2 Maltese and a Beagle

It’s National Puppy Day so it’s only fitting that I write about my 3 dogs. If you haven’t read my first dog related post, The Best Christmas Gift Ever, I recommend checking that out.

Charlie

Charlie was the first pet I ever had. I talked about how I adopted him in a previous post. He had a lot of health issues, that did cut our time together short. But he was so loving.

I originally got Charlie to help with my anxiety levels. When I felt an anxiety attack coming on, all I had to do was hold him in my lap for a few minutes and it’d be as if it never happened. He loved cuddling. He would fall asleep on my chest if I was laying on the couch, and spent countless hours sitting in my lap while I studied.

Everyone who met him instantly loved him. Charlie was treated like a king, and he loved it. On multiple occasions I brought him to campus with me when I was going for meetings (no, I didn’t bring him to class with me) and people would crowd around him. He loved going to outdoor events on campus and walking around in the sun, getting pets every few feet, and meeting lots of other students and their own dogs. He even got to be the ‘star’ of a friends’ class presentation. She picked him up for a few hours, and held him while she presented, and he took a little nap in her arms. One of my roommates bought herself a beanbag chair to keep in our apartment living room. I think she sat on it twice before Charlie claimed it as his own personal seat.

Rosie

Rosie is the angel beagle. Not because she’s over the rainbow bridge, in fact, she’s snoring away next to me as I write this. She just has such a loving heart.

When we rescued Rosie, she had been abused by a previous owner, and had a lot of trust issues, especially with men. She weighed about 14 pounds, and you could see her ribs. It took years for her to fully warm up to everyone in the family. And, it’s only been in the past few years that she doesn’t run and try to hide when someone visits or the doorbell rings.

If you meet her today, you wouldn’t know that Rosie had such a rough start in life. She is playful and friendly when she wants to be, but she also loves living the good life of a dog. I mean, if you could lay around all day and not work, but get massages, food, and sleep whenever you want wouldn’t you want to do that?

Rosie recently turned 10 years old and I baked her pupcakes. Check out the blog post I wrote about it. I’d never baked anything for the dogs before, but I think it was fun and she did enjoy them.

Oliver

My second maltese, Oliver, is as different from Charlie as he could possibly be. Charlie was quiet and calm, Oliver is loud and rambunctious. It’s rare to find him completely still. Even when he is just laying on the floor, he is most likely licking something. And, he weighs about 13 pounds- almost double what Charlie was.

In a lot of ways, Oliver is very intelligent. He knows just how to work you so that he gets an extra treat or belly rub. But, he’s also… so stupid. I’ve watched him walk directly into walls and stumble away as if it hadn’t happened. (And before you say it- his vision is great, we checked with the vet.)

And, man does he love to eat. He will eat anything and everything, to the point where it’s unsafe for him. And Oliver doesn’t care if an item is intended to be food or not. Dirt? Yup. Plastic wrap? Yup. Qtips? Yup. You have to always keep an eye on him, because when he’s given the opportunity, he will gladly go dumpster diving in the bathroom trash cans. Cooking is always a challenge because he’s at your feet ready to clean up for you if you drop something.

Why You Should Adopt A Dog

Years ago, long before we got Charlie, my Mom asked my Dad why he wanted a dog so badly. His answer? “If I put you in the trunk of a car for 12 hours and left you alone, when I let you out, you wouldn’t be too happy with me. You do that to a dog, they are thrilled to see you again.”

If you’ve ever had a dog, or a pet, then you know the kind of love that my Dad was talking about. If you have not been lucky enough to have pet in your life, then I hope you are able to have one in the future. Yes, they are a lot of responsibility. And yes, there are times when it’s not fun. But it is absolutely worth it.

Did you just adopt a new furry family member? I’ve got a post all about the must have products for dog owners. Or, head here to see all of my dog related content.

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