ELSIE UPDATE: 1 MONTH WITH A NEW PUPPY

It's crazy to think that I've had Elsie for a whole MONTH already. Where has time gone?! Elsie's personality has completely changed in a month too so it's time to give you all a little update on my little pup-sicle'!

Elsie is 14 weeks old today and it's only the last week or so that I have really noticed a difference in her size! She has definitely grown substantially in length and now stands taller than when we first got her. Obviously puppies grow, but I didn't realise they would grow SO quick!

She is much better health wise than before. After a strict diet and some medication, her worms and colitis healed and her poop went back to normal. We have changed her food diet now from a turkey and rice biscuit based diet to Pedigree puppy pellets which she seems to enjoy a lot more. She has a HUGE appetite for a puppy so we have to be careful she doesn't over eat because it can be quite easy for a labrador to become overweight.

She has had her first vaccination which was exciting because it means we are a step closer to our very first walk! If you're getting a puppy, I would look around at puppy packs because for a set amount of money, I got her vaccinations booked in, a microchip, flea and worming treatments AND 4 weeks included pet insurance.  Her second (and final!) jab will be on the 19th so we can start going for walks by the end of the month. SO EXCITING! (I just hope it warms up in London a bit!) 

This will also mean that as of the 19th, her pet insurance is finished and I'll need to take out a new plan. Pet Insurance is such an important part of the journey when getting a new dog or cat. Whether your new furry friend is 3 months old or 7 years old, pet insurance protects you with claims for your pet. Did you know that 1 in 3 people need to make a claim on their pet insurance? From skin conditions, breaking of limbs, upset stomachs and even the loss of your pet; pet insurance will have you covered depending on the level of plan you take out. 

Argos Pet Insurance seems to be the best plan for me and Elsie. They offer three different level packages so depending on your pet type and how much you can afford; there are different plans to look at taking out. Personally, Elsie is my world so I will be taking out the platinum cover plan which will last her whole life. It's a relief to know that if I need the emergency vet bills paid then paying for pet insurance will have me covered for any issues that occur during Elsie's life. 

We have now discovered Elsie LOVEs dental bones. As normal bones are out of the question due to them being too tough for her puppy teeth, we have tried her out on some softer dental bones. Elsie has been testing us with self-defence when it comes to these chews so we have been taking them off her during mid-chew so she knows we aren't taking it away from her completely.

Elsie has a bit of a funny relationship with our cat, Albert. She is now a lot larger than him so is always jumping over him and trying to get him to play. Even though Albert is a good as gold and doesn't react negatively to this puppy behaviour, he simply doesn't want to play. There's a bit of a dilemma when it comes to feeding time with both pets because they eat each other's food! Again, there was a bit of growling and protection from Elsie over her food bowl when Albert wanders near it but this is the main thing we are working on at the moment to control.

Elsie still loves to bite. Infact, that's her chewing my favourite PJ shorts. She is starting to bite people quite harshly now so this is another thing we are trying to work on stopping. We have tried the pulling away and shouting OUCH, tried giving her a toy straight away and tried putting her in 'time out' to calm down. However, she seems to have selective hearing and doesn't listen to the word 'no' or 'stop'; yet listens straight away at 'treat'. Puppy minds, eh?

She doesn't sit still for long enough to get a decent selfie, so this is all we managed to achieve today!

 I am really looking forward to the next stage in her puppy training, taking her for walks and meeting puppy friends. Elsie's last post got such a great response in the comments so I hope you found this post super cute too!

In collaboration with Argos Pet Insurance as they contacted me to discuss the importance of Pet Insurance.