By Kathy McGrath
I’m not going to lie, the last month has been ruff, really ruff. In fact, time has pretty much lost all meaning since we introduced an eight-week old puppy into our lives. Young pups commonly have their days and nights mixed up. They play, eat, sleep, play, eat, sleep on a constant replay reel. Oh, and let’s not forget all the potty time required.
Why did we take on this crazy assignment? The only logical explanation is the pandemic made us do it! Only a year ago, the last thing my husband and I thought we needed was a furry bundle of endless energy. We loved having the freedom to drop everything and travel, attend shows or do our sports and activities. A dog would cramp our style!
For the last year, though, we have had no style – or at least a very limited one. Like many people these days, we are either at home alone or we are walking. And walking and walking. With new COVID variants appearing one after another and vaccines arriving intermittently, this cycle is likely to continue for some time.
It dawned on me recently that maybe this is the ideal time to add a puppy to our lives. I have always had a thing for Pembroke Welsh Corgis – yes, the same dog the Queen likes. At one point she had 16 of them! They are kind of a funny-looking animal with short little legs, but they have their charms. They are known for their intelligence and their beautiful double coats.
In truth, I had been looking casually online for a few years for a breeder, but there was always a long waiting list. By a twist of fate, I managed to find a breeder in Ajax who had a pup available immediately. It was now or never, I thought.
On February 6, we brought Wendel the Welsh Corgi home. (If you are a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you will know his namesake.) The puppy is now our little bundle of joy and fuzziness. Since neither my husband nor I have ever owned a dog, it has been a steep learning curve. But Wendel is teaching us how to take care of him. The house feels more alive now and we look forward to when he is old enough to start walking with us in the neighbourhood. And walking and walking!