Week 6: About A Boy
We never considered getting a boy before Cody. You may find it interesting to learn how Cody came to be our boy. I do have to warn you; this is not an entirely happy story. It took us months to even decide if we had it in us to have another dog after Tilly passed away. Some people have the need to fill the space as soon as possible, to help cope seeing empty dog beds and with the deafening silence they leave behind. We are not those people. We have been mourning Tilly so painfully, but we could not impose the shadow of fresh grief on another dog’s story.
We had dogs stay with us and as much as we loved having them around we also looked forward to seeing the back of them, because it was simply too much, they were not Tilly. Half a year after losing our best friend, when our breeder announced she will have a litter, we were as ready as we could be. We had made up our minds. We missed having a dog in our lives with all the ups, downs and the everlasting mess at home and the impulse toy buying. The wait had begun. We knew we wanted a girl again. The day came on the 2nd of September.
Five puppies were born and unbelievably three of them were girls. I set my eyes on the littlest one. Why? I guess because I felt like she was so small, and she would need me to love her as much as possible. We named her Halle. Halle’s other siblings had also received a great deal of interest bar one. A boy whom Jari (the breeder) conveniently named Tristan (after my partner). Over the following days she Halle seemed to struggle putting on weight and wasn’t quite able to hold her own against her hungry siblings at mealtimes.
Just about two weeks in, we were told that Halle was not developing well, she had a heart murmur and had to be put to sleep in the morning. This news has, as you’d expect after what we have been through, was a dreadful blow. We grieved little Halle just about nine months after we lost our Tilly. It was inconceivable and felt like some cruel fate was telling us it’s not meant to be. We were aware that Tristan was still available, and we needed to make a choice at a time when we were so overwhelmed with shock and sorrow.
We looked back at how Tilly ended up being our girl. She came to us after someone else had cancelled their reservation. We did not get to pick her, it just happened and it ended up being right. We decided Tristan belongs with us because it is meant to be. Fast forward about four months, there he is. No longer called Tristan outside of his official paperwork. His name is Cody and he is pretty magic. This boy lost his last puppy tooth today, officially closing our chapter of watching where we step around the house. This last tooth was pretty unyielding.
Over two days I kept cursing it and giving it offerings of chews and toys to will it out of Cody’s sore mouth. I have tried everything safe and possible, including the priest’s chant from Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom. All hail Barney the Bunny whose soft ears finally dislodged the relentless premolar as we played a little mouth-and-tug with him. Let me tell you, no one sleeps as hard as a puppy which had a pesky tooth fall out. It’s as if the tooth was a broken off button and when it came out, the pup just powered down. Poor little sausage.
Speaking of growing, we have now crossed the 5-month mark and are getting to discover the mysteries of a maturing boy dog. Some discoveries, as anticipated as they are, still turn out quite fascinating. On Thursday, I was introduced to two new members of Cody’s body. All I could think was: Where did these come from and why can’t I look away? Of course, I know where they came from and if you are puzzled what I am talking about do not worry. I will be very clinical about this and say it plainly: his testes have now fully descended.
They took their sweet time, all tucked up higher in the lower belly region, but they have made their presence known. Hurray! Also, may the force be with us. We had a girl going through adolescence not that long ago and it was peachy, who knows what’s in store with this young man. He is overall super chilled, friendly to all people and dogs, but who knows what lies ahead. What can we expect in terms of energy from a boy with an attitude of a roman nobleman used to being hand fed exotic fruits by naked virgins?
Is his barking going to unravel in spite of our progress in training? Is his recall going to fully reset with the influx of hormones powering his desire to explore the local dating options? I guess we’ll have to find out. I hope you will also be here for it! I’ll try to talk about his testes as little as possible! This weekend the boys are on a big boy trip without me, and I cannot wait to hear all about Cody's first visit to his hoo-nanny up Lincolnshire. Imagine all the green and the nice people everywhere (seriously, London, take a hint). I miss them already but I am excited to clean the flat!
Until next time!