The story of Polly on a Jolly!
Our little youngster Polly has been finding kennels rather stressful so it was decided that a little Easter vacation was in order so that Polly could have a chance to relax, unwind and kick up her heels and of course – Aunty Jenn was who Polly chose to go and stay with. And I was only too happy to oblige.
So on Easter Monday, after all the doggies from Newport City Dogs Home had been walked, Polly packed up her bedding and headed off for a mini break.
Getting to her new pad proved a little stressful as Polly is not a fan of travelling. But she didn’t resist being picked up and safely secured in a crate and coped with the 15 minute journey across town quite well.
I’d anticipated that Polly might be a little nervous when we arrived at the house but she jumped out of the car, straight up the steps and in through the front door like it was a regular everyday occurrence.
Heading straight for the back door, Polly decided that her first job should be to inspect the garden
“Nice grass Aunty Jenn. I like grass!”
“Ooh this looks interesting. What’s planted here?”
Yes, definitely something interesting here…
Snuffle Snuffle – “I think you may have had a rabbit in this garden at some point Aunty Jenn!”
More good smells here!
Maybe I’ll just have a little investigate further…
“What do you mean don’t dig up the lawn Aunty Jenn? I thought this was supposed to be a holiday where I can kick back and enjoy myself! You’re being a spoilsport!”
After our garden explorations it was time for a chill and for Polly to spend some time doing her favourite activity in the whole wide world… sofa surfing!
“Your lap is comfy Aunty Jenn but I prefer to be able to stretch out a little.”
Much better!
A quick 40 winks and ready for more fun! Be it chewing a squeaky monkey…
Or playing hide and seek…
Or just thrashing her bed around the living room…
Polly was certainly chilled enough to have some fun and let her inner pup come out to play!
Initially on our visit together, it would just be Polly & I in the house as my children were away on holiday. I didn’t want to give Polly any cause to be anxious or overwhelmed by lots of people or by new people but give Polly her due, she coped well when there was an extra adult in the house.
“Who’s coming to visit Aunty Jenn? Russ?”
“I love Russ! He’s good for cuddling!”
Whilst staying with me I had set Polly up with a crate at the bottom of the stairs. Her favourite daytime game with the crate was – how quickly can I drag all the bedding out and how far can I spread it round the house! However when it came to bedtime Polly quietly settled in the crate and apart from the odd cough I didn’t hear a peep out of her for 10 hours straight. She sleeps better than my children!
During the first night that Polly stayed, we did have a couple of accidents on the kitchen floor but let’s face it, Polly has been living in kennels for the last 2+ months and the etiquette rules are a little different there to what we might expect at home.
She very quickly picked up what was expected of her during daylight hours, picking out specific areas of the garden to do what was needed. On her 2nd night I put down some newspaper by the back door and she used that however for her subsequent nights, she was clean and dry with no mishaps. Well done Polly! Important house rules quickly mastered.
Day two of Polly on a Jolly started bright and early.
“Good morning world! Isn’t today a fine & glorious spring day! What do we have planned Aunty Jenn?”
Well Poll – I thought we’d head off to the park and to the river for a little adventure!
(NB – while Polly was with me she had a nasty cough so she was walked on a harness as well as a lead so as to not aggravate her throat with the lead. I did also find that Polly walks far more nicely on a harness although I’m not sure that she was a massive fan of wearing it)
“Great. But I’m not impressed at being in the car again! Not impressed at all!”
“Quick ear scratch before we start off please”
“Come on then let’s go investigate!”
“Oh this looks interesting Aunty Jenn? Bit cold for a swim though today I think!”
Over the course of the time that Polly stayed with me she had a variety of walks in different environments. Polly is nervous around heavy traffic, however to her credit with lots of reassurance and taking the walk at a pace Polly was happy with she pushed herself out of her comfort zone to go out and explore. At the park we met a variety of on and off lead dogs. Polly clearly has missed out on a lot of her early socialisation and she wasn’t keen to say hello to any of the dogs. Although nervous around off lead dogs who wanted to say hello to her, she showed no sign of aggression towards them. Polly did show interest on one off lead dog who was playing and splashing in the river whilst we were out. I think the fact that the dog was clearly having fun, but didn’t show any interest in Polly, piqued her curiosity and gave me hope that with patience, the right training and a gentle pace, Polly could indeed make some doggy friends.
There were a few occasions when Polly didn’t want to go out for a walk and she made this quite clear by her flat-out refusal to come to the front door. And that is absolutely your choice darling girl! What do you say to some tennis instead?
Ready…
Oh! Nice sit Polly!
“All this chasing balls is such hard work Aunty Jenn!”
“Can we do some more gardening again please?”
All played out!
Polly’s visit with me stretched out over 5 days and during that time we had lots of cuddles and walks and tennis balls.
What became clear was that this is a sensitive little girl and as such she is going to need a special home. One that can give Polly time and patience, love and acceptance but also boundaries and training. Polly has missed out on so many of the important things that a puppy needs to learn to stand them in good stead for their life. There are things that make her anxious – a busy environment being one of them. In my opinion, Polly will benefit from living in a household where she is an only dog and ideally with a single person or a couple.
Polly has so much love to give. So much love. Affection is what she craves but boundaries are also what she needs so Polly’s new owners will need to be prepared to work with this girl to give her that. But I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that with the right forever people, Polly will have unwavering loyalty and so much love to give that it will make your heart burst.
Polly-wally-doodle! Thank you for coming to stay and for proving that Polly Pupster has what it takes to be an amazing girl! I look forward to spending more time with you and helping you to prepare for that day when your forever peeps come to take you home!
She seems a different puppy now.
you can upload them onto the forum - it's easy when you know how!
as the lovely Pol is looking for a very special home as she is quite a unique girl with some extra needs 
