We are proud to support the work of Medical Detection Dogs, a charity that trains dogs to help people with life-threatening health conditions, giving them greater independence and helping to save their lives on a daily basis. One of our staff, Lucy Brett , has bravely taken on the task of fostering Archie, a 7 month old Labrador pup who is being considered for training with the charity.
Follow Archie and Lucy’s story here..
____________________________________________________________________________________________
17 October 2011
Oh dear Archie ate a flip flop and tried to eat my phone!
The flip flop in question..
____________________________________________________________________________________________
25 September 2011
So I have my new medical detection dog puppy. He’s a very large 7 month old golden lab called Archie. When I collected him from Pam Jones from MDD and the temporarily puppy socialiser, he was quite unsettled and did not react at all well to a noisy boxer that started to put its oar in while we were doing the paperwork. I fitted his Adaptil collar, but was still very glad to see he had a halti. Despite my worries, Archie walked very happily with me to the car. The next problem was that my largest crate (which fits two cocker spaniels) was very snug for a rather large puppy. With a bit of persuasion he was in and was perfectly quiet during the 1 hour 30 minute drive home. Not until I pulled up outside the house did it become clear he had been rather sick. Never mind. He had had quite a day after all.
To stretch his legs a little, I walked him up the road and into the field near the house while Phil, my husband-to-be, walked up separately with Sophie, our rather elderly cocker. We walked round the field together before letting Sophie off the lead to meet Archie. Introductions went very well with a brief sniff, they then proceeded to ignore each other while we walked back to the house and had a play with balls in the garden. Archie gave the house a very thorough once over and then came back and lay down in the kitchen. All seemed calm and Sophie was subtly reminding me that she had not had any dinner. I had been told he had not eaten for the first night in the interim home but to my surprise Archie not only seemed hungry, he finished all his dinner. Obviously the threat of losing out to an already rather round spaniel was too much.
Dinner seemed to have given both my charges renewed energy and they then engaged in some very noisy game playing involving lots of play bowing and barking. I was worried it might be a bit too much for Sophie, but she seemed to be instigating the play as much as the pup. Then typically it suddenly all got to much for both of them and they both collapsed flat out on the floor in front of the television. Thinking this might be the right moment, I packed Phil and Sophie off to bed and took Archie out for his last wee. I thought he might want anther play, but after a quick wee he came straight back to me. Not wanting to push my luck I took him straight in and put him to bed. He quickly lay down in his box and I was up in bed a few minutes later.
Archie in his new home
As Phil and I lay there in the dark listening hard for any whining or barking that might wake up the neighbours, I remembered home much work puppies can be. I’m very glad I have Phil to walk him for me but am also very much looking forward to training classes. I have had dogs all my life, but it’s very different when you know you are looking after someone else’s dog, and especially one destined for such an important job. I hope we are up to it.
Lucy
