[bradleysmum]

Hi Everyone,

I will never forget the very first day our cute little bundle of fun joined us in the 'burley' residence, i can remember it so clearly.

We had chosen a name about 4 days before collecting him, and couldn't wait to have him home with us. He was 10 weeks old when we got him, and it was love at first sight. He had a little porky belly, floppy ears, a wet nose and mischief written all over his chops!

As we were travelling around Europe (and still are) it wasn't a house he was going to be living in, but a large motorhome. The motorhome was only a year old, and all clean and tidy inside - so of course we wondered what a state it would get into moving in a young puppy.

The first afternoon was filled with cuddles, play sessions and frequent naps. We introduced him to his 'pre made up' toy box, and he loved every single one. I have put away his first toy, to keep, it was a soft toy in the form of a tiger, that squeaked. It went through the wash loads of times but always came up smelling fresh, well for one day anyway! lol. I had to remove it from his toy box when his adult teeth came, as i didn't want it to become shredded!

When he first entered the motorhome, he explored every corner, even trying to scrabble up on to the seats. We had moved everything that could be considered 'hazardous' to a young pup previously, and the floor was a haven for pups, just doggy toys and fun stuff! His breeder had given us a large sack of puppy food, Royal Canin, which he had been used to, so we carried on feeding this to him. He loved his food, and happily ate small meals throughout the day.

The first night, we had prepared the motorhome with special 'toilet' puppy pads, and expected a few accidents. So far, he had been remarkable with his wees & poo's, doing them all outside each time we took him out on the grass. As he settled down in his new bed, which was a hard plastic bed with a removable, washable cushion inside - he snuggled up to his toy tigger. His bed was placed next to ours and he drifted of to sleep no problem at all. Looking at him sleep was amazing, we couldn't quite believe he was ours.

Just as we drifted of to sleep, we heard movement. Puppy boy was up! And sleep was the last thing on his mind! We didn't mind of course, and were both eager to get out of bed and play, cuddle and fuss him - afterall, it was his first night away from his mum and littermates. We took him out to the loo also, where upon he went both no.1 & 2! We of course praised him like mad, and made such a fuss of him!

After 20 mins or so he was ready for another nap, and once again settled down into his bed..and we did ours. Throughout the night, we got up about 4 times to do exactly the same each time, and then he woke up nice and early about 6am. However, he had no little accidents whatsoever! To this very day he has only ever had 2 accidents in the motorhome, and each occured after a visit to the vets! (He's not keen on the vets)

We have photos of him which were taken hours after we had first met him, which i will post soon.

I think having Brad has been one of the best decisions we have ever made, thanks Brad - for being our special little boy. :wink: When we return back to the UK next month from our long european tour, we will be bringing back more than just happy travel memories, we will be bringing back our companion, our much loved lab who we adore - Bradleybear!


What was your first day with your labrador like?

We would love to hear your stories.

Julie

 

[clairiscrazy]

hi julie

i rember tessa my forst choccy lab when we went ot collect her it was such a shock as we never knew labs came in choclate..lol.. oh she was soooo cute but before we could get to her her mum and auntie came bounding over to us they were so pretty then out came tessa awwwww was seh adorable..lol..i picked her up and she weed all over me..LOL..so she made her mark on me there and then so to speak..lol..

the car journey home was me going ooo she to hot open the window ooo seh now to cold close the window..lol..ooo stop the car she wants a weee..lol..

i dont htink i put her down for 24hrs..lol.. everywere i went she was attached to me if i couldnt see her for 2 mins i went in search and she would be found hiding behind the sofa or in the porch..lol..

in the garden was fun aswell as all the passers by had to stop and say hello to her and have a cuddle tessa was the one that said to me labradors from here on in no other breed..lol.. (cavalier king charles spaniels are my hubbys)

in the house was like a huge toy fair every toy under the sun i bought for her..lol..not many could she play with htough as they were erm to big for her little mouth..lol.
her bed at night was more comfy than mine dog basket with a huge quilt inside her first night i slept were my feet should of been with my hand resting on her..lol..boy was she spoilt...lol..
and like kids they grow up sooo fast its unbelievable and when they do out comes there darling teeth to redecorate for you..lol.. oh what joy

the first week with tessa was her getting to know us and the house and cats..lol.and us trying to leave her alone and not pick her up so much..lol..

as for her name i have no idea how we came up with it..lol..

OOOO THERE JUST SO CUTE
sadly i lost tessa in nove last year due to cancer but she will forever stay in my heart my first lab baby

 

[Hersheys]

I remember the day I picked Hershey up I already had his name just incase He chose me, he was fiesty little boy full of energy and did a big fat poo right by my foot.....

Mrs Whooley was lovely and should me Hersheys mummy and grandmother who where both beautiful girls....

We drove back from Devon with Hershey in my hands cuddling all he kept doing was biting my nose, ears, chain anything he could get hold off hehe :lol: I gave him some water in a bowl but he decided that standing in it was a much better idea...

