Puppy Diary 2: The puppy has arrived - is it really like having a newborn?

That’s pretty much what every person has said to me since we picked Ted up on Saturday.

And while it’s nowhere near as full on, there’s definitely crossovers. And not a newborn, but a very bitey toddler.

Puppy Diary 1: The prep

Like having a baby, he does sleep a lot. Which is great, until he falls asleep on you and you daren’t move because you want some peace and don’t want to wake him. Then when he does wake up it takes 30 minutes to watch a four minute segment of that TV series you like, because you keep having to pause it for wees and poos and to tell him to stop eating a cushion.

And the poos - one day he must have done 12 of them, and honestly, if I could have put a nappy on him, I would have done. In fact, like having a baby, I made a cup of coffee one morning and by the time I’d done the cleaning of wees and poos and paws and fur, got the Dettol out and away, nearly tripped over him a million times, the drink was cold.

I’ve also been up in the night to make sure he doesn’t wee in his crate, cleaning while he sleeps, and trying far too hard - perhaps - to make sure he’s stimulated and happy and eating the right amount, and not learning bad habits.....

So I’m fairly tired, is what I think I’m trying to say.

Working from home today has seen me drag an outdoor beanbag out of the garage and deposit it near his crate and toys, so I can keep an eye on him - and prevent him from chewing my Cox and Cox limed oak bar stools. I’ve also decided to sacrifice a slipper, just so I can get on.

He is absolutely adoreable though, and even the cat (with the help of quite a lot of Feliway) doesn’t hate him. There’s lots of learning to be done by both us and him, but I can’t wait to be able to take him out once his injections are done.

I was once told when my son was smaller that the days are long, but the years are short. And I can imagine that ringing very true here as well.