Puppy love: one year later

So, here I find myself at the computer, searching for ‘dog waterproof jumpsuit’ on Google. Because whatever niche product you want to buy, the internet is bound to have it.

In all seriousness, winter is coming. And the beautiful spaniel puppy I brought home a year ago this month has grown into an equally beautiful but very long-haired adult dog.

Cavalier King Charles spaniels are known for their long, flowing coats, which need regular brushing to keep them tangle-free. Maintaining Aimée’s coat isn’t a problem in dry weather, but I’m not looking forward to dealing with the winter mud and slush. Rather than having to bath my pup after every winter walk, a canine all-in-one waterproof jumpsuit seems like an easier alternative. I’ll keep you posted!

September 2016

To recap the past year:

She has been on vacation with me twice

She travels in a portable crate in the back of the car and is as quiet as a mouse, even on long drives when the traffic is bad. She adapts quickly even when staying in unfamiliar places, although she wasn’t very happy about a three-hour boat trip we took in the summer.

Posing on vacation

She’s been to town, city and country

A well-socialized dog is a happy dog. Right from when she was tiny, I’ve taken her out to dog-friendly cafés, parks, restaurants and shops, and she sometimes spends the day playing at doggy daycare too. As a well-adjusted, confident adult dog, it isn’t a problem to take her out and about — she sits down patiently and waits without fussing or begging for food.

At the beach

She knows some of her toys by name

Her absolute favourite toys are Kong Wubbas — one of her first toys was a red Wubba. Now she has four and will run off to get one if you tell her. I’m trying to teach her the names of her other toys too, as a fun party trick.

There’s a Border Collie who can pick out over 1,000 toys by name — pretty amazing! Aimée knows a few words and will bark on command if you say ‘hello’, but the one that really gets her excited is ‘biscuit’. She loves treats!

Just look at that face…

She’s best friends with Kitty, the resident feline

They love each other, but I think Kitty loves her more. There have been times when Aimée has been on the receiving end of a smack from Kitty’s sharp claws. It doesn’t happen often, but I think it has taught her that cats should be viewed with respect. Cats are the boss, people!

Most of all, she brings a lot of joy to my life

“Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?” ~ Mary Oliver, Dog Songs.

Do you have dogs or other pets? How do they enrich your daily life?