Introducing the dachshund pups, Dottie and Martha

I thought it was about time that I formally introduced you to the two new members of our family, Dottie and Martha the dachshund puppies! Yes, I did just say two! In all my posts to date, I've only mentioned Dottie as she was the first to arrive mid March, when she was 8 weeks old! Two weeks ago, we picked up Martha as a companion for Dottie, she's only 1 day younger! Here's a little bit about them now they're 14 weeks old...

Dottie

• Dottie is a miniature smooth haired chocolate and tan dapple. 
• She is petite, probably because she can not stay still for more than 2 minutes! 
• She is playful and constantly looking for someone or something to amuse her! 
• Dottie is wilful and stubborn; if she doesn't want to sit and snuggle, there's no chance of making her! 
• She loves cooked chicken and raw mince. Good luck to anyone who gives her kibble without an addition of meat - it won't get eaten unless she's really hungry! 

• When Dottie first arrived, and until Martha came along, Dottie went to bed with a hot water bottle in a furry case every night. If she didn't have it, the whole house would know about it! 
• Dottie also likes the radio on at night - we put Classic FM on for her because it calms her down...trust me! We accidentally left Radio One on one night not realising it was rock night! Turns out she's not into that!
• Dottie is confident and brave. She didn't take long to get used to the sights and sounds of the big outdoors and enjoys being out on the lead. 
• She is nosy and friendly, but she'll make it known with a little growl if she wants you to back off.
• Dottie loves socks - Rosie is her prime target! Poor kid rarely escapes a day without having her socks expertly whipped off by this pup!
• Like most girls, she's already in to shoes - pinching them and chewing them!

Martha

• Martha is a miniature smooth black and tan.
• She is chunkier than Dottie, on account of pinching the leftovers of her siblings whenever she saw her chance! We are combating this by feeding the pups separately at every meal time! 
• Martha is lazy and super chilled! She would rather be curled up in her bed or on your lap than playing with her toys!
• She is loving and cuddly, and loves to snuggle up with you on the sofa in the evening.
• This pup also loves roast chicken, but she'll happily wolf down anything you put in front of her...or in front of anyone else if you're not quick enough!

• Martha loves to spoon with Dottie at bedtime. She has shared a bed since her first night with us, despite being offered her own space. She also sleeps better with a nightlight!
• Martha is not yet as confident with the great outdoors as Dottie is. She is frightened of loud noises, and lies down when traffic passes which is a bit of a pain when walking by the main road! Although it tends to give passers by a bit of a giggle!
• Martha is also friendly but prefers the company of humans (or Dottie) and shows little interest in other dogs at the moment. She's a bit of a wimp when meeting strange dogs on her walks!
• She is the whiny one of the pair! If Martha can hear you upstairs, she'll whimper and whine and sit by the door like a needy toddler!
• Martha loves a squeaky toy. She'll often bite and chew until she finds the squeaker and won't give up until she's tired!
• She loves to dig and tunnel - They don't call them badger dogs for nothing!

Despite their differences in stature and character, it's fair to say that the puppies have already become great friends! They are only a day apart in age which is helpful to us because they are both learning the same skills together. Where one falters, the other thrives so they bring the best (and sometimes worst) out in each other! 

I was sceptical at first about having one puppy, let alone two but I have to say, bringing Martha into our home as a companion for Dottie has been the best decision all round. The pups are never alone, they have one another when we're out and they really seem to love each other's company...as do we!

I'm sure Dottie and Martha will be featuring in many of our adventures - We hope you enjoy watching them learn, grow and get into mischief!

Finding joy in the little things: Hearing Stanley whisper to the puppies, "I love you so, so, so, so much doggies," every night is the most heartwarming, adorable thing I've heard him say! He is besotted with them both, and just wants to have them with him, on his lap or by his side all the time! His face was a picture when we turned up with Martha after school one day...he couldn't quite believe we were allowed to keep her too! Dogs really are man's best friend, or in this case, a 4 year old boy's! 

Look out for our upcoming post on the benefits of having dogs and children.

I'm linking up this post with these fabulous blogs!