Time is flying by and Echo is experiencing so much. Dora his sister came to visit one evening and Echo decided the box was a good place to curl up.
Final core vaccinations were given and a week later Echo experienced his first proper walk at Ashridge where we met up with a friend and enjoyed an open field and woodland walk. Echo did really well travelling in a crate in the car, running off lead and having cuddles too.
We then visited Dora and Echo's Mum for socialisation and play (video below). It was as if he had never been away and his Mum played beautifully with him. Dora enjoyed puppy play too and then they zonked!
Today we went to visit a younger puppy Enzo who is 9 weeks old. He is also a cockapoo and Echo & Enzo enjoyed Ruff & Tumble and needed to be calmed down a few times - all good practice and training. They enjoyed running around in the garden (see videos below)
Echo is fantastic on lead and off considering his age. He can walk reasonably well on lead with a few reminders that on lead no playing! Off lead he doesn't go far, but is curious enough to say hello to well behaved adult dogs and people cannot do anything but say how cute he looks and how like a teddy bear!
This is what greeted me this morning when I woke up for the second time. Echo sleeps in his crate for most of the night, but wakes about 6:30-7am for a wee. Being Saturday I do like a lie in, so I bring him to bed where he will settle again for an hour or two.
Echo is nearly 11 weeks old now and today weighs in at 3.8kg. He is enjoying a full range of raw food, including chicken ribs and wings, sprats and small venison ribs as well as a variety of minces from Manifold Valley Meats and Natural Instinct. He is happy to eat liver and heart as well and he takes his time in eating rather then inhaling his food like Joe does. Dylan is a steady eater too, but I remember as a puppy he used to gulp his food as if he hadn't eaten for days.
We measured Echo to the shoulder at 10 weeks and he was approximately 26cm. His lovely red coat is developing lovely soft curls and he has also started raising his leg when peeing, much to my surprise. He seems to have some awareness where his back legs are which reminds me of Joe who also has that dexterity.
This week Dylan and Echo have started playing ruff and tumble and I managed to video it although I apologise for the darkness of the video.
During the day I have left him with the others in a puppy proofed room and he seems to be quite happy for up to two hours without making a mess and seems quite settled. They have a variety of beds to choose from and usually the cat sleeps with them as well.
On Thursday Echo had his core vaccine, which means next Thursday he will be able to walk on our walks, instead of being carried - cannot wait, as he is heavy to car
Enjoy the photos below :-)
Down & Look this way! Lots of fun this weekend - having time with the dogs without the need to work is good fun. The weather was pleasant this weekend so out in the garden to tidy up, which gave me a chance to set up a play tunnel for Echo to become used to. It really didn't take long for him to run through (see video below)!
Sit and Down are coming nicely - I even managed all three dogs down at the same time and looking at the camera - a miracle!
Saturday we had visitors and Echo had chance to socialise with Bo & Chrissi. Chrissi took some rather lovely photos of Echo, who is now nearly 10 weeks old. Two weeks have gone by very quickly.
Have you finished yet? Today it was time for everyone to be bathed, particularly Dylan who seemed to have half the field all over him and most of a fox's doings all round his ears! Yuk!
So I thought I would give Echo the clean treatment as well, even though he isn't that dirty as he hasn't had the pleasure of running around in all the mud and wet. What a star! Don't wet puppies look so cute!
Echo is settling well in his new home. He often plays with Joe and Dylan is beginning to take an interest. See the video below of a three way tug. We are still getting accidents occasionally, but we have now installed a "day crate" in the living room to create calm and for us not to constantly have to watch Echo. When we take him outside he usually performs a "wee" quite quickly and knows that is what is expected I think.
Echo has been good with the cats, who are pretty used to dogs anyway. Dizzy has decided that she can come back to sleep on the dogs bed in the puppy proofed room where I leave all three dogs when I go out. Enjoy the photos and video below.
Echo is gaining confidence at home now. Today I introduced the wobble board resting on a cushion so it wasn't too noisy. Our cat has decided that Echo is no threat and sits and watches while he plays with no worries.
The dogs are working out how to play and when to back off & I have started some basic training - sit, down and roll over. Echo likes tasty treats like sausage, cooked chicken and liver. He also likes tug which I am encouraging because it is a useful reward.
Below are a few videos to watch:
3 soggy dogs waiting patiently for breakfast Echo is working out the routine and so are we as we tackle toilet training, feeding routines and sit and wait.
Joe likes banana as a reward and apparently so does Echo! Echo will copy the others and so they sit and wait on the kitchen step for dinner to be served. They are soggy because it was raining when I walked the dogs (Echo is still being carried but wanted to watch everything so got wet!
Dylan and Echo are working it out and were seen briefly on the same bed (see below). Joe and Echo will play regularly and Echo will copy Joe when they go out for a wee.
