LATE BLOOMERS - ROCKET LAUNCH: The beautiful, brutal truth about getting a puppy

Episode Date: July 16, 2025

When we brought Rocket home, we expected healing, routine, and emotional support. What we got was… that, plus pee on the floor, chewed furniture, and a full identity crisis. In this episode of LATE BLOOMERS, Rich and Rox tell the honest story of life with their puppy. From 3 a.m. wake-ups to questioning whether we’d made a huge mistake, we share how Rocket changed our lives in ways we never expected — and how he became the little soul mate we both adore. Whether you're thinking of getting a puppy or just want a laugh at our expense, this is the beautiful, brutal truth of life with Rocket.

This week it's all about puppy love. We're going to be talking about my obsessional impulsive decision to get a dog What that's done to our relationship. I'm going to talk to you about the realities of having a dog. But and also how it's the best thing ever. We're going to have a laugh and talk to you Yes about the realities of getting a puppy. This is Late Bloomers where we are Getting our lives together and getting a dog apparently, eventually. I feel like getting a dog is part of being a Late Bloomer because it is taking on a slightly more level of like responsibility than I've ever had in my life.

You've had two kids, so... I've been there since 18 years old. This is just another... This is my third kid now. The dog. So the timing is quite interesting, isn't it? They're all 10 years apart. All of my kids. You had Cyr at 18, Lily 28, Rocket at 38. I'm not doing anything at 48. I'm not having it.

Adoption, baby. It is not happening. Nothing else is happening. 58, baby. No, no. So come on, let's start. So let's actually start. We've got a dog bed down here. So the thought was that during the episodes, Rocket could like calmly sleep in this bed by our feet while we're recording podcast. But he is a maniac.

I actually saw a comment that inspired this episode. So thank you to this person that said, I love that you've had a dog bed in shot for those watching on YouTube or Spotify. And for the whole time, we've done it and he's never been here. We did try at the beginning, but just no. And he was whining. Then we gave him a pig's ear and all you could hear was him slobbering and crunching on the ear of a pig for the whole episode. It's been life-changing and I just think this episode is for anyone that is thinking about getting a dog, a cat, another pet, maybe

even a kid because I've been told by you that there is actually some crossover. My aim for the episode is that someone realises it is an awesome thing to do. Is that it? That's the only aim? But it is also, it is quite tough. Yeah, I will, I will be happy with that. Like I'm not going to sit here and say it's the worst thing in the world, but I am going to be really honest about the bad as well as the good. Can I just talk about the fact that we have Rocket,

because I'm an obsessional ADHDer that lives in fantasy land and had just been dreaming of this doggy for years. Like how many years have I been saying, you've got to get a little doggy? I know why we have Rocket. You don't need to tell me. And actually, I reckon anyone that knows you would guess that the decision came from the depths of your great mind. Yeah, but I'd been badgering you for years. We'd visited loads of dogs, we'd visited loads of shelters. I remember Jake. I do remember my little Jakey boy.

Bless him. He wasn't the right fit and it was heartbreaking. He pulled me over with the lead to me. I was literally going to... But we'd had years of me having these really strong feelings of like, we need to get a dog. And it didn't go away. Like, usually I can ride stuff out with you.

Like, if we just, if we stop mentioning it, you'll forget about it. Is that what you do? Yeah. Wow. But you didn't forget about the dog. No, it kept just dropping back into consciousness. I just felt like the family needed a little fluffy friend. You would have been okay with a cat, but I was against having a cat. I actually said a cat would be less work.

It would be less work. Less training. Oh man, why don't we get... Sorry. They're more independent. I actually pushed quite hard for a cat as a compromise and you said no. I want to know if we're going to get an animal, we want to get a dog because of the love and companionship.

I believe, I don't know, but I believe a cat would eat you if you were like small enough. Right, I don't know where you've got... You've seen that on a TikTok, haven't you? No, I've known that for ages. I don't know whether it's true, but I've known it. But basically you didn't want a cat. No. So actually I'm going to stop taking all the blame for disrupting our lives with Rocket. I don't want anything. But if I had to have a fur animal, it was a dog.

