Thank you to everyone for the sweet comments about our new pup, Mavis. A few of you asked for more details on her, so that’s what I’m blogging about today!
Why we chose a cocker spaniel
Longtime readers will remember when my parents surprised my sister with a cocker spaniel for her 15th birthday. That was in 2013, so I was still living at home and had the chance to get to know the pup (Brandy) for almost a year before Jimmy and I got married and bought our house.
Brandy quickly stole my heart. She was, and still is, very sweet, playful, and happy. Hoping to have a similar experience of having a happy, easygoing dog, Jimmy and I decided to get Mavis from the same breeder as Brandy.
I was able to visit the breeder when Mavis’ litter was five weeks old and choose which puppy I wanted. I chose Mavis because she was quiet, curious, and cuddly.
The first time I met Mavis, when she was five-weeks-old.
Where Mavis’ name came from
I’ve had so many people hear the name Mavis and kind of make a funny face, but I just love her name! As a child, I learned to type by using the software program Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing and actually enjoyed it (did anyone else out there learn to type from Mavis Beacon?!).
I had forgotten about the name until Jimmy and I watched the children’s movie Hotel Transylvania, which I think is so cute. One of the characters is named Mavis, and it reminded me of my childhood and I instantly thought it was a cute, unique name for a puppy.
Mavis’ personality (so far)
She’s only a little over nine weeks, so it’s tough to tell her personality, but so far I’d say she is sassy, confident, and playful. When she sleeps, she sleeps hard. When she plays, she plays hard. She has already met quite a few dogs that are much bigger than her and hasn’t been afraid. She’s not afraid of the vacuum, thunder, or much of anything that I can tell.
We’re trying to introduce her to as many dogs, people, and situations as possible while she’s young so she grows up to be a well rounded dog. The sassiness comes from her knowing what she wants and not stopping until she gets it. We’re working on that 😉
How Jimmy and I are adjusting
Puppies are a lot of work, and require constant attention and dedication. The first few nights we had her, Mavis woke us up 3-4x per night, and thankfully she’s down to two bathroom breaks a night now. We are tired to say the least. I don’t know how parents with babies survive. Seriously, parents out there… how do you do it?
It has been a big change to go from leisurely sipping coffee in the morning to chasing after a puppy from sun up to sun down, letting her outside a million times a day, and only leaving the house in two to three hour increments. We are also outnumbered by animals, which is kind of fun and kind of crazy. I know things will get easier as she grows up and we adjust, but having a new pup comes with a lot of challenges and changes. I remind myself daily to chill out and realize we’ll all be just fine!
We are also loving Mavis. She’s just adorable, and my favorite thing is when she follows me out to our garden and wanders around while I pick tomatoes, green beans, and zucchini. I love rubbing her belly, seeing her discover the world around her, and taking walks with Jimmy, Lola, and Mavis. Maybe soon we will get out Malcolm’s stroller so he can join us, too 😉
How all of the pets are adjusting to each other
Lola and Malcolm are adjusting to Mavis (and vice versa) amazingly. I’m honestly surprised at how well they get along. Mavis’ absolute favorite thing to do is play with Lola and Malcolm. Lola is gentle and mostly patient with her, and even plays with her when she feels like it. Malcolm and Mavis run around the house chasing each other and wrestling and don’t stop until Mavis flops over and falls asleep or we separate them. I’m really happy with how they’re all getting along!
A rare moment of Mavis sitting still instead of playing with Lola.
Mavis’ future
I just enrolled her in 12 weeks of training classes at our local Petco. She is going to take Puppy Level 1 and 2, and after that will be ready to take her AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Test, which evaluates puppies on their training and owners on their responsibility in taking care of the puppy.
After we complete her 12 weeks of training, and if she passes her AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Test, we may go on to do more training. Since watching her over the past week, I’ve noticed how athletic she is, and thought that she would be great in agility competitions (though the training would be time consuming!). There’s also the thought of having her become a therapy dog so we can volunteer at hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. Or maybe she will just be Mavis, our dog. Who knows! I’m excited to see what the future holds, though.
