Jairkingsly Labradors

It seemed like in the blink of an eye, those adorable little puppies had turned into tiny tornadoes! They were now wobbling around on their feet, lovely blue eyes wide open, and teeth ready for action! It was time for their first round of worming, a delightful ritual that starts at 2 weeks and continues every 2 weeks until their new families whisk them away. Nail trimming was another adventure, a bit like trying to trim a hedge while it’s doing the cha-cha. Watching them grow was a pure joy; every puppy first is like a mini celebration. They were starting to push their boundaries with mum, Poppy, especially in the garden. One moment they’d be out of sight, and the next, Poppy would be on lookout, giving them a gently nudge with her nose to remind them who’s boss, at this stage, they were still listening to her. But then, one Saturday morning, a brave little pup decided to take things up a notch !

Poppy was laying on the doorway to our conservatory-turned-nursery when one of her cheeky pups plopped down in front of her and started yapping away, almost like a teenage back chatting a parent! I watched, puzzled, until I realised what was happening. Poppy, ever the patient mum, sat there, gazing down at her pup, giving it a gently nuzzle. The pup settled down for a few seconds before starting up again, turning it into a very comical cycle. But as time went on, ‘mums’ patience began to wear a little thin. With one gently push she sent the boisterous pup gliding along the floor like a furry bowling ball! I must say there was no malice in this action. Poppy sat there, back turned on the naughty pup, and each time the little rascal tried to sneak back, she’d turn her head, and the pup would promptly sit down. This game continued until she finally allowed the pup back, licking its face and nuzzling it as if to say, “lesson learned, don’t backchat your mum!” Something’s can only be learnt from a dog mum. Poppy was gradually letting her litter become more independent, but she was always keeping a watchful eye.

On another occasion, we had family over for a takeaway. Our niece, a bit older than the puppies, had a pushchair with a basket underneath. The evening was going smoothly, with food and drinks all round. As they only lived a short walk away, they were planning to leave and had reached the end of our road when they discovered they had a stowaway! One of the puppies had somehow managed to sneak into the basket underneath the pushchair! We’d seen them earlier in the evening gnawing on the pram wheels, but thankfully, the rubber wheels were unharmed. The stowaway puppy was fast asleep, blissfully unaware of its little adventure! Sometime later my niece decided it must of been the puppy we eventually kept, the bond between them was close after.

Next stop on their journey was the vets for their first check-up and vacinations and of course their first car ride!