Night time and settling for a snooze is promoted by the slipper effect ... discovered yesterday when I was out and Duncan was watching Echo - he would insist on finding my slippers and curling up there. The slipper in the crate at night works wonders as well - settled night from 11:30 to 7 last night and dry too!
Joe and Echo playing Eventful second day as I took Echo to the vets for his first vaccination and check up. He now weighs 2.92kg, so is continuing to put on weight as he was 2.33kg on 17 January 2014 according to the breeder notes.
He visited a community cafe in Harlington and met all sorts of folk from little children to ladies and a couple of men too.
Tonight was the best though - after woofing at Echo all day and reclaiming his bed under the desk, Joe finally decided that he would play and I was able to video it ... see below.
Yesterday on Sunday 19th January 2014 we collected Echo from the breeder. We have been given a breeder pack, some puppy food, toys and the bed we left there a few weeks ago which has Echo's Mum and his siblings' smell all over it.Echo has come chipped and tatooed already and we will sort out his vaccinations over the next few weeks. He has already started his socialisation having met 50 people, socialised with another adult dog other than his Mum and been offered lots of toys and surfaces to play on.
Home he came after lots of play at the breeders. Once home he was introduced to Dylan & Joe outside and they all walked into the house together. Dylan sniffed, glanced and walked away like he always does!. Joe was less sure and I think Joe will need some convincing Echo is staying. After all Dylan has been through it all before!
Once inside we put Echo in his crate for a snooze and waited until he woke up. Once awake we all interacted with him, introduced him to the "sun room" which is my office and also a puppy proofed room where the dogs are left if I go out. Food was offered when I fed all the others, but Echo wasn't really hungry so I put it away for later. I kept taking him outside for a wee, but nothing really happened, but he did nothing inside either.
The evening was spent playing in the living room with toys and then snoozing on my lap or on the sofa. Once asleep I can get up and come back without him moving thus getting him used to the concept that I will come back! Joe tolerated Echo on the sofa, but was a little snappy - he is with Dylan too sometimes!
At about 10pm I managed to feed Echo some more, without the others about to distract him and then with patience I got him to settle in his crate upstairs with the other two. He has a puppy pulse wrapped in a blanket for comfort as well as his litter-mate's smell on his bed. Echo was good overnight, with only a small noise in the early hours. The newspaper at one end of his crate appears dry this morning. Once up I carried him to the garden, where he performed both a wee & a poo. Inside again, helping Luke get ready for school with toys in the kitchen for Echo to play with. Joe & Dylan like the new toys too. After Luke is sorted I took all three dogs upstairs for a quick cuddle back in bed!
Once up properly and take all three for a walk. Echo is un-vaccinated so has to be carried but I know the socialisation is good for him. We met 10 people and 10 dogs too of varying sizes and all dogs that Dylan & Joe get on with well. Echo was only a little uncertain about a black lab who was just a bit over interested. I stood up to provide Echo with the space he obviously wanted.
We waked along the bottoms where there is a footpath and Echo could have a short run along here without much risk of picking up anything. He had another wee & poo and lots of using his name as he runs up to me, so he learns his name.
Once home he had breakfast with everyone else - he was hungry by then. I defended his bowl from Joe who would have happily helped and I think Echo would have let him! Dylan was patient to wait until Echo had finished before cleaning up!
One more visitor - a postman and then Echo has settled under my desk while I work on my lesson plans for this week.
At 12 noon there was not a peep out of any of the dogs. I have left the "sun-room" a few times so Echo gets used to being left and not needing to follow. He has been fine.
At 2pm I decided I needed some lunch so went to the kitchen to heat up soup. Not a stir from Echo, but Dylan & Joe decided they would like to come too, so I let them out. Echo watched and decided to come too. Straight outside and wee! Bit of play in the living room while I ate my lunch & then lunch for Echo (without the others) 50g gone! Outside with Joe for a last short play & back to the office again to settle back to bed!
The first 24 hours has been fine. Let's hope the routine continues.
Our new adventure starts on the 19th January when we collect this little beauty. His name is Echo, with a posh name of "Embees Oodles of Echo" if that name is available from the Kennel Club. Yes we hope to do some agility with him and I hope he enjoys it. But that is a long way off yet!
Here he is at 6.5 weeks old looking very cute on my lap. He is a beautiful red colour at the moment and it will be interesting to see how his coat develops and whether he keeps that darker colour like his Dad or fades to an apricot like his Mum.
Echo is a cockapoo like Dylan, but with a cockapoo Mum and a Poodle Dad making him more Poodle than Cocker. I do love the curly coat that Dylan has so I am hoping for the same, but again we will see. At he moment he is developing soft curls. Here are a few more cute photos from my visit today.
He has a lovely nature - curious and steady, loves playing with his brothers and sisters.
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