When I told people that I was going to be getting a dog, the
statement was usually met with disbelief. I’m known to be very much a cat
person. It threw people and they were not sure, but still interested about what
I would end up playing mummy to. I looked at rescue dogs, but in the end it was
decided that for my first dog it would be best to get a puppy that we knew all
about. There would be no skeletons in their small closet and it seemed like a
sound plan, even if I felt terribly guilty about not giving a dog that was in
need a home. I settled on the Lhasa Apso
breed for several reasons.
They are known to be quiet dogs that don’t bark without good
reasons. Though they are active enough, they are not overly so which is perfect
for me considering I struggle with health problems that leave me chronically
fatigued. The small breed fits perfectly into my home with my parents and cat.
Though some dogs would be welcome here, there is just no room. Reading the temperament
information, I fell in love with the little dogs and couldn’t wait to find out
more.
It turned out the family knew someone who had one and who in
turn knew a breeder. I was wary. I had wanted to home a dog that couldn’t find
a home and handing over a lot of cash for a purebred puppy didn’t really fit
with my original idea. A phone call was made and I was informed she had puppies
alright. Right now. I was thinking a few weeks, months down the line, but it
wasn’t to be that way. So, three days later I was bringing little Nico home.
When I called, there were three boys and when I went to get him he was the only
one left. He had been left behind. The
runt so to speak, and yet I couldn’t see why. He was bursting with personality
and was beautiful, adorable, and loving from the start. I was offered another dog that was female and
half poodle but Nico had my heart and home he came.
The first week has been trying. In a lot of ways, it is like
having a new-born baby around. He sleeps a lot and then when he is awake he
demands most of my attention. He needs to be settled into a routine and showed
how things are to happen around the house. I am demonstrating that I am the
alpha of our little pack and while it sounds amusing, it sure is draining. My
fatigue has been a real problem, especially with Nico waking up during the
night and needing reassurance that he is ok, needing me to get up and put him
back to bed. My brain is always active
and that takes its toll. He is full of energy and the only way to get rid of it
is to play, as he is not allowed out yet.
When he is allowed out though, I have all sorts of new
adventures planned that are a little more elaborate than teaching him when to
come to me when called (a day’s work by the way). I’ve decided we’re going to
take two challenges. First, we’re going
to walk from Surrey to Hogwarts, or more specifically we’re going to walk the
same number of miles it would take to get from the town nearest Harry Potter’s
home in Surrey to Dufftown, the nearest known town to Hogwarts. Sounds geeky
right? I know, ain’t it awesome? Basically, I’m going to keep note of all the
distances I’m covering with him (around my town and nowhere near Surrey) and
add it all up until we’ve covered the 585 miles to Hogwarts. I plan to do this from mid-October, when
Nico is allowed out on walks, to mid-April. However, I’m far too geeky to only
have that going on. At the same time we’re walking to Mordor…from the Shire.
Hobbiton to be precise. That is a whopping 1382 miles which I think will take
us a couple of years but I am sure that it will be fun. I can track when we get
to landmarks like Rivendale and the mines of Moria. Who ever said walking a dog
was boring? I hope that it will also give me lots of motivation and belief in
myself as I make progress.
Nico doesn’t know what he
has been signed up for but so far, he seems full of energy so I don’t think he
will mind too much. A few short walks a day and we will get there. It is rather
symbolic because we are truly off on a journey together. Nico is at the start
of his life and I’m starting a whole new version of Sam as a dog owner. I’m
training him with a class not because I believe he will be hard to train but
because I need to be trained! I want him to have the best quality of life, full
of fun and tail wagging and I’m going to document our adventures here. You can
laugh, cry, despair and maybe even shake your tails with us :)
Nico and Sam :3
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