When I got him home he preceeded to wee everywhere the joys of having a puppy but he was sucha good boy only cried the foirst couple of nights and was house trained really quickly... I could never imagine my life with out my bundle of chocolate giving me cuddles in the morning and before i go to sleep, demanding food when he wants and not when it is his dinner time, getting in between me and my husband if god forbid we cuddle on the sofa heheh :lol:

 

[Karen_theArtist]

Our story to our first day with Corbie began in September last year when we first met Corbie's mum and dad. They had only just been mated so we had a long 7 week wait before the pups were born. We were third on the list for a boy, so it could go either way!

I had a news report on 6th November to say that Tia (Corbie's mum) was getting more restless so it would probably be happening soon. The pups had been wriggling away in side all week :lol: On 7th November, the due date, I had the email I had been waiting for at 5.15pm! 4 boys and 6 girls... yippeee! The next morning I had a photo and news that another girl had popped out a couple of hours after the others :lol:

4 weeks later we drove north to chose Corbie. I held one, and Graeme and the breeder held the other 2 boys which were left to choose. The one I held seemed to be the one! Everytime I was in the enclosed part with them he kept coming over to my feet. So he became our Corbie!

3 weeks later on Boxing Day we drove 3 hours north to collect him. Graeme was ill but he still drove. Corbie slept all the way on the back seat apart from being sick on me an hour into the journey! When we got home he explored the house. He loved his fleecy bed and the newspaper!

He was so good that first night, with hardly a sound, although 2 nights later we resorted to the crate after finding an assortment of things in his bed and toilets on the floor! We have been so lucky though that he took to his crate no problem at all and slept at night straightaway and will now sleep in until we get up.

It was funny to watch him that first day as I couldn't believe after the wait that I finally had my little boy and he's been an absolute joy to watch grow up. He can be a little rascal at times, but I wouldn't have him any other way

 

[branwen]

We picked Dylan up mid afternoon,after the usuall keep in touch etc etc we managed to get into the car and drove for home,he wriggled all the way home,got him out of the car and in he ran,having thought we had moved everything we should have out of the way,we let him explore,it was new years eve,the tree was in the dining room,and Dylan went straight to it and in seconds it was down,he was covered in baubles and lights,it was hilarious,untangled him and took him into the living room,but no Dylan was straight back to the shiny stuff,it was no good the tree would have to go,so down it came,those of you who know Dylan well know that that is the first of Dylans many adventures,Dylan became a villain at 8 weeks old.

 

[Fay]

We went to pick up Harvey on 21st January this year - its was a Saturday.
Just myself and Rich went to get him and we had the choice of 3 little boys. One was tiny so we decided to choose between the other two. We made our mind up then they would run around and he didnt know which was which :lol:

We took him home in the car, which was about half an hours drive. He slept all the way (something that has still continued to today )

He settled in really quickly and happily ate his dinner. The rest of the day was spent messing on the carpet the little monkey - he didnt get the hang of house training for a while

That night he slept in the kitchen, on his new bed and we didnt hear a peep all night - at one point Rich got out of bed to check because he was so quiet :lol:

He's now 6 months old and a little sweetheart and we love him to bits!!

 

[NicolaL]

Hi all

When we first went to see Smudge's litter, they were just 2 weeks old. I was temporarily speechless when I first saw them because I had never seen puppies that small! As we were looking into the little area they were all in, this one came bounding over all the others to stick his nose up at us! It had to be him.....and that puppy is Smudge!

The next 5 weeks were awful - we just wanted to have him home! Our breeder sent us regular email updates but because of the distance and the fact that she couldn't take any pictures or upload them to the emails, we had to imagine what he was growing up like!

We picked him up at 7 and a half weeks old. When we got to Sue's house, she had already taken him inside and bathed him. When we went into the house, we walked into the living room, and there he was, cuddled up in a corner with his favourite toy (woolley mammoth!). He looked so beautiful that I had tears in my eyes, because I couldn't believe that he was ours and that he was coming home with us.

Like Clair, I panicked all the way home in the car - was he ok? Too hot? Too cold? I even kept checking his breathing carefully because he was so sleepy! He stayed snuggled on my knee though and it already felt like I had the most precious thing in the world. Unfortunately, poor Smudgey was sick just after we turned into our estate, about 2 minutes from home and after a very good 40 minutes!

The first day, I couldn't take my eyes off him! Here is the first picture we ever took:-

He was so good and we only had a couple of accidents that first day - and only wees. He went outside for all his poo's and to this day, we have only had one time he has done that in the house, and only because he was poorly.

The first night was sleepless! We put Smudge in a high sided box in our bedroom as we had been told he would settle and would only cry to get out for the toilet. Not so, he must have cried for most of the night....and the same the next night. We then put him just on the floor in his bed and he seemed to be better then as he could see us. He's best of course when he's asleep on our bed!

Chris had the first week off work with him and by the time I took the second week off, he was completely house trained! I'm not sure how Chris achieved it (he just said he kept an eye on him and took him out as often as he could) but if we get another puppy, I'll definitely put him in charge of house training again!

I remember the first time that we took Smudge to the vets for his injections, he got so much attention! And also when we took him back for his next ones! I always love taking him out because I love it when people admire him or even just smile at him because I'm so proud!

The next few weeks are sadly a bit of a blur - I so wish I could remember more! What I do know though is that he has completely changed our lives and given us a much needed focus away from work.

He is our beautiful, amazing companion and we love him more than we could ever have imagined!

It's been lovely reading everyone's stories - I'm getting all teary eyed again!

All the best,
Nic
X

 

[labs_rock]

I don't have my story yet...August 22nd is when it will start! I can't wait until then, it just seems so far away!

 

[Keren]

We collected alfie on the 29th january,we had chosen alfie the week before....Our sons aged 12 and 10 had been told that there wasn't a golden male lab avaliable and we would have to wait for the breeders next litter....but that week was the longest of my life,buying things for alfie and hiding them,just like christmas. My friend waited at home for the boys to arrive from school..nothing was said and at 4. 15pm we pulled into the driveway, my husband carried alfie in the house and sam our eldest just rushed into the hall and said,"is he really ours to keep,forever" and he cried his eyes out, jack the youngest is disabled and alfie is definately his best buddie,they adore each other...
alfie is now 8 months and even though he likes to nick washing and chew the newspapers before you have had time to read them we all love him and the joy he has brought into our lives,nobody could ever imagine,hes our 3rd son and we love him....

 

[Tracey]

I remember going to choose our Scooby - it wasn't an easy choice at all, not when you see 7 pairs of little paws perched over their bed. There was only one female left and the rest males. The female looked like the runt of the litter, whilst one yellow male looked huge, so these were dismissed and it was then down to 5 black males (who all seemed identical). I decided to go for one that wasn't too shy or too bold, after umming and aaring and picking up and putting down, I decided on Scooby - he had a little white patch on his chest.

I went with the breeder to finalise things and fetch food etc and when I got back, there was one puppy who was running around with the dustpan brush in his mouth - guess who?? I wondered if I had made the right choice :lol:

I got him home and sat him on his bed which seemed huge. He just looked at me with his sad eyes. When my husband got home he didn't know what to do with him but had bought him a few toys! Our Scooby seemed so quiet - did I want a quiet one?

I needn't have worried - the next day he was in full bounding mode, leaping and running around, only stopping for short sleeps or wees 8O

Luckily he caught on to house-training and slept all night in his crate and only wet it the second night and has been fine ever since. We have had the occasional wees but never a poo and this stopped by the time he was 4 months.

He is now 10 months and quite a big lad and we love him to death

 

[Poppydog]

Kimba has never been quiet, only had her 3 weeks and shes not missed her littermates or mum once. Shes a loveable handful.

Love Hazelx

 

[Goldentouch]

The day we got Leo was a day of such mixed emotions.
I was excited & happy yet scared. This tiny little bundle of yellow fur was mine to look after and care for and i was so scared incase i done anything wrong. Every moment was a "is he okay" "whats he doing" Whats that he has, is it safe?"
Leo was rehomed to us at 12 weeks old (His previous owner couldnt give him the time or attention he needed, nor could they coap with the commitment)
When we got him in the car i sat in the back seat with him all the way home just hugging and cuddling him thinking how lucky i was.
Such a good dog, no accidents in the car and was happy as larry the whole drive home.
We finally arrived home where we had already set up his crate, toys and removed anything he was likely to take a fancy to chewing (or so we thought )

At 1st he sniffed about, that big black nose in every corner and crack he could find.
Before he knew it, it was lunch time!
He smelt the food before he could even see it! He started giving off that puppy whine when he heard me pour his biscuits into his bowl, "im hungry mum, hurry up" he was crying out in his puppy whines.
We fed him in his crate so he would associate it with a nice happy place.
And from that day on, as soon as he see's his green feeding bowl he jumps into his crate like lightening!

When bedtime arrived he went into his nice soft bed with his favourite toy "lamby"
He cryed a little when we left the room, but soon fell asleep quickly, he was tired from the long busy day he had.

The next morning the little rascle was acting as if he had lived here for years instead of days. He was bouncing about, playing with his new toys and even getting a nack for jumping on sofas and up by the window ledge to try and steal tv remotes! Cheeky Monkey!

One month on and he's our darling.
I cant imagine being without our 6am walks, or his funny stunts he pulls while around the house. Or his sneeking about, waiting till you go out the room so he can steal the last peice of pie from your dinner plate
Or watching him for hours on end trying to get that last peice of cheese stuck at the bottom of his kong!

He has given me magical moments, all my animals have.

We have 4 cats and Leo, and i wouldnt be without any of them.
They are part of the family.
Its been wonderful reading all your own stories too.
Like Nic said, bring a tear to the eye