, and was welcomed into anywhere that Nicky and Sarah went to eat. That was amazing and exactly how life should be! I particularly liked the cream teas.

Christmas! I got my own stocking full of delicious treats and fun new toys, and all the family came to visit me, play with me and feed me things. I love Christmas! I'm going to ask Nicky and Sarah if we can have Christmas again next week.

My new life so far...

I've lived with Sarah and Nicky for 4.5 months already, and have kept them far too busy to write any blog posts! It's been very exciting for me too:

- I've fallen in the canal twice
- I've given Sarah and Nicky a huge scare when I ran out of the house and up the street in pursuit of a cat, and again when I followed a scent almost onto a main road (I'm not allowed off the lead very often now...)
- I've completely destroyed two of my beds (Sarah sewed new covers for them, and I'm biding my time working out how to get at that fluffy stuffing!)
- I got a new crate to keep me safe and contained (Sarah and Nicky found out that my old crate was two sizes too small!)
- I love my dog walker Jo, who takes me out at least once a week, and always has yummy treats. She also came to stay at our house and looked after me for 2.5 weeks when Sarah and Nicky went on holiday.
- I put on 8lb eating too many yummy treats - oops! One healthy diet later and I'm already back to my beautiful normal size.
- I've met lots of new people and dogs! Nicky and Sarah call it "socialising" and try to give me as many new experiences as possible, like going to the pub and going on a train. Everyone loves me wherever we go, I'm such a socialite! As long as there are biscuits involved, I'm happy to go anywhere.
- I got a tummy infection and needed two injections and a course of antibiotics which made me feel very sorry for myself and I needed lots of cuddles. I like the vet though and get very excited when we go there!
- I'm still learning to walk nicely on the lead, but since Sarah and Nicky have introduced the Halti, I've found it a lot easier to be good.
- Sarah and Nicky have bought me lots of new toys! My favourite at the moment is a green ball that treats sometimes come out of when I roll it around. I love playing with it even when it's empty though, and often cuddle up with it in my bed!
- I loved the snow but I'm not too keen on rain, especially when we go out for walks in it! I try to run under low trees to keep dry, forgetting that there's a big person on the other end of my lead... I also hate puddles and will dance around them to avoid getting my feet wet. Yucky!
- My favourite treats are fish jerky, cheese, melon skin and pig ears, but I'll eat most things except for raw parsnip which I hate!

Such a lot to pack in a short space of time for a dog just out of puppyhood! It's nearly my 2nd birthday (Sarah and Nicky have bought me a handsome new collar so I will look fabulous for the summer), I wonder what adventures I'll get up to this year!

New Year's Eve

I had a lovely early night last night as Nicky needed to get up for work today. I like Sarah and Nicky lots, so I thought I would do something lovely for them to say thank you for my comfy new bed... there were lots of strange noises coming from the sky, and all the neighbours seemed to be coming home very late, so I made sure I let Sarah and Nicky know every time one of their neighbours got home safely. I was only trying to be nice, so they didn't get cross with me, but Sarah did look funny jumping out of bed every twenty minutes with wild hair to let me know it was ok and I could go back to sleep! By about 4am everyone in the street was home, and I settled down. A job well done.

I'm quite tired today and keep yawning. I'm not sure why, maybe I need another early night.

Move in day

Kate packed up all my toys, my bed mat and two big sacks of food into the car today (I hoped she'd open one of the food sacks for me as an afternoon snack but no such luck) and we went off to Sarah and Nicky's house again. I got very excited as we pulled into the driveway and I could recognise where we were!

I bounded into the house and got busy making sure everything in the house smelled the same as it did last time I was here. It took a while, but I do like to be thorough. Kate and Sarah unpacked all my things. It feels different this time, I don't think I'm on holiday! I found my new comfy bed, it's just so fluffy, I love it! I tried to show my appreciation by chewing on the cushion and tossing it around, but no one looked very happy about this, so I did my best to just lie quietly.

After a while, Kate left, and Sarah and Nicky took me for a lovely walk in the park nearby. Everything is so exciting and new, I forgot all about walking nicely on the lead, and my neck is a bit sore from pulling on the lead. I wish I could remember not to, but it's so hard! I was kept far too busy to get worried about moving house, and apart from a couple of barks in the middle of the night, I was very good and slept right through.

First sleepover

I had my first sleepover last night! Kate brought me to see Sarah and Nicky. I love their house, but it was quite messy today and they were very busy with lists and piles of things, moving them all around. I thought I'd let them get on with it, and settled down in a nice pink bed, keeping an eye on them to make sure they weren't secretly eating anything that I could share. (And by share I mean steal.)

After a while (and several photos, they just wouldn't let me have a nap in peace!) I was forcibly ejected from the pink bed and Nicky started putting clothes and bits and pieces inside it! Oh no! I knew what was going on here! They were packing to go on holiday, without me!

I tried to remedy the situation by first climbing into the suitcase myself, and then when that didn't work, grabbing a pair of fluffy ear muffs and sneaking off with them. It wasn't long before they found me and re-packed the earmuffs, although they didn't look too upset. When they went downstairs to fetch hats and scarves I managed to creep back in and steal the earmuffs again... No earmuffs, no holiday, clearly! But sadly I was discovered, and the door was shut. Game over. I don't think they realise just how stealthy I can be, I don't want to use all my ninja moves up at once. Besides, I'm still in cute puppy overload mode, I have to make them think that they're in charge! Ha!

I wasn't very impressed with the bed they put out for me to sleep on - just a piece of blanket! I did hear them say though that they had ordered me a special fancy bed of my own that hasn't arrived yet. It will be so nice having somewhere comfy to sleep that is all mine! There are no other dogs here. You know what that means? More biscuits for me!

I'm not used to being upstairs. I love stairs! They are so fun to run up and down! I haven't quite got the hang of turning round on them yet though. Sarah had to help me out a couple of times when I almost fell off the side, getting too excited. I also tripped down the stairs at bedtime when I went to get a drink, so they left the hall light on for me. It's a bit bright though, I've put in a request for a nice relaxing mood light with a bark activated dimmer switch. Bark on! Bark off!

Today is a new day. I am not quite right and I have an odd sensation in my tummy, but other than that I feel great. It was odd that Nigel didn’t take me with him when he went for a walk this morning, but actually, I wasn’t that bothered. I wandered round the pen and that was about it.

I have had the strangest day. I went for a lovely walk this morning, then was bundled into the car without any breakfast. That was ok as we always go fun places when we go in the car. I noticed that there was a clear plastic cone in the back with me, so I pushed my head in to investigate. It got stuck and they laughed at me. I thought that a little unnecessary.

We got to the place where we were going and waited in the waiting area. There were some lovely people there who all made a fuss of me. Then we went iinto a room for some more fuss and a lot of human talk. Suddenly Nigel and Kate went out and I was left with the nurse. I thought this a bit odd, but played along. Then felt really drowsy, and had a nap. When I woke up I felt really sick, and really odd, kind of woozy. I lay around for a bit and they put that clear plastic cone over my head and attached my collar to it. I was feeling too ill to bother.

Finally I was taken back out into the waiting area where Nigel and Kate were aghain. After some more talk I went out into the fresh air and to the car. I wanted to jump in but Nigel wouldn’t let me so I let him lift me up. Not a dignified position for me but it was an odd day. 

 I got home and felt so ill I threw up in the hall. They didn’t mind. In fact Kate went and made me a fire as I was shivering. I sat on one or the other lap all evening. I did stop for some chicken and rice but that was all. Then I went to sleep again.  I just want company and sleep.