Today marks the fifth anniversary of me coming to live permanently with ‘Them Indoors’. As those of you familiar with my back story will know, it also marks the day that my previous owner, Sandra, died, so it is a day of mixed emotions. When I first came to live with ‘Them Indoors’ I was a very unhappy dog. Sandra was my world, and I hers. I’d had a horribly disrupted time whilst Sandra was ill: a long spell in kennels whilst Sandra was in hospital as my first foster parents couldn’t cope with me; I was left on my own whilst she had hospital appointments; there were strangers constantly coming to visit our home and Sandra was very poorly. Walks were intermittent, which is where ‘Her Indoors’ came in. As a Cinnamon Trust dog walker she came regularly to take me out. She still remembers the first time she met me. I was unsure, but she spoke to me gently, so I brought her my Teddy. We hit it off straight away, and Sandra could see that we liked each other, so, one day, the inevitable question came, if anything happened to Sandra, would ‘Her Indoors’ take me? The rest, as they say, is history.
I’m not going to lie, I was not an easy fur when I first arrived. I tiddled in the house, cried all night for nights and nights, had to have someone permanently with me as I couldn’t be by myself. I wouldn’t eat unless ‘Her Indoors’ fed me from her hand (the Boss quickly cured me of that by nicking my food!) and reacted to everything on walks: children, horses, bicycles and other dogs, with my displaced angst making me very difficult to deal with at times, I'm ashamed to say.
But things gradually got better. The Boss was very old but he set me an example about chilling. ‘Them Indoors’ kept the faith, the Cinnamon Trust supported us, paying for a dog sitter when ‘Them Indoors’ went out, a good trainer to help with my behavioural issues, and for neutering to help my anxiety and general behaviour. And gradually I blossomed. I ate, I started to play, I calmed down, I began to improve on walks. It took time of course, but I gradually became the fur I was always meant to be.
And two final things have helped: the arrival of the apprentice and moving house. The apprentice adores me, and she shows me how to greet the world with confidence and love. She also looks to me when she is unsure and my role as Uncle Teds has helped me so much. I am calm when ‘Them Indoors’ are out (they know, they have a kitchen camera!), and my reactivity on walks has significantly reduced as Bear greets every fur as a potential friend. Moving house was an unexpected plus. ‘Them Indoors’ were worried I’d find it unsettling, but from the minute Bear and I came home from our holiday carers, Shirley and Paul, we loved it. I am more relaxed here than I have ever been. Perhaps it’s a fresh start, perhaps it’s the vibe of the house (‘Them Indoors’ loved it too, from the moment they stepped into the hall), perhaps it’s the garden without a certain neighbouring Leonburger lurking behind the fence, who knows…
So I just want to say a big thank you, to all the people who have helped. To Sandra, for looking out for me at her worst moments, to the Cinnamon Trust for supporting me and continuing to support me, to my holiday carers, Shirley and Paul, for their patience and understanding, to my occasional carers, friends Ann and Peter, likewise, to the Juniors for their patience, to the other furs in my life - the Boss and now Bear - for showing me the way, to the wonderful BT Posse for their support, fun, laughs and lack of judgment (no-one understands a BT like another BT and their lovely hupeeps) and lastly to ‘Them Indoors’ for loving me and loving me some more. ‘Her Indoors’ reckons that no-one loves her like me, and that if they did, she’d probably have to call the police! (she reckons I’m her stalker as I still don’t like her out of my sight and follow her around endlessly). Who would have thought, five years ago, when Sandra had died and things seemed so bleak, that it’d turn out so well. Life, as they say, is a strange, and sometimes marvellous thing.
Me, with my Teddy, at Sandra's
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| One of my early tweet-ups |
Learning to chill!
Enjoying motorhoming
At the controls!
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| I love a convertible... |
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| Woops! |
An apprentice of my own...
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| She's all grown up... |
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| and still pinches my bed... |
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| but I wouldn't be without her. |
Happy Teds with 'Her Indoors'
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