Holly is enjoying life and all her new experiences. New experiences for any puppy are really important, but for Holly there are special things that she needs to get used to whilst she is young so to help her in the future.
Over the last few weeks we have been supporting Holly as she gets used to her new anti-slip booties. The first couple of days involved her just seeing them, smelling them and chewing them (a little)! After that she would have the chance to smell, chewing was followed with a "stop" command and I would just touch the bootie on each paw, again saying stop if she wanted to have a chew.
Holly then worked up to getting a bootie on a paw each day. A couple of days with one paw, then going to two and building up to more etc.
Well, today we got up to four paws whilst Holly enjoyed her Snuffle Mat from Susiebugs.
We have seen Holly make huge progress on more slippery floors such as laminate and tiled. However, we think it's important that Holly is used to her anti-slip booties and wears them every now and then so that if she needs the extra support later on in life she already knows how they feel and will be comfortable in them.
Holly also has a Help'emUp Harness from Orthopets. The Harness was suggested by Claire Lawrence McTimoney Therapist who saw Holly when she was two months old. Again, the harness was introduced now so Holly gets used to it whilst she is a little pup, with the view that it will benefit her and us in the future. The main reason for the harness is so that we can help Holly lift her rear-end up as she struggles to get on all fours, and as she gets heavier this will be harder for her.
Although, I love to be able to hold Holly and help her directly, I think it's important that she isn't overly handled. Holly is a really determined pup and even though she is only a four months old now, she definitely has an independent streak. Each step, door threshold and kerb is a challenge for Holly, one day she manages it really well, another day it's not so easy. By using the harness, she gets that independence and we get to support her more easily without overly handling her. The harness supports Holly's hips and spine, which is really good for Holly when she is walking.
We are always looking for ways and equipment for Holly, that will support her, raise her confidence, keep her independence and minimise the chance of her injuring herself. Please contact us if you have any tips or ideas that may help us give Holly the fun-filled life that she deserves.
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