All About Archie

I’ve had my dog, Archie, since he was eight weeks old; he’s two now. During the time I’ve had him, there have been many ups and downs – thankfully, more ups – and now I can’t imagine life without my furry friend.

It is very hard work though, bringing up a puppy, and no matter how prepared you think you are, if you’ve never had a puppy or a dog before, you’re going to have the shock of your life. I know I did.

I didn’t rush into things. I researched dog breeds. I read up on life with a dog, and what I’d need for my puppy during the early days, but nothing I read prepared me for how overwhelmed I’d feel.

Puppies bring with them a lot of love; there are all the cuddles, the joy of seeing them romping through the grass like little lambs, and the fact they follow you everywhere. There are lots of pluses, obviously, to getting a puppy, but there are a whole host of things you won’t have considered, simple things: you won’t be able to leave any of your stuff out if you want it to remain intact; lie-ins are cancelled; TV programmes interrupted; not being able to eat in peace … all because there’s a little puppy demanding your attention.

And then there’s all the messy stuff and I’m not just talking about poop scooping, but clearing up diarrhoea and vomit; cleaning your puppy’s bottom when he’s got poo stuck on it; cleaning your puppy when he’s been digging; the constant battle over muddy paws on the carpet; the fact your home looks like a bomb’s hit it when your puppy’s let loose.

Maybe it won’t be such a shock to everyone, getting a puppy for the first time. I’m sure many people will be far more laid back than I was, but judging by the number of puppies (and dogs) which are given up each year, other people have found bringing up a puppy hard work.

My husband and I haven’t got kids, but one of my husband’s work colleagues told him they’d found bringing up a puppy harder than bringing up a baby! It just goes to show that a tiny puppy can have a massive impact on your life.

I worried whether we were doing things the right way. Getting a puppy made me more anxious. In all the excitement, I didn’t anticipate this. It would have helped if I had – I don’t think I would have been so hard on myself. I felt like I was a terrible person for not being able to enjoy Archie during those early days.

All I could do was take it a day at a time and as time passed I found I was coping. Cuddles with Archie helped!

Two years on and I’m so much more confident and relaxed – Archie smearing himself in fox poo doesn’t faze me. Most importantly of all I’ve got a happy, healthy, and gorgeous dog.

To find out more about Helen and Archie go to: