Melvin continues to grow and mature (as puppies do). He has had his second lot of immunisations and is microchipped. He is beginning to show his nature and grow into himself too. This revealing of his nature has led to some interesting nick names; such as Smelly Melly, Hell Hound, Devil Dog and my personal favourite… Beelzebub.

He loves to play, especially biting and fighting games. We have had to tell him off multiple times for chasing geese and guinea fowl. We will continue to work on curbing and diverting his chasing and hunting instinct. He loves to roll in anything smelly he finds on our walks, then proudly bring that smell home. He also has discovered a real talent for being underfoot, I do believe he could take that talent and spin it into a successful assasin business. He steals toys from Val (Chloe’s dog) and hides them in his bed, leading Val to sneak in to retrieve her toys at all hours of the day and night.

He has moments of quiet and gentleness and he loves a cuddle when he is tired. We make sure he goes outside regularly (I had forgotten about toilet training!!) and he goes to the toilet every few hours day and night. In the afternoons (and sometimes mornings) we take him and Val for a walk. He can run for a kilometre without getting tired. When he is worn out enough by playing and running, he finds a place to curl up and sleep for a micro-second or so, before he is ready to do it all over again.

He is gradually being accepted into our dog pack; Val treats him like an annoying little brother, playing with him sometimes and totally ignoring or snapping at him other times. Bandit treats him like a mortal enemy, snarling and snapping at him whenever he gets close. It is funny to see Melvin trying to sneak up on Bandit so he can nip him. I think it won’t be long before Melvin is fully integrated into the pack and finds his position.

I do love the little boy… even if he is a bit devilish. He makes the cutest noises when he yawns, he is fearless and endlessly curious about life, he is a warm presence while I work and he looks at me with love in his eyes. What more could I wish for from a new baby?