3 years ago whilst attending a doctor’s appointment in another city, I decided to look on line for another dog….just out of curiosity more than anything. Well after a few posts and some missed connections , I came across an ad for the most adorable little pup I’d ever seen! He was a rescue, abandoned by a puppy mill once he was no longer useful as a stud. The ad said he was 8 years old, loved to play with his toys and that he was a big time cuddler. My wife and I immediately fell in love and decided that this little guy would be a perfect companion for our young dog Tuukka and immediately inquired about teather. So after filling out paperwork, giving references and making arrangements to return to the city a week later, the process had begun.
A meet and greet was scheduled for December 12th, we were excited and a little nervous! When we arrived we were taken to a large room with concrete floors, there were a couple ratty old toys there and not much else. As we waited with Tuukka beans we wondered what sort of personality this new little love would have.
The doors opened and a lady walked in with this tiny little pup (5lbs!!) Wearing a little red sweater she put him on the ground, and he RAN as fast as he could to my wife and jumped into her arms. It was LOVE.
Worried about how the two boys would interact we called tuukka over, well little teather wasn’t afraid and chased tuukka off!! It was a funny start to their and our relationship.
After many tears and goodbyes from the wonderful staff at pawsforlife/dogspaw edmonton, we began our journey home…
5 and a half hours, that’s how long the car ride was. We stopped at every rest stop, but little teather refused to pee or poop lol. So upon arriving home, we opened our apartment door and like a flood the pee came …all over the floor….WELCOME to your new home Teather!!!
Over the course of the next few months and years we got to know his intricacies and how to respond. He would sometimes yelp or snap for no reason as we were petting or cuddling him, something we attributed to flashbacks from his unknown past. But over time we won small battles and passed milestones that were huge to us. From having him come around with me and accept me to getting him to give his momma a kiss. He was genuinely the sweetest little forever puppy we had ever seen.
Back to the first night he came home, when bed time hit, he learned how to use his doggy stairs and clime right up in bed with us! And that night, as with almost every night after, he cuddled into my chest and settled in, we noticed afterwards how he lay on his back, little head on my pillow with his two front paws pulled up and folded over….kind of like a little person.
As I am writing this, smiling and sometimes tearing up, My little teather is still here with us, diagnosed yesterday with congenital heart disease….and we are devastated….trying to cope with a loss that is yet to come….
MadWorld 