If you’ve been wondering why I’ve been a little quieter than usual lately, both here on the blog and when it comes to commenting on my friends’ blogs, there’s a very good reason. Something happened about four weeks ago. Something beautiful. We welcomed a new soul into our family. Meet Jack, our almost four-month-old Toy Poodle.
Before I go any further, I want to address something that’s important to me. Throughout our lives, Michael and I have always rescued animals whenever possible, and we always will. We feel very strongly about giving animals a second chance and have shared our home with many rescue pets over the years. However, after many years of trying unsuccessfully to have children, and having completely fallen in love with a friend’s Toy Poodle some time ago, we knew that if we ever got another dog, it would be this particular breed.
That doesn’t mean I support irresponsible breeding practices—quite the opposite. In fact, I was heartbroken to read this week about the horrific conditions discovered at a dog breeding facility in northern Portugal. The suffering those poor animals endured is beyond comprehension, and I cannot begin to express how angry and saddened it made me feel. Every animal deserves kindness, care and respect. We were incredibly fortunate to find Jack through a loving, responsible breeder who clearly adored their dogs and treated them as family. For me, that’s how it should always be.
For those of you who have followed me for a while, you’ll know that animals have always been such an important part of my life. Our home has never felt complete without furry companions sharing it with us. So when the time came to bring Toy Poodle Jack home, we were excited, nervous, and wondering how everyone would adjust.
As it turns out, we needn’t have worried. The moment Jack stepped through our front door, it was as though he’d always lived here. And I really mean that.
There wasn’t a moment of uncertainty. No crying for his mother. No searching for his sisters. No anxious pacing around wondering where he was. He simply walked into our home as if he’d returned to a place he already knew.
It was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen, to be honest. Within minutes, he seemed completely at ease. It was as though some invisible part of him recognised that this was home and that these were his people. Or perhaps, if you’re as spiritual as I am, maybe souls recognise one another before we do. Whatever the reason, he settled in immediately and became part of our family from day one.
So now there are seven of us. Michael, myself, Podengo Luna, Toy Poodle Jack, Myrtle, Shannon, and Sadie (our three large beautiful cats). Our little family feels wonderfully complete. Of course, life with a puppy is not exactly calm and peaceful!
The last four weeks have been a whirlwind of puppy training, playing, cuddles, toilet breaks, chasing after things that definitely shouldn’t be in a puppy’s mouth, and laughing more than I can remember laughing in a very long time. It’s amazing how one tiny creature can completely rearrange your daily routine.
The days have become a little more chaotic, a little less predictable, and considerably busier. Which is why my blogging and blog-hopping have taken a bit of a back seat recently. But honestly? I wouldn’t change a thing.
There’s something incredibly magical about watching a young soul discover the world. Everything is new. Everything is exciting. Every leaf, every shadow, every sound seems worthy of investigation. Jack approaches life with pure curiosity and joy, and I think there’s a lesson in that for all of us.
He’s already brought so much love, laughter, and happiness into our home. Even Luna, who has spent years being our baby, has adapted far better than we ever expected. The cats are still deciding exactly what they think about this energetic little newcomer, but overall everyone is settling into our new normal.
And it’s lovely. Exhausting at times, yes. But lovely. So if you’ve noticed my absence over the past month, now you know why. I’ve been busy falling in love with a puppy. And I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more of Jack around here in the future. After all, once you’ve welcomed a little bit of magic into your life, it’s hard not to share it.
