My Early Life

My name is Hugo and I was born on the 21^st April 2019. My dog-mum was a Cocker Spaniel, and my dog-dad was a Miniature Poodle. This means that I am a mix breed, called a Cockapoo. I have parts of me that are from my dog-mum, like my long ears and some from my dog-dad, like my curly fur - which is quite special. I have hypo-allergenic fur which means it is less likely that people will be allergic to me, and it doesn’t moult (which means I do not shed my hair). Instead, I have to have a haircut every 6 weeks with a groomer who washes me and cuts my nails, too.

My dog-dad didn’t live with us but came to visit me and my 3 dog-brothers and sisters. We all began walking when we were about 2 weeks old and got our teeth at 3 weeks old. Soon after we learnt to play-fight and enjoyed chasing each other. All puppies play, even wild puppies, like wolves. Our litter (that’s what a group of puppies are called) played and chased things for fun, but wild puppies are learning to hunt when they play and chase.

Soon my two dog-sisters left our litter, then my dog-brother and I was on my own with my dog-mum. A few hours later, a lady came with a boy, and they sat with me for a while, I wasn’t lonely anymore. I liked it when they visited. Like all dogs, I like to be with others. We call it a pack and every pack has a leader.

One day, I went to a new house with the lady and boy. It was nice and they had a lot of toys for me to play with. The lady did everything my dog-mum did, and the boy played with me like my dog-brother did, then a girl came home, and she played with me too, just like my dog-sister. I know they weren’t dogs like me- they didn’t have much fur, but they were just as much fun. I liked my new home.

My Pack

In my pack, I have my mummy and daddy, and my brother and sister. My mummy is the pack leader, I try to do what she tells me but sometimes I forget. When we go to the park, I see my dog friends and I run and play with them. I practise being a pack leader like my mummy (that means I must be bossy).

Where we live is my territory and I like to guard our home and garden to keep my pack safe, so sometimes I bark if strangers come near it. It doesn’t mean I will hurt them; I just want them to know I am here. When I get excited or happy, I wag my tail.  When I am listening or interested, I tilt my head. Some dogs put their tails between their legs if they are scared or think they are in trouble; my mummy doesn’t shout at me, but she does give my commands in a firm voice.

Did you know?

Some dogs like digging. In the wild, a dog-mum would dig a deep hole and have her puppies inside it.  They would all live there, in the den, whilst the puppies were young. Other dogs will dig a hole and lay in it to keep cool on a hot sunny day. Some will even bury their toys (just to keep them safe).

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell. Dogs can learn more about an object by smelling it rather than just looking at it. We even sniff each other when we meet. A quick sniff will tell me how old another dog is and whether they are a boy or a girl.

There are dogs that are so good at smelling they have very important jobs with the police or rescue teams.

Some dogs are trained to help people who can’t hear or see very well. They are very clever dogs and have an important job keeping their human safe, like letting them know when it is safe to cross the road.

Farmers use dogs to round up sheep, they begin their training when they are 6 months old.