Why yes, I guess I do!
My life has been taken over by an adorable creature with so much charisma, I can only do one thing: say yes. Okay, maybe that’s taking it a bit far. I do say no, or at least I redirect said creature to a more productive or healthier option … like not chewing my fingers!
I do need my fingers to type, after all, though lately, I’ve been having to stretch very far to even reach my keyboard because … well, she‘s in the way.
This is Olive, our new pup, and an addition to our family I was initially reluctant about considering because of the special needs our last dog had. That was Sophie, and she crossed the 
rainbow bridge in the sky last December, after living 16 years, the last few with problems. While we missed Soph like crazy, it was nice to have a dog-free home for a half a year, to be able to pop out of town whenever we wanted without thinking about where the dog was going to go. That was lovely. But home could also get to be a very lonely place, especially when I was alone working in my house.
A new dog was going to mean a big change, and if we got a puppy as we hoped, we had to consider house breaking, behavior training, loss of property to chewing (it happens), and the overall energy raising a new puppy requires.
Kiddo was all aboard, hubby chimed in with a “hell no,” and I was teetering on the fence because I knew from raising two dogs, not to mention the dogs I had growing up.
Kiddo worked on me for day after day, and the next thing I knew, I was peeking around at websites to see if the breed I wanted was available in our area. This was the same dog that Kevin bought Hugo in Fusion, by the way, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. I wrote that pup, Lulu, into the book in hopes of getting the desire for one out of my system. Apparently it didn’t work!
Well, after a few days looking for well-respected breeders nearby, I found a handful and emailed them all. One lived less than an hour from me, and a litter had been born on July Fourth. I hemmed and hawed, despite the chiding I got from my teenager, because I needed to be sure of this.
And then we went to visit the pups.
There were 8 in the litter, which was large, but the mama was very good to her pups. There she is, letting them all cuddle with her. She was so patient!
As you can guess, my kid was sold the moment that little girl pup fell asleep belly up in her lap.
I still was unsure, but the more I considered it, I realized how much I missed having a companion in the house. Working at home can quickly get lonely, and while I love my alone time, it gets old.
So after careful consideration, a lot of juggling of funds, and taking on extra work, we decided to invite this little pup to come live with us. As I expected, hubby fell in love the moment he met her.We have the moment the two met on video, and it’s adorable.
All he remembers of the last days with Sophie were dementia, anxiety, and suffering she went through as well as the loss we felt when he had to make the horrible choice to put her down, so I forgive him his reluctance, and kiddo and I made it very clear we were going to be the caregivers, not him. That was our ticket in. She was the ticket to his heart.
So, Olive Hazel joined our family on August 29th. She’s a cuddler and enjoys curling up right on top of my feet as I work at my desk. She sleeps a bunch, but when she’s awake, she’s got that manic puppy power. She loves walks but isn’t so sure of her leash yet, however, one night, she ran and I nearly lost her in the dark. A leash will be on during night time potty stops. I hope to start puppy socialization classes with her by the end of the month, we are clicker training her, and I hope to teach her how to ring a bell to tell us she needs to go outside.
Wish me luck on all the above. 🙂
But I’m so glad we decided to become a dog home again. I forgot how lovely it is to cuddle and pet and just be close to a dog. And the puppy breath smell… I love it!
Adorable! I can relate to you losing Soph, and I’m sorry for your loss. Our Westie is now 12 and showing signs of senior dog moments. It’s very sad. I always say no more dogs, but I, just like you, will probably feel the emptiness in the house and change my mind also. Best of luck raising the new pup!
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It’s certainly not easy. I wish you luck with your Westie. Dogs bring our lives so much happiness.