Okay. Go on. You did start watching dog TikTok videos and then show me and go, Bubby, look, I'm going to have a best friend and me and my boy are going to do this. Well, that's not fair because have you seen some of the TikTok dog videos? Like there's this one, they play the sad music in the background or like is it happy music or sad music? I don't know. You'd know the songs though and it's them when they find that when they get from a rescue centre they find their forever home and they're

like walk up the dog's like wagging his little bum and like it's like oh come on you found your new owners oh my god it makes me cry it makes me cry that and veterans coming home to see their loved ones like their little daughters and stuff like after years and dogs yeah the dogs remember them yeah so like you did get are you well enough no i'm tired because we've got a dog. That's fair enough. Okay. So you were watching dog videos. I was obsessed with the idea of dog.

I was duped by the TikTok algorithm into watching dog videos. Yeah. And then what took it from one of my many fantasies? Like I want to move to Portugal, start an Etsy business. None of this stuff happens. Well, we might move to Portugal Not yet because of kids and the dog Part Own in our own house Like you always wanted to do it. You had me send emails to the landlords and stuff like that Could we get a dog could we get a dog, but we didn't have a big garden now

We've got a house with a garden that's too big, which is his own problem, but perfect for a dog. It was. So we moved into a house and it was like, now's the time for a dog. You were pretty on board. Yeah, I was. I mean, when he was a puppy. I mean, he is a lump now. He's a lumpy boy.

He's only 10 months, by the way, for anyone listening. But they do grow up fast, don't they, these young ones? He was the cutest thing. No, he was. Can I just go back a tiny bit? Yeah. Which was, even though I had always wanted a dog. Yeah. When we actually went and met Rocket around a corner. Mm-hmm. Realised, Seat actually

chose Rocket. Realised Rocket was gonna be our dog. What happened to me? Because it was quite unusual. Oh yeah, you were like, you had doubts, didn't you? You were like, I'm not sure. I think it was more than doubts. It was like crippling sense of doom that I've ruined my life and we needed to change our minds. And I spoke to you every day and I was like, it's the wrong decision. We're giving up all our freedom. I'm not going to want to do this. I'm going to regret it. I've made an impulsive decision.

I've done this before. I think we should change our mind. So I actually went totally the other way. Classic me, black or white thinking, and tried to... God, I feel so guilty. I tried to not get rocket. Some of your fears were true, but I think where we came to through discussion

was it's gonna be really hard for a while, maybe a year. And are we willing to give that to like having a dog chill on the sofa with you and stuff? This is where ADHD wrecks decision-making because I can't imagine the hard bits when I'm fantasizing about wanting something. And this could be a job like becoming a rock star or getting a dog or buying something on the internet that puts me in debt. I can only see what I want and it makes me feel like it's going to make me really happy. The reality of situations is way more complicated and way harder. So rocket is here because I have

ADHD wonky bone that was like dog will make me happy. I want dog. I see no problem. It'll be hard. Sure. Look, I can't actually feel in my body how hard it will be till I'm living it. And then you can't see that it will be good after the hard. Like you can only see what's directly in front of you. It's brutal. I imagine there's loads of ADHD listeners with dugs. Maybe kids that have come from. Maybe even kids.

Right, because the point about how cute Rocket was as a puppy, it's the same with babies, isn't it? It's cute and then they're do you know what i don't know whether like something's wrong with me but i don't find babies cute right really yeah really i'll always do the like if you see one this is really weird this is so weird If I see a baby, I'll make the face. What do you mean? Like, oh, right, pretend that they're cute. But you don't mean it. And I'll smile at the mum.

I don't know, it's like, as a woman, I feel like you've been socialised to do that. Like you're meant to find babies cute and smile at them. So I just like do it. But I find puppies cuter than babies. Am I allowed to say that on a podcast? No, right. There's definitely uglier babies than... No, we can't say that. No, but that's true. I'm not saying which ones are uglier. Oh.

But there are different... But there's definitely some puppies that I reckon you look at and go, is that a dog or an alien? I'm not sure. Yeah. You've had your own kids. Did an alien? I'm not sure. Yeah. You've had your own kids. Did you find your own babies really cute? Yeah. So maybe it's... But they were objectively cute.

I mean... No, I ain't having it. No, they were. Sure. Everyone said they were. They were doing the me thing where they go, oh, they're really cute. But no, I don't. But dogs are actually dogs, puppies, kittens.

I think it's just little animals. I don't know. They just, they just make me feel something. But even though that was when he was his cutest, that was when he was his most difficult because- Well, day one he pooed in my hand. Oh. What? Do you mean?

