Ziggy

Meet Ziggy, our nine and a half week old whippet. You'll notice I mention the half-week there - not that we're counting down the days until he can go out for walks at twelve weeks old, or anything. Thank you for all your lovely comments and for sharing our excitement.

He's gorgeous; playful, affectionate, easy going, busy, his tail wags almost constantly and he seems like a happy soul. We already love him to bits. When he's not asleep, his main hobby is chewing. Dog appropriate toys are not as exciting as shoes, mobile phone chargers, furniture, balls of wool, the log basket, handbags, books...I could go on. He was tentative and shy on his first day, never venturing more than a few feet from John or I, and unsure of the garden. But one week later he's very at home here, and is out in the garden chasing balls and chewing plastic plant pots as often as we'll let him.

Ziggy has two modes: asleep, or full of beans. When he's feeling energetic, you need eyes in the back of your head. It's gone quiet. Where is he?? Has he wee'd somewhere? What's he chewing? We've had to move a lot of things out of the way, temporarily I hope. He has a kitten-like fascination with anything that dangles in front of him, like yarn, tassels on blankets and throws, shoelaces, and likes to nibble them. If you move your feet too fast he'll bite your toes (gently, thankfully) and so slippers are essential.

Ziggy likes chewing (did I mention the chewing?), cuddles, people, the sofa, food, and building a nest in his crate. He dislikes the car, wearing his collar, the vacuum cleaner, being told "down" or "no" when we're eating, the lawnmower, the extractor fan in the kitchen, but he'll get used to all these things. 

If it all sounds exhausting then it is. The nights have been very challenging, and I haven't known a level of sleep deprivation like this in some time. But it won't be forever and I have to keep reminding myself that all the tough training we're doing now is going to reward us later. (Please?!) We didn't just want a puppy in our family, we wanted a dog, a four legged friend who'll hopefully be part of our lives for many years to come. I am particularly looking forward to the walks, especially now that the weather is starting to change and the leaves are turning. There's nothing like the woods in the autumn. And I really hope we can train his recall to a point where he can run off lead, especially on the beach. We've got lots of fun ahead of us, but for now, we need to enjoy the puppy moments because they will be gone in a flash.