Getting over excited and acting on impulse is something I tend to do. This time, I was at my hair dressing salon catching up with my friends (a ‘Steel Magnolias’ kind of hair salon) where I over- heard a conversation about this lady’s cute little puppy. Not knowing her, I asked her to show me pictures of her doggie! Suddenly I got that niggling feeling that you get when you want something and you want it yesterday. I probed and asked a zillion questions, knowing my oldest son would be over the moon if I were to bring a doggie home.
At work the previous week, one of my colleagues mentioned that she had given the idea of a dog a lot of thought and was ready to make the commitment. I passively listened to her and got on with what I was doing, loving my three kids, clean house, no dog, no nonsense set up. But, finding myself amongst friends, one of whom is a pet groomer and the other my dog loving hairdresser and overhearing a lady talking about her doggie, I instinctively knew a dog is what we needed to complete our family. End of story. I was told of the joy that I would bring to the children, their endless caring and playing with it, their sensitivity towards it and a whole list of other pluses. Wednesday morning coffee at the hairdresser proved to be as informative as it gets. Stavri (my pet groomer friend) promised she would find me a suitable, small, ‘non –allergic’ little teddy bear of a puppy that would be perfect for me and my family.
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Having made my decision, I was then told to FORGET ABOUT IT by my bestie who knows me so well, and by two other acquaintances. In a nutshell, I was told I had no time to care for a dog, I wasn’t an animal lover, even though I did once own a mixed breed poodle and that the children who so desperately wanted it, would ignore it after a week.
With my mind made up, even though on some sub conscious level I knew that maybe they were right, I had a lightbulb moment – A dog? Me? Now? In my no nonsense home? – was I thinking straight? Well, the next thing I did was call and cancel ‘my order’!
10 days later I received a call asking me to pop by this ‘Pet Garden grooming salon’ to see the three puppies that were available. Firm in my decision of not getting a dog I thought it wouldn’t ‘harm’ me to see them. In enters my hairdresser and next to me I had my pet groomer. Result? I walked off with a tiny Maltese puppy. Of course what swayed it was being told getting organised would be a ‘piece of cake’ and that everything was ‘going to be plain sailing’. With a hubby on board, 3 excited kids, I left with Coconut, a tiny Maltese puppy. And so, to the Thomas household a dog was added!
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The kids were ecstatic, yes! That part was true but this excitement lasted for max two days! Do they look after her? No! Do they play with her? Rarely! Is it easy? No! Is it like having a fourth baby? Absolutely! Have we been to the vet? Yes! Why? Because she nearly got poisoned with the Dettol spray by my youngest son who was trying to help me clean up! Was I worried? Completely!!! Did I realise I would be so worried? No! Do I love her? Put it this way, she is not going anywhere. Coconut is here to stay; I think she is probably mine more than anyone else’s! I just need help with training her I can’t seem to be getting it right! Serious help needed in this department. Any volunteers?
Coconut and the rest of the Thomas family wish you all a Happy Easter!
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