Adoption Story
We adopted Teddy on a whim on a random Saturday morning two weeks before Jamie left for Afghanistan the first time. He was sitting in a crate outside of PetCo with MARF (Madison Animal Rescue Foundation) in my parent’s hometown, and we walked by and couldn’t help but squeal about how cute (and awkward looking) he was. The volunteer let him out of his crate, and he immediately cuddled up in my lap, leaving my heart in a puddle right there on the sidewalk. Jamie sat down across from me, and he went straight to his lap as well. We leashed him up and walked him around the store, and I actually had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes because I didn’t know how we could leave the store without him; Jamie didn’t either. We weren’t expecting to get a dog so soon with a deployment around the corner and the closing of our first home the following week, but we just knew he was ours. A few minutes later we found ourselves paying the $150 adoption fee, picking out food and a new leash, and walking back to our car with a new family member.
His background
MARF estimated that Teddy was three years old at the time of adoption, and the vet estimated the same thing. Teddy had been with MARF for about two years and adopted and returned upwards of eight times. Those who know Teddy know that he’s all bark and no bite, but he can show his teeth like no other. When he doesn’t want to be touched he sure lets you know! We’re guessing that these families didn’t realize what an incredibly sweet, totally harmless little guy he is, so they “returned” him. I try to forget about all that he’s gone through, so just typing this out hurts my heart big time. His only goal in life is just to love Jamie and me. That’s it. He never knew how good life could be.
My sidekick
Two weeks after we adopted Teddy, Jamie left for Afghanistan for 10 months. Having Teddy around was a huge comfort and often a form of therapy when things seemed really dim.
A year after Jamie got home from Afghanistan round one, he left for Afghanistan round two, and Teddy once again resumed his role as man of the house. This time around he was not only my deployment companion but my pregnancy companion. Every afternoon after work I’d slip on comfy clothes and lay on the couch to watch TV, and Teddy would plop on the couch with his head on my belly until my belly grew too big. All of those moments of laying there feeling Hadley’s movements on the outside were experienced by Teddy. Every time she kicked me he’d give me this look that was all What is going on inside your stomach Mom?!
Big Brother
Teddy has been intrigued by Hadley since the moment we walked in the door with her, but he’s really only interested in her nowadays when she’s in her highchair ready to catch her droppings. She started screaming “Tee Dee!” about two weeks ago every time she sees him, and most of her favorites things to do involve Ted (walks, giving him treats, getting his kisses, petting him, etc.). I love that he will always be her first dog.
Little Chunker
I’m sitting here trying to think of a time that someone met Teddy for the first time and