Last but not least, I put together a little video compilation of the day we brought home Mavis mixed with footage of her first week here.
Living My Full Life 
I totally remember Mavis Beacon!!! I wonder if they still use that wonderful electronic lady. Your puppy looks beautiful and I am jealous! If I got a dog, I want a mutt. They are usually better runners 😉
I’m glad someone remembers her, haha!! I wonder the same thing! Thanks for the compliment on Mavis! I can totally see you running with a mutt 🙂
So awesome Allie! Love you!
Dad
🙂
Thanks, Dad! Love you!
What a great post about Little May May 😂
I love her so much already, and I’m glad she’s adjusting so well to Lo and Malcom! The puppy days of craziness will be over before you know it~ and sleeping and sipping coffee will be back to normal- I promise 😘
Love, Madre
I can’t wait to be back to sleeping through the night and sipping coffee without getting off the couch every 30 seconds!
Mavis is so dang cute!! I’m seriously dying of puppy fever after seeing all of these pictures lol. It’s great you signed her up for training so she learns everything while young.
Have a great day Allie!
Thank you, Maureen!! I hope you have a great day, too!
OMG I love this and I love the video! Mavis is the cutest!!! I hope training goes smoothly 🙂 it’s smart you’re doing it when she’s this young! Have a great Monday 🙂
Aww, thanks! I had so much fun putting it together! I hope training goes well, too 😉
That picture of her at 5 weeks!! She is SO TINY! I love her!
I learned to type from Mavis Beacon as well!
Hopefully you guys will be sleeping more soon. Puppies are definitely super needy (in a good way, haha), but thankfully they grow quickly so it shouldn’t be long before she’s sleeping through the night!
So much puppy love in that video! Everything she does is so tiny and adorable, haha! Seeing her play with Lola and Malcolm is my fav. 🙂
It’s just crazy how tiny she was! She had to have been less than a pound. I was almost afraid to hold her because I didn’t want to hurt her, ha!
I cannot wait to sleep all night!! I don’t know how you do it!
Ohhh my gooodnesss- SHE IS SO CUTE! I absolutely adore her! DJ and I want to get a pup so bad, and this just really gave me puppy fever! So excited for you guys!
Thank you, Mackenzie! We are having a lot of fun with little Mavis!! I can totally see you and DJ getting a pup!
I bet! He is the cutest! And One day 😍😍
OH MY LANTA!!! Stop it, MAVIS ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ I am absolutely head over heels in love with her and I haven't even met her! How stinkin' adordable! I literally wish I could pet her through the video LOL I'm with Mack and DJ, me and Andrew have puppy fever like no other!!! Have so much fun with her and give us updates!!!
xo, JJ
Aww, thanks Jenny!! She is so much fun and a little trouble maker so it’s a good thing she’s cute 😉 I will have lots of updates on her!
You and Andrew need to get a pup! You two would be great fur parents together 🙂
Loved the Mavis update and vlog. She is so cute, and her antics with Malcolm are hilarious! 😀
I’m glad to hear she has started sleeping through the night as well! 🙂 I was lucky to miss out of middle of the night toilet training because Aimée was already three months old when I got her. Puppies soon get more control and are able to wait until morning, thankfully. It’s amazing how quickly they grow up!
Thank you so much, Grace!! Mavis and Malcolm are always making me laugh with their craziness!
I am also super glad to be sleeping more! Go Mavis! We were so proud when she slept through the night for the first time, haha. You are lucky you were spared that with Aimée! Was it tough to housebreak her since she was older, or was it easier?! It is totally crazy how fast they grow up! Bittersweet for sure!
I think she learned fairly quickly, but it took a little while for her to learn to actually ask to go out. We had a few accidents at the beginning but not too many!