I got used to my new life really quickly and actually quite liked the cage that I had to sleep in, particularly because it had lots of toys, blankets and cushions and so was really comfortable.

In fact I spent lots of time in there, even when it wasn’t time to sleep, although I did a lot of that too!

Alan and Ann said that I grew really fast, and was a quick learner, particularly when it came to becoming trained in the house.

I still wasn’t allowed outside of the house and had to go and see someone called Vet. He was very nice and made a real fuss of me. I didn’t really notice the first needle that he put in my neck, but then he gave me something called a chip, and that was a BIG needle and it hurt a bit.

Alan said that the chip was a good thing and would stop me getting lost, so I guess the pain was worth it.

Vet said that I would be allowed to go out of the house a week after my needles, but that was to be a long week!

I did enjoy the car trip. Alan put my cage on the back seat of the car, he said that it was so that I would feel safe, but really I think he just didn’t want me sitting in the front with him, even though he did let me sit on his lap in the drive for a bit until we were ready to go.

Sparky and I were starting to get on much better now. I think Sparky was just showing me a tough exterior but really he was a gentle giant. He would play with me from time to time, and he played with me a lot more when Alan and Ann weren’t in the room, so I think the act was as much for their benefit as for mine.

I loved being out in the garden, there was so much to see and do, and I was always able to find things to keep me occupied. I did however have one small incident, which I think got blown out of all proportion.

You see; there is a pond in the garden. Alan and Ann had both said to be careful around it and to make sure that I didn’t get to close to the edge. However it looked just like an extension of the lawn with the pond weed floating on the top and I thought it would be really easy just to walk across the top of it from one side to the other.

Boy was I ever wrong, and did I get wet!

Not just once though, but twice because Alan made me have something called a bath, and he washed off all of the weed and the smelly mud with something called shampoo, in the bathroom sink.

It was a very humiliating experience, and not something that I ever plan to repeat. At least not for a while, anyway.

I was finding out a lot about my new home, it had all the mod cons, and great parents and a step-brother.

Wilson’s Story is an occasional series of posts charting the first year of my dog, Wilson’s life.

Part One of Wilson’s Story can be found here.

All of the parts so far, can be found here.