Hello everyone, it’s Milly here!
It’s been a while since I last got in touch to tell you what I have been up to and a lot has happened since.
The biggest thing to happen to me since I last wrote, is I can now go out into the big wide wonderful world. Its great fun exploring lots of new places, meeting loads of new people and making new friends with other dogs that live near to me. I have been told by my puppy co-ordinator that I walk lovely on my lead. I have a spring in my step but I don’t pull so that’s all good. I go off and explore, but never wander too far and keep ‘checking in’ (running back to my socialisers). If I check in, I get a treat so I try to do it as much as I can. More check in = more treats!
We also do a game which they call ‘recall’. I sit and wait with one adult, whilst the other one walks away. They then say ‘Milly come’ and I then go running to them and guess what, I get a treat if I sit down when I get to them. They say it’s all part of my training, I say it’s good fun!!
Milly and Nita at AFC Fylde
We have been on trips to the park and to the shops as well as the football (home and away matches). When I went to my first AFC Fylde match (which was away in Darlington), the fans started singing ‘we love you Milly we do’ which was lovely. On the way, we stopped off for some lunch so I went into my first KFC and sat under the table like a really good girl. When I made my home debut at Mill Farm (the home of AFC Fylde), I was invited to go in the posh entrance, up in the lift (which was another first for me) and then into the Executive Box to meet the Chairman and his guests. I then went pitch side and had my photo taken as well as sitting in the managers seat in the dugout. If that wasn’t enough, I then appeared on stage in Churchill’s Bar, where Brian Porter explained to all the guests who I am and what Dogs For Good is all about. After all that,I was so tired so sneaked a cheeky nap on my socialisers knee whilst the match was on!
Everywhere we go, people stop to stroke me and say how cute I am 🙂 If we are doing some training, for example doing something new, people are asked not to distract me whilst I am concentrating. We do that quite a bit when we go shopping in big shops where there are loads of nice tasty things to distract me, so I have to concentrate and listen to what I am being told.
We have even been to the beach! A bit too cold for sunbathing but it didn’t stop me from paddling, although that wasn’t the plan really. I followed Nita as she ran through some rock pools and decided to have a rest on one of the rocks sticking out of the water. The trouble was, I wasn’t keen on jumping off into the water so I ended up sliding in and got very wet and covered in sand! It was good fun though which resulted in me having my first shower when I got home.
Milly and Nita
Nita and I have had our first nights away from each other too. First Nita went away for 2 sleeps so I got used to being on my own in the house, then we both went away for a sleep in different houses, to get me used to being out of my own home and away from my socialisers. It was great fun and I got really spoilt 🙂
I have been to Mill Farm lots of times, having coffee and visiting people up in the offices. I even helped put up the Christmas decorations, although people say I am better at taking them down, can’t think why!
As I am getting older, I can eat more and have fewer meals a day. I now have 3 meals a day and am putting on weight. When I moved here, I weighed 4.5kg but I now tip the scales at 11.8kg. Everyone tells me I have long legs and think I am going to be tall. Who knows? We will have to wait and see.
Tomorrow sounds like it will be an exciting day too. I am going to my first Dogs for Good Puppy Class. I will be the youngest puppy there, so I am bound to gets lots of cuddles, although I am looking forward to hopefully playing with the big boys (Leon, Mungo and Doyle who are also Labradors) and girl (Betty the Cocker Spaniel). If we can all stay still for long enough, we will try to get a photo of us all, although I think it could be a bit of a blur.
Merry Christmas everyone and see you in the New Year – I’ll let you know then what Santa brings me!!
Lots of Licks from Milly
Regards
Steve and Charlotte
Milly is our sponsored puppy with Dogs For Good. Keep checking back to keep up to date with Milly’s progress and view her previous updates here.