Oh, how is that an ah moment? Because he just didn't know he was tiny little thing. He just let loose. Sorry. It wasn't my hand. I don't understand how someone curling one out in the palm of my hand is an ah, that's cute thing. Because he's so tiny, he didn't know what he's doing. Oh my god. It's his first day at home. Listen, we hit this with all the right intentions because we had the crate, we had the training schedule and actually for like a few weeks, we were like pretty savage. We were sleep deprived.

And that's what I didn't know how hard it was going to hit me. The sleep deprivation because he was waking up in the night because he didn't know how hard it was going to hit me, the sleep deprivation, because he was waking up in the night because he didn't have bladder or bowel control, that's why I put it in your hand. So we had months where we didn't sleep through the night and that, oh my God, and I know this about myself. If I don't get eight hours sleep, I do not function. Yeah, I know. So it's like an odd... He's good now though. Like how long did that last? The sleep thing? It was when I went on tour and he came on the tour bus, was when he started sleeping through the night. So we got him in October, November, December, January, February, March. So we'd had

him for six months. He was eight months old when he started sleeping through the night. Yeah. And that's because we let him sleep in our bedroom. Oh yeah. We stopped doing the credit. Yeah. We always said, you always said, I'll never let my dog in my bed. I actually thought I was going to be, my vision, right, because of my wonky brain, I thought I was going to be like an insane dog owner. I thought it'd be like well trained, be hill

walking. And I'm just not, it's too hard. It's too hard. He does get training, but the way you used to speak about it was like he was being doggy training camp like a Sgt Major. I think because it started off like that and that's why it's sit, stay and break and all of that. It was both of us, but I was like really like everything, everything, everything. And those commands are good, but the walking and the ice is too, you don't listen. It just doesn't.

Listen, we still got a lot of work to do. It ain't over till it's over. One thing that did help us, there was the guy Will. Will Atherton. Will Atherton. Yeah, it was great. And we watched loads of his videos and I don't know, I just loved him. And we got his course. Big tatted bearded man.

Big tatted legend. And we got his course. Big tatted bearded man. Big tatted legend. And we followed his course. And the reason why Rocket was crate trained for those first few months, got his six day break. Toilet trained really quickly as well. Toilet trained really quickly was that. So if you are thinking of getting a pupsicle and ruining your life,

we would highly recommend that, wouldn't we? Yeah. And then we did it for a couple of months and then we just stopped. It's like anything, like going to the gym, you hit it so hard and then you fall off and then you feel like a bad doggy mum. If he ever does something naughty, I feel guilt because I'm like, that's because we haven't finished the training. He's not that naughty though is he?

He isn't. No, he eats sometimes shoes. He ate my crocs, my gibets the other day. Yeah, he's destroyed my crocs as well. That's our fault. He ate your Xbox controller. You can't leave a delicious croc in a room with a dog, can you? Look at it. Everything the dog ever dreamed of.

It is our fault. So the hardest bit for you, is it the lack of freedom? Yeah, like none. There's no freedom at like, not even for a day. Is there? Because actually, if we had, a lot of our lives are connected, so our work specifically, we've always got to do things together and we own a dog. It's not like I go, like when I play golf, it's not a problem because you're at home. When you go to therapy and see your mates and stuff, I'm here. When you go on tour, I'm here. But it's when we've got to do stuff together, which is all of the time because we work together work together

Yeah, we've got a bit now. Oh, wow. Cool. We've planned this and Forgot that we had a dog. What the hell are we gonna do like August holiday? I know But luckily we found someone that will have rocket but it's like what? What do you do? God get my doggy passport and take him next year. Yeah. Okay, so it is tough. You won't sleep.

Puppy blues is so real. What's puppy blues? So it's after you've had the puppy for a few days and the reality kicks in. Yeah. That you've got an animal and you need to train it. And they shit in your hand. They're pooing, they're shitting, they're all over the place. You're knackered and it's really common to have regrets. It feels like a blur to me.

Did you regret in them first few weeks? No. Did you not? No. Why not? Because there was, we obviously, I hadn't felt the lack of freedom there because we had planned, we just had a dog. So that was what we were doing for a few months. It was probably a bit later. It's like, oh cool, we can't do anything anymore ever. I have a feeling I had quite deep regrets in those first few weeks, but it really is just a blur. Yeah, no, I think that's because you didn't get any sleep, so your brain didn't function. I think I was just like, I can't live like this. Yeah.

