A house feels like a home with a dog

My terrier rescue dog

My first friend growing up was a dog - Spud. A collie that looked more like a fox with his burnt orange coat and bushy tail, I must share some pictures of him one day and he deserves a post of his own for there is so much to say about my childhood dog. We have always had dogs as a family, I've grown up with daily walks to the park, learning how to care for them and been through many sad times too.  

Suffice to say that as an adult I've had pet dogs too, with the first being an unexpected 17 year old collie that came into my life through the sad circumstances of her elderly owner passing away. Fen was an energetic dog for her grand age in dog years and for a couple of years she enjoyed her walks until she got older and a bit confused. Her last year was spent truly retiring and I was devastated when it all got too much for her.

sofa snoozing

We carried on rescuing older dogs and for their shorter stay with us relatively speaking they become our world and complete the home. My son adores them and with his communication difficulties he gets a lot of joy from spending time with them where words do not matter and he laughs at their antics of which there are plenty. When he is upset, a nuzzle and a snuggle with a wag of the tail can often cheer him up.

My older dog, my lady, had a growth on her paw a few years back that turned out to be malignant but luckily we had dog insurance and she had an operation to remove a toe. The veterinary care was amazing but of course expensive so we were glad she had cover for all the tests for the pre-op and for testing the growth afterwards. A few weeks with a pink bandage, some hobbling and she was well recovered. Today she is as nimble as ever despite missing a digit, especially when our terrier starts barking and she joins in too, it's like she is the 7 year old I took home from Cheshire Dogs Home. These days she likes a lot of sleep and her face is really greying, so she has extra special cuddles and gets wrapped up in blankets at night to keep her warm. 

Our terrier has had a couple of minor problems like sickness and spraining his leg from his jumping in and out of the window, barking at the post lady and certain dogs that pass by the house. Some days he gets so wired that I find myself telling him to shush all day long, he's a terrier through and through - persistent, feisty and a naughty run away. 

Argos Pet Insurance contacted me to discuss their insurance for dogs which covers older dogs too and as they say help when they're paw-ly which was particularly appropriate in my girl's case. 

My girl enjoying the spring garden

I absolutely can't wait for spring again as both dogs love spending time in the garden, especially my lady (above) who likes to warm herself on the patio and watch the bees buzz by and listen to the sounds of the neighbourhood. It's very comforting having dogs around the house, you never feel alone and their pitter pattering of paws is a noise that means home to me. Plus there is no welcome home like that of a dogs, even if you've only popped out for half an hour!