It's hard to believe it's been over 6 whole months since I brought this little squishy baby home with me. I remember (at that exact moment above) being handed Bronson for the first time, and thinking shit... what have I done?! He was so tiny, and it was the first time I'd ever owned a dog before. Even growing up we only really had cats, fish and guinea pigs in the family, so this was a whole new territory for me. Pete was away on tour with his band that week, so my friend Ashley took the drive up to Dundee with me for moral support, and was able to capture some really lovely pictures of our first day together.
Here he is, at just under 3 months old and now just over 9 months old! (now weighing in at a hefty 11kg) What an insane but rewarding journey it's been with this little guy. I like to think we were as prepared as possible for welcoming a dog into our lives, but the whole thing has still been a massive learning curve despite how 'ready' we thought we were. I don't think folk are joking when they say having a puppy is similar to having a baby. He's definitely been a great warm up act for us... let's just put it that way haha.
Despite what appears to be a grumpy face, Bronson is one of the happiest and friendly dogs I have ever met. He thrives in a busy environment, loves meeting new people (and animals) and making new friends. He loves Dexter and Binx so much, it's pretty adorable to watch! They are totally accepting of him now, and they'll often snooze on the sofa together or chase each other the length of the flat. French Bulldogs are a notoriously stubborn breed, so the toilet training has been a slow process but I think he finally gets it now. He's great on and off the lead too, and will never venture out of our sight while on a walk. I know I'm painting a rosy picture of him, but trust me it's not been plain sailing the whole way. There's been late nights & ridiculously early mornings, various shoes destroyed, plenty of toilet accidents, chairs and skirting boards chewed, an attack from another dog, and the eating of cat poop which apparently is a delicacy for our canine friends (who'd a thought it, eh?)
// Jacket - Missguided @ ASOS // Scarf - Topshop // Dress - Lazy Oaf // Satchel - Dr Martens //
// Glitter Trainers - ASOS // Bronson's Harness & Lead - Julius K9 from All Under One Woof //
On a personal level, this little guy keeps me company on a daily basis and has helped me so much anxiety wise. He gets me out of the house and gives me a sense of purpose even on the days I feel like hiding under the duvet and not facing the world. He's got me and Pete out and about, exploring our neighbourhood and going on lovely walks together, meeting new doggy pals and members of our community. We're lucky to live in such a dog friendly area, so Bronson is able to come with me to 80% of the places I visit! (Big shout out to Blow, Cafe Strange Brew and The Bungo for being some of our fave places to go together) Bronson has also been to Lebowski's, The Rum Shack, The Glad Cafe and Butterfly & Pig where he's always given a warm welcome with a biscuit and a bowl of water. I'm mega grateful to have so many dog friendly places on our doorstep, and I'm looking forward for our wee train ride into town to go to NAF tomorrow morning. I'm not as clued up on dog friendly places in the city centre, but Dugs Welcome has been a great resource for us so I'll need to have a look and find somewhere doggy friendly for an after appointment coffee tomorrow.
This squishy fella really is mine and Pete's best friend. We've had so many laughs with him, and the frustrating days are just as rewarding as the good days, when we can look back and see how far he's come with his training in such a short period of time. Bronson got the snip last Thursday so we've mostly just been chilling and trying to encourage him to take it easy (easier said than done, he's still full of beans!) and it's lovely having his sister Olive live so close to us - he was able to have a sleepover with her and Sheri at the weekend which he totally loved. Bronson never went to any sort of puppy training classes, but I think him going out on pack walks with Kevin at Lead The Way has really helped his development and interaction with other dogs. Our breeder Zoe has also been a constant source of support and advice even all these months later. She really cares for these dogs so much and we are extremely grateful we were able to give one of her dogs puppies a good home.
I am by no means an expert when it comes to dogs, puppies, or the French Bulldog breed in general, but if you have any questions at all about welcoming a dog into your family (especially where apartment living, other pets, and young children are concerned) then feel free to drop me a message! Bronson is off for a wee holiday to his Grandpa's in Perth on Thursday, as me and Pete are off to New York and Toronto for a week. So I'll be back with another post in the next couple of weeks, and you can always find more puppy spam over on my instagram if you wish (sorry... not sorry ♥)