The Arrival of Maggie

Well, Charlie Brown here again…and there is so much to report!

My life has changed. I am no longer the only dog in the house. ‘The Puppy’ has arrived. She appeared in our midst, a couple of weeks ago actually. They are calling her ‘Maggie’ and she is just a smaller version of old Flossie.

It has taken me this long to get over the shock, I can tell you. At first she didn’t do very much, sort of hung around the patio or slept in her pen, emerging for food and cuddles and necessary trips to the garden before curling up and falling asleep again. I was pleasantly surprised. What a quiet little thing she was!

Then came the real shock. One of the Boss’s daughters turned up with good old Phoebe and horror of horrors…another pup! This one was very much like Maggie and even more like old Flossie. What was going on? This one is called Indie.

The two pups began romping around and racing around the garden like nobody’s business to the excited Ahs and Oohs of the bigger humans and the delight of the smaller humans (forgot to say they had come too). I just watched in amazement. My brain conjured up a scenario where I was left to cope with two pups, not one. This was more than I had bargained for.

Thankfully, my fears were laid to rest when I overheard the Boss and the Boss’s daughter talking about the two pups being sisters and wasn’t it lovely they’d grow up together? Not too much together, I hoped, as one little pup, not sure which one, bowled in to me.

Other things happened when Maggie arrived. Maggie took a liking to the flowers in their pots and the final straw came when the Boss caught her making off with the head of a petunia. All the flower pots were suddenly wrapped in wire, the Hydrangea was declared a hazard and completely fenced off. Over the next few days, I caught the Boss hauling lengths of wire fencing and wrapping it round all sorts of things. That’s the Boss though, never does things by half.

I must say it did seem to solve the problem of Maggie pulling the flower heads off.

After a couple of days in which I felt duty bound to tell Maggie off if she so much as put a paw on me, I relented and she now understands that she may curl up un the same mat as me and I will happily play chase with her. The Boss is very pleased that I let her play with all my toys, even Donkey, well, she came with an abundance of toys with very pleasing squeaks that I am quite partial to. When Indie comes to play, I get time off according to the Boss but between you and me, I like to join in their fun too.

There are some necessary lessons to be learnt when you are a pup. The Boss demonstrated one today. She has been concerned that Maggie doesn’t respond to her name. Well, of course she has to know her name, where would I be if I didn’t know mine? Not writing here, that’s for sure.

I have noticed that Maggie is a bit blasé about her name and does not always show she knows it. So, I was fully behind the Boss when she decided to deliver this lesson. I just knew it involved tasty treats, so I decided to help.
The lesson involved the Boss waiting until Maggie was not looking at her before calling her name. When Maggie dutifully trotted up, the boss offered her a treat.
Somewhat surprised, I watched as Maggie reached the Boss and, having smelt the treat, sat. (I think the Boss delivered the ‘sit’ lesson yesterday).

The Boss was very enthusiastic in her praise. I waited, thinking, steady on Boss, she hasn’t done any more than I can do, talking of which…oh you did get me a treat too, thank you very much. I was very polite and didn’t nibble the Boss’s fingers at all though she clearly thought I might, in my eagerness to join in.

This lesson was repeated several times and again later in the day. I rather hope she’s got it because, to be honest, I think I have had too many treats.

Well, Maggie has arrived and I daresay she will want to take over this blog at some point. She’ll need to stay awake for a bit longer for that! What’s that Maggie?
She says she is shy but will work on it…

Meanwhile, I hear another lesson being planned, what could this one be? Full of treats I hope…

Your much-put-upon Border Terrier,

Charlie Brown