From Zero to Hero!

It was rather like applying for a place at an exclusive school when we were looking for a puppy.  We had to be quick off the mark – in fact we had to put our names on a waiting list!  This was how Lucy came to be part of our family before she was even born. 

Lucy aged two weeks

 

As the due date approached we were not unlike expectant fathers might have been in the days before men were welcomed into the delivery room.  Then on the day of her birth we were advised that our ‘application’ had been successful: we would soon be proud parents of a bouncing baby puppy!  Our first glimpse of her came by text message:

 

 

Two weeks later we drove to London to meet her:

And she came home with us about a month after that.  What a picture of childhood happiness!

I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I said those first few months with a new puppy were easy.  I spent many days wondering what on earth had possessed me to bring this naughty, overly inquisitive, extremely contrary force for disaster and destruction into our home!

She was about five months old when I realised I no longer felt this way.  Lucy had calmed down.  It was still some while before I could allow her to spend the night in the same room as the cats (actually more for her protection than theirs!) and since she is naturally very bossy and optimistic about her chances we always had to take care in impressing upon her that she came BELOW the boys in the pecking order.  Was I on a steep learning curve!

Today Lucy is six years old.  And she is  just about the best friend anyone could wish for.  In fact I often think we could all learn a lot from her.

Lucy’s purpose in life seems to be to spread joy.  She always looks on the bright side, adores people, is gentle with small children, enjoys the company of other dogs and puts up with over-excited puppies that snap around her face.  She is always forgiving, never bears grudges, doesn’t care what I look like or what I’m wearing and knows when I’m upset about something.  Loves walking on the beach, gets excited about going to the vet and always welcomes visitors enthusiastically.  If I were looking for faults I would have to say she has a couple of personal hygiene issues, but I won’t go into them right now.  This is her special day, after all!

So to my very own Golden Girl this is for you.  Happy Birthday!