It seems incredible, but we picked up Finlay from Aileen on the 28th August 2017, one year ago today.
It is always going to be an adventure owning a puppy, any size/any breed, they are all an experience that you'll want to enjoy. But owning a puppy isn't easy. Settling into a new home, house training, chewing, innoculations, tantrums....so many things. But it is all worth it.
Finlay was the easiest puppy to settle in, he slept his first night without crying or complaint and has been like that pretty much every night since. House training felt like it took forever, but in reality it was pretty straight-forward. From the moment we got him he has been such a happy-go-lucky character, happy, smiley, waggy. Whether it is within our local area, my dads care home, the local shops or the dog showing circuit, everyone knows Finlay for the happy outgoing dog that he is. He melts everyone's heart and is a pleasure to own.
Now don't get me wrong, it isn't all roses, but it is all part of owning any dog. He isn't always the most obedient and compliant dog. Partly this is his own individual character and partly this is typical Tibbie. From quite a young age, he has been asserting what he believes are his rights as a developing male dog and it has taken a pretty firm hand to guide along and make sure he knows what is acceptable and what isn't.
In certain circumstances you can rely on him to be unreliable. He isn't too bad off lead, but on occasions there isn't a treat in the world that is going to persuade him that coming back to us is the right thing to do. So off lead time is strictly limited to the safest of places. Open the front door and he's going to be out of it, I know where he'd go as we live just around the corner from a recreation ground which he loves and our road is relatively quiet. However, it is a circumstance that we just don't allow to happen. Tibbies and road sense, I've never met one that has any!
Dog showing....that was never on the cards when we got him. We asked Aileen if it was ok to show him, on the remote off-chance we ever did, "yes of course" she said. Hahahahahaaaaaa, the remote off-chance, we never saw that one coming. Whether Finlay has taken the dog showing world by storm we'll have to wait and see. Certainly FINLAY believes he has taken the dog showing world by storm - whether he wins or loses, he wags. That is all we'd ever ask of him really. The additional benefit of owning Finlay which we hadn't expected was all the new friends we'd gain as a result of the dog showing, so hello to you all!!
The puppy period, whilst sometimes difficult, is of course a complete joy and you don't ever want it to end. At 14 months old (getting on for 15) he is still very puppy at times and it is gorgeous to see. At some point he will grow up, and it seems to happen quite suddenly. Until then, we shall continue to enjoy puppy Finlay.
Here he is with a suitably regal Tibbie look on his face.
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| I'm posing dad! |
This is a Finlay wagging compilation video. Here he is at various dog shows doing his thing, and he simply cannot do it without a tail wag. I love the last segment of the video which was during the Windsor Breeders Competition where the judge, Liz Cartledge, goes along the line of Tibbies and gets their attention - Finlay is the only one that gets a quick stroke under the chin for his cheekiness. What a star!
Finally, the part we didn't expect, the rosettes and prize cards that Finlay has won during the 8 months or so that we've been showing him. It is quite a collection for just one dog in a short period of time.
For those of you unaware, a red card or rosette is a first place.
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