The one where we got a dog
I'm gifting you another post just in case I wake up tomorrow and the urge has passed.
I'm also hanging my head in shame and apologizing for using the word 'gifted', the phrase enrages me as much as a friend of mine is incensed by the existence of tomato ketchup - I mean what the hell is the problem, you don't like it, don't eat it!
Well, it's been a over a year since I blogged (not including the last post but I've literally just hit publish on that so that doesn't count) and therefore it's hard to know where to start. We've had birthdays, and a holiday, and covid and other stuff that is not immediately coming to mind but the biggest news is.....
WE HAVE A DOG!!!
Meet Roxi....
If you know us, you would have undoubtedly be bored of the many times we have talked about wanting to get a dog over the years.
Aaron and I have wanted one for so long, maybe Aaron more than me as I was more worried about it all, but I did strongly feel that despite the work a dog would bring, it was just something that was necessary.
The main issue was that we live in an apartment on the 2nd floor, and therefore do not have a garden, it's also not the largest apartment considering there are four of us and 2 bedrooms. I thought this made it impossible to have a dog, or at least an absolute nightmare when trying to toilet train them. The other was financial when we were often wondering how to feed ourselves let alone a little pup!
After working throughout most of 2019 it was looking a little more feasible to get one from a financial point of view and at the start of 2020 we were seriously considering it, after all we only had to get to April and we'd be having a great season with lots of tourists and lots of work coming our way right?
Well, of course not but we weren't to know. As lockdown loomed I very nearly contacted a local pound over a dog I saw they were looking to re-home. On one hand it seemed the perfect time to get one, as we were all at home and dog walks would be high on everyone's to-do list. But I realised that was not a good reason and I was worried that lockdown might be longer than the two weeks suggested and therefore would we end up starting work later and possibly struggling later on??
So we left it again, but spent the next year STILL going on about it to anyone who would listen. I followed every dog rescue I could find and we debated and deliberated over many many dogs. Aaron loved nearly everyone but I was kind of specific on what I was looking for, although I couldn't really describe it.
I grew up with German Shephards and would have loved one but obviously they are way too big for a small apartment. Aaron didn't really like small dogs and I kept looking and looking but was always unsure.
Until I saw some photos of a litter of pups that had been dumped and rescued by Merlin's Haven Dog Rescue. Dubbed the 'bin pups' they had been taken in and were being cared for by Merlin's, and were just up the road from us.
Knowing that Louka was desperate for a dog, and would have fallen in love with anything we showed him, we went up to the farm without the boys to see what we thought. I'd met Lynn, who runs the farm a couple of times before and I knew she would be more than happy for us to go up and meet the dogs with no pressure.
Aaron would have come home with any dog he found I'm sure, but I wanted them to be a good fit and I still couldn't really explain what I was looking for!
Then we met Roxi (originally named Luna) and she was the one.
We visited again the following week with the boys to make sure they were happy, part of me would have loved to do the whole surprise 'look we've got a dog for you' but it was more important that everyone agreed and was happy.
Leo had been very scared of dogs and we explained this to Lynn, who was more than happy for us to take Roxi out of the main area so he could meet her without the other dogs crowding around.
Everyone agreed and so home checks were arranged and a few weeks later Roxi came home!
It's not the greatest video but this was her first few minutes in her new home.
Louka especially was so excited, and we explained he should give her some space and let her settle. He did insist on sitting on the floor though, and was very happy when she chose to sit by him - just look at his face in the photo below....
Roxi has been with us since January, and I believe she will be one sometime this month. She is generally a good girl, still quite nervous of people although she will bark her head off when someone she doesn't know comes to the door, only to back away when they try and say hello. She loves other dogs and is desperate to play with any that she sees.
And Leo, who was really worried about all dogs, loves her to bits...
Roxi is a Malinois cross, we are not sure what she is crossed with, but something small. She has the look of a Mali but not the size. The Malinois or Belgium Shepherd as they are also known has very similar look to a GSD and she's the actual dog I was trying to find but didn't exist!
If you are thinking of adopting a dog, either here in Cyprus or re-homing to the UK, please visit Merlin's Haven you can also make a donation to help them look after and re-home dogs,or visit and help out looking after the dogs.
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