Daisy's Gotcha Day!

Hi friends!

It's been a year since Daisy came to live with me. Daisy is a two year old (could be a smidge younger) Corgi mix who was found as a stray and taken to the county shelter.  When I met her she immediately leaned up against me and sighed. It was a done deal - at that point I knew she was coming home with me!  The photo above is from Daisy's first night here.

Things were a bit overwhelming at first as Daisy learned to walk on a leash, potty outdoors, and to try to remember that the world is not her chew toy (she still needs occasional reminders about chewing!).  It was a difficult year for me personally, as my Mom passed away and there were many changes in my life.  But at the year went on, Daisy and I bonded more and more.

Daisy taught me the joy of long walks, the pleasure that can be found in stopping to explore nature, the happiness of making friends with animals and people as we are out exploring.   She is a loving little girl who loves to sit on my lap or right beside me, and who cuddles up in bed at night.

I am beyond grateful for her and hope we have many more happy years together!

Trish

(with much love to Daisy!)

Merry Christmas - and a Blogging Break

Hi all,

Thanks for being with me this year!  My sweet pup Daisy and I are going to take a break for a few weeks. I'll be back mid-January to blog again. In the meantime, wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and good things ahead in 2023!

Trish

(and Daisy too, of course!)

Introducing Daisy

Hi all,

I haven't posted a personal update in a long while here, so wanted to catch up.  Longtime blog readers will remember my sweet, very dear Abby, who posted a weekly blog column here.  Abby passed away in December, and the house felt so empty without her.  Sooner than anticipated, I began looking for a rescue dog to love.

I met Daisy, a just under one year old Corgi mix, at our local county shelter.  She was sweet and absolutely terrified.  (The shelter is wonderful but full of big dogs and lots of comings and goings - a lot for a little dog who was rescued as a stray off the street.)  When I reached down to pet her she leaned against me, and I knew she should be mine.

There was a delay bringing Daisy home because she had to be spayed and vetted before her release.  She got home and I realized she had no training.  We were starting from scratch with leash training, potty training, chewing and puppy destructiveness, and separation anxiety.  My beloved Mom entered hospice just after this time ... it was a lot at once, and I was pretty overwhelmed.

Daisy and I took things in small steps.  She took to leash training easily.  I learned ways to redirect her from chewing, the power of frequent walks for potty training and puppy energy, and literally leaving 5 minutes at a time to tackle separation anxiety.  (We have made great progress with this!)

It took Daisy a while to settle in.  But she did!  Slowly but surely.

She loves having her own little bed - as well as sleeping in "the big bed" (my bed) at night.

She is always ready for a snuggle!

Although our long, frequent walks were a real adjustment for me at first, they turned into a blessing.  Daisy loves EVERYONE: adults, children, dogs (big and small), and cats.  I have joked that it is like the Beatles coming to town when I take her outside where kids are playing - they naturally flock around her.  Daisy made friends;  I made new friends too.  It is not unusual for us to walk with neighbors and their dogs, or even with a neighbor's friendly indoor-outdoor cat who likes to tag along.

And she is a champion lap sitter, with my friends as well as me!

Daisy ready for a rest - maybe.

In a year that has been long and difficult, I know that there are still long walks and naps -- and there is Daisy.

 

And that is a very good thing.