What are we going to do? But now I think I've never seen you love anything like you do, Rocket. Well, you, I love you. Well, yeah, that's true. And the kids, it's different though. Yeah. So look, we have made it seem like the worst thing ever. And I also want to say it's the best thing ever. And that I've always had people that have kids say that I've never understood.

They're like, you don't make no sense, mate. How is it the best and the worst thing ever? And I don't want to say having a dog is like having a kid. I know it's not, I know it's different. I'm like level one adulting. You are level 10. You are doing unreal, but. It's the same.

No, it is the same. So obviously what I'm not saying is, it's as hard as having a kid. But that notion of being the best and the worst thing is exactly the same as having a kid. Like having, I love my kids, they're amazing, give me purpose, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, all of that. And it also strips away all your freedom and it's the hardest thing you'll ever do.

Yeah, okay. You can say that because you... I'm a dad. Are a dad. Yeah. So the best and the worst thing, so obviously the worst thing is like the incessant worry, the lack of sleep, the poo everywhere, the no freedom, the worrying about training, having to walk every day.

Like it controls. Picking up poo off the floor four times a day is, do you know what I mean? You never know who's going to wake up and go, I wish I could pick poo up more often. Here's the thing though, right? Everybody wants the cute puppy cuddles. Nobody wants to pick up poo. And that's a life lesson. He ain't even a cute puppy anymore. He comes and lies on me and nearly breaks my ribs because he's a lump.

I still see him as a baby. He's still this fluffy little baby. No, but that's the problem. He still sees himself as a baby. So he'll come and like jump all over me, but he's well heavy. Yeah, he is heavy. But could we like get to some of the good bits? Yes. So obviously I love him so much. And I've mentioned this in another episode where I was like, if you have like really low self-esteem, get a dog. Now, obviously

I have a partner, we're older, we have a garden, we have a system, and it's still really difficult. So if you are an impulsive character, don't just go and do it because there are loads of things you have to think about. However, if you're in a position to do it, you've got help and support, and it's something you've always wanted to do. Honestly, it's one of the best things I have done for my mental health. Shall I talk about the night time routine? Because that's cute for my point of view. So like, this is not fair. This is not fair.

Oh, hold on. There's something else I need to say before you go on to this. The reason he's been so good for my mental health is because I have been going through long term problems with my dad. My dad has now changed his number. I can't get hold of him. He doesn't know where I live. Has he actually? Oh yeah, did I can't get hold of him. He doesn't know where I live. Has he actually? Oh yeah, did I not tell you that? No. And it's brutal. It is heartbreaking on a daily level. I don't know what to do. I don't know

how to reconcile. He hurts me so much with just ignoring abandonment and also a little bit of threats and shame thrown in there over the last couple of years. I haven't got my mum around, so sometimes I feel very, very lonely and very unloved. On a core level, my dad treats me like I don't matter and sometimes I feel like I don't matter and it hurts. Doggy treats me like I am the most important person and I matter and he loves me and I can walk out of the room for 10 minutes and then he lights up and it does something to your soul when something loves you that much and that unconditionally. I just love him. I miss him when I'm away, I just want to come and see him. He's like literally my best friend.

He's changed my life. So like alongside therapy, getting a dog has like done serious work. We got rocket on my 40th birthday. Cause I was at a point when it's like, I'm really trying to work through my dad's stuff. I can't feel this sad forever. Like that's maybe half, if not more than my life. Don't wanna do it anymore.

So let's get a dog so I can have like a sort of little bestie. And he was sort of meant to be like, he was obviously a family dog, but he was sort of my dog. Yeah, 100%. For my 40th birthday. And before we get onto the next bit, I do just want to say he has been that. He's been like my number one, but I may not be his number one.

Yeah. It's okay. No, it's okay. I do feel guilty. Even though it's not my fault, I do feel guilty about that. Because like, that's me, isn't it? He's, he's... Yeah. You are definitely, you are a close second. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? Yeah.

But yeah, there's the daddy. And I think we were both even in the beginning. And then a few months in, this kind of schism, is that the word? Schism? What? I don't reckon that's the word. Schism. Schism?

