We’ve thought very long and hard about getting a doggy addition to the family. As an Excema and Asthma sufferer, the breed of dog is a very important choice in the matter. Some dogs are more allergy friendly than others. Usually these are the ones that don’t shed their fur, like poodles and Bichon Frise. I also didn’t want to have a large dog in our house. We don;t have that much space and our rear garden is mainly drive with the same width as a car as grass (now astro turf). So after lots of research we started to consider a Maltese Terrier.
Maltese Terrier
A Maltese is a small dog that remains relatively small. Its characteristic white hair doesn’t shed and if being entered into shows would have very long curtain like hair touching the ground. So we had chosen a breed that was suitable and the torment went on. I would show Catherine photos of puppies across the living room.
“What do you think of that one?” etc.
The other decision we had to make was would a dog fit into our life. As we’d never had a dog before we didn’t want to rush into it and then realise it wasn’t for us. It wouldn’t be fair on the dog or the kids. One of our neighbour knows that we’ve been thinking about this for around 4 years.
Doggy Daycare
One of my friends Kevin, had purchased a Maltese Terrier for his partner Lisa for a Christmas Present. We were in awe. After seeing his photos and hearing about her, we were desperate to meet her. So we encouraged him to bring her over,
Milly was adorable. She pattered around our living room and explored the space. She had a “Canny little face”, which the breed can keep it’s puppy looks. After about an hour and a cup of tea it was time for Kevin to take Millie home. She didn’t want to leave. She sat at my foot like a novelty slipper.
It really made us think about getting a puppy. The added bonus was I stroked her, got liked by her (in the face) and my allergies didn’t kick off.
Nearly a year went on and we hadn’t committed any further.
Doggy Daycare Part 2
Kevin, got back in touch.
“You know you were interested in a Maltese Terrier. Would you like to look after Milly for 2 weeks this summer?”
I instantly replied “Yes! No problem!… I better ask Catherine first.”
This was our chance to get some hands on dog handling experience with the breed of our choice and for an extended period. At the end of 2 weeks it would either seal the deal and we’d be adopting a puppy or we’d hate every minute of it and be able to strike it off the wish list.
“I think it would be a good idea to have a tester stay over night to see how it goes”
So this weekend we were the temporary parents of Milly the Maltese Terrier. The kids had gone into overdrive with excitement waiting for this day to come. Initially she seemed to wonder where her owners had gone and sniffed at the front door looking for them. I really felt bad for her and saw the bond that she had with them. Eventually we coaxed her up into our living room and she started to settle down. She doesn’t really bark or yap until we got her lead out to give her a walk. Our logic was to distract her from being dropped off for the weekend an let her explore our area.
Walking around the estate in the day time, you bump into lots of neighbours. Walking in the daytime with a dog and you also bump into people fascinated with your dog. She was a delight to walk and didn’t pull or run off, although we kept her on her lead. As new dog watchers we didn’t want any missing maltese issues!
Although Catherine was looking forward to this weekends experience, she was the least “doggy” out of the Hoopers. Until we left her alone with Millie and went to Asda.
I’m sure this photo shows a change in her towards wanting a dog.
The weekend went with out a hitch and she slept all night, without howling, barking or yapping. All our anxieties were avoided, until the sloppy poop incident. A long hairy coat and sloppy poop don’t go well together, but it added to the trial weekend. We cleaned her up and carried on and it didn’t put us off. Sadly after 24 hours it was time to hand her back.
We can’t wait for the summer now and no doubt you’ll spot Milly on our days out this summer.
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