I don’t recall the exact moment we decided to add to our family. I think it crept up on us and, if I really think about it, the way PFT tugged at our heartstrings with the photos, updates and stories just pushed us over the edge. We’ve adopted before and always had small dogs. In fact we already had 2 (Jed and Holly) when we took the plunge and enquired about a little dog we saw on PFT’s Facebook Page.
I wrote the email, thought for a minute and pressed send. Then we waited. Forever… well, not forever but it felt like it. Then the email we were waiting for. ‘Sorry, that little crusty has already been adopted’. Disappointment is an understatement. ‘But I have another one…’ And there was a photo of this gorgeous little brown dog. ‘His name is Chuppa Chup. Would you like to meet him?’
So we did. We liked him. A lot. Jed and Holly liked him. Well, they tolerated him. Or they would. Eventually.
We couldn’t stop thinking about him. We shopped. Oh how we shopped. New bowls for everyone. New beds, leads and harnesses. Food. Treats. We were excited… A few days later I went back to Chateau PFT and collected our little bundle of joy.
He whined non-stop for the first half an hour of the drive home. But then he settled on the seat next to me and quietly went to sleep. Until he started snoring…
The first couple of weeks were challenging. Jed was fine but Chupps and Holly, well, they clashed. Quite a bit.
And then they had a fight. A proper fight. Chupps limped off and went to his bed. Holly went and hid for 2 days with some fur, and a good deal of dignity, left behind on the rug.
I thought I’d made a huge mistake bringing a third dog into the house. I had visions of animal behaviourists and psychologists laying them out on a teeny dog couch and delving into their puppyhoods. None of that really bothered me as much as the thought of having to tell Mrs PFT.
That was several months ago and now they really are the three amigos. The firsts have been amazing. The first time they all played together. The first time Chupps slept the whole night on our bed with the rest of the family. His first trip to the hairdresser, his first Christmas with us, the first time he rolled on his back for a rub on the tummy.
Chupps has become such a huge part of the family. He’s still a little timid, however, his real personality is coming out little bit by little bit. He loves to chew his chew sticks and bury chicken wings out in the yard. He loves Goodo’s and Schmacko’s.
He follows Jed EVERYWHERE. Has his favourite spot on the lounge, sleeps on a pillow behind my pillow on our bed and makes cute little noises when he sleeps.
He loves to sit in the sun.
He licks the water off Jo’s legs when she gets out of the shower and comes charging in from outside, ever so proud of himself, after doing his business.
We have seen him grow in confidence (and girth but that’s another story), in such a short time and we can’t wait to see what the years ahead will bring.
Simon and Jo Gould