What was it meant to mean? Sorry, what? It's like a, have you got your phone on you? It's like a gap... It's like Max. Can you... Max, by the way, is the wonderful producer and filmer. How do you even spell schism? S-C-H-I-S-M. It sounds like a German sausage. H-I-S-M. Like a gap or a divide. Schism.

This is the first time we've ever done this on LateBlin, is it? It is a word. What does it mean? It is a word. A split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties. Shit. A split or division between strongly opposed parties. Shkism.

Sism. Sism. Sism. Sism. Right, okay so I've met... Not shkism. I've always thought it was schism. Oh my God.

But anyway, anyway, schism happens. A schism. Better watch that. Can't be too good. Yeah. After a few months. And he started bonding more with you, choosing you, going to you. I called it like imprinting on you from Twilight. And there was a moment when it was a bit heartbreaking

because obviously if you get a dog- For you. For me, trying to fill the hole that my dad's left by not giving a shit about me and then they choose the other one. It's all happening again. I don't mean that because there's still so much love. There is love. And I don't want you to feel guilt that he's imprinted on you. Yeah, but it's also like really mad because obviously I love Rocket and I look after him

and all that. I don't show him and I do show him fuss and we have snuggles but nowhere near you. Like if he lies on you, you're like, yes, come on snuggle. I'm like, get off me, you furball, you're too hot. Do you think that's why? Do you think I just love too much and that's why I'm- You've got to reject him to keep him coming. I'll go try it with my dad. I'm going to block him and- You don't know his number. That's true.

Thanks babe. Anyway, so the night time routine. This is like, this is a bit adorable. This does sort of melt my heart. So the routine he comes up as you know, from earlier, he sleeps in the bedroom with us, not on the bed on the floor. So you're going to interrupt me. Sorry, second time. I'm second time.

I'm sorry. I just need a tiny disclaimer. Quick. We decided he was going to sleep on the bed with us, aka actually on the bed he had full access. What is coming next is Rocket has made his own routine, it's not trained, I just had to say because I think it makes it more cute. So what happens? We go up, we shut our bedroom door with us all in it. And Rox typically gets in the bed before me because I'll need a wee and I usually clean my teeth before I get into bed so I'm a little bit longer before I hit the sack. And then I stand by the side of my bed and get undressed.

And that's when it starts. He watches me, like, side-eyeing me, staring at me, because he knows I'm just about to get into bed. And then I have to prepare, like I'm just about to, like, run a sprint or something, because I have to, when I'm ready to get in, I have to get under the covers as fast as humanly possible because he jumps up and beelines to my face like he's chasing a bit of juicy McDonald's chicken or something like and starts licking my face

once a cuddle makes all them cute puppy noises. But it's just then every day, like as I get into bed, he comes up for the biggest cuddle, doesn't he? Wants to be stroked, wants to lick me, all that sort of stuff. And then... Five minutes? For five minutes. And then just like his dad, he's like, well, I'm too hot now. And then gets off the bed, just leaves.

And sleep and curls in a little ball on the floor. He changes location. He has different pillows on the floor. We're those people. We've got like four dog pillows on the floor. We can't walk, but that's okay. Which is that, that's quite adorable. That is-

And everything you say about rock it and how it's difficult and you never wanted it and it's like having a kid, it's ruined your life. You melt. Every night I see you melt and go, my boy, my baby boy, love you. Like, soft as shit. So I also don't want you to be all like, man, mush about it. You love this dog like crazy. I do yeah. Like to the point if I get into bed and he doesn't do it I'm like what are you doing? Yeah and Rocket is still 10 months so I think maybe once a year we'll come and do an update on the dog situation. This is the puppy one. If you've got a puppy, let us know in the comments. Are you loving life?

Did you find it hard? Have you got a funny nighttime routine? We'd love to know. And babe, would you recommend someone get a puppy? Oh my god, that's too hard to say. No and yes. Okay, I guess same for me.

No and yes. But he is the highlight of our little lives. We love him. We're going to go and see him now. Guys, thank you so much for listening. It's actually been quite nice to laugh and not bring all the heavy trauma other than the dad stuff. We'll bypass that for now. Please give us a like, a subscribe, a follow, leave a comment if you enjoyed it. If you didn't, go and get a dog. You'll love it. It's well easy. And I hope no cat owners were offended by my previous statements about... We love little... We love cats.

I'm sure they won't eat you if you lose loads of weight. So, all good. See you next week.