the puppy has landed

Feeling lazy I'll start with the email I sent to Kathy the Victorian IWS breeder we got our latest household addition from. Presented in human terms we have been bastards; yesterday we turned up and kidnapped a son from his mother, put him in a box, shoved him in an plane and flew him hundreds of miles to the home of a somewhat irate big-bloke, or rather cocker spaniel. So we'll not humanise it to much. (Not sure how to spell anthropomorphosise. Oh, like that; cool!)

Rowlf - and Rumpole - had a stress-light first night (I'd not say stress free!)

Little fella howled for about 10mins in the car when we left - as you said he would - and then calmed down. He had a run at the airport where we left him with Australian Air Express. Yes that costs a bit more, but the girl in the office was all over him and despite it being against policy said she'd be playing with him for as long as possible before boarding. To say thank you he weed all over their floor. After nearly taking the paperwork that would have seen me collecting Alpacas at arrival, we left Rowlf to some loving in the calm environment of AAE and we headed for the terminal. I think Sal and I were more stresed than he was. When I collected him at the other end he was calm and the crate was poo and wee free. He had another little whine in the 20min car journey home. Sal dropped me a couple of hundred yards from the house and went to get Rumpole so that the first meeting took place in neutral territory.

Rumpy has been fairly good; As you'd expect he is a bit "Oi! Not sure I like this!" and has had a couple of snarly moments but little Rowlf is taking it in his stride. There is a Mexican stand-off but not much mre than that. Rowlf is a bolshy little fella when he gets going; tail up he'll give Rumpole a few high-pitched barks and he will sit bold as brass as Rumpole comes in to check him out. It's quite cute actually. There are obvious border disputes over chew toys and whenever food is about. Lats night we all chilled out in front of the tele, Sal on one sofa, me on another, Rumpole and Rowlf each on a pillow.

Rowlf howled for a few minutes when we put him to bed; Rumpole trotted out to see what the fuss was about, then came back to sleep on the bedroom floor. I woke up in the middle of the night and all was quiet, then I got up at 6 to find, again, no poo or wee. Rowlf was a bit whingy when he knew I was about, Rumpole had a morning gruff! to let us all know who is boss but all is pretty good. Rowlf had a chicken wing twice. Once in the back garden, once from around my feet where he threw it up as I stodd shaving; he wolfed it down both first and second times.

Today Sal is playing diplomat-referee as I have come into work.

Once again many thanks, and once my stress levels fall I'll start taking pictures!

So there you go. Latest update was that the stand-off was holding and both boys were sleeping on Sal's lap. Once over the shock, and fully respectful of each other's space - or at least each other's food - they should be fine. Fingers crossed.

And now back to Thursday and the start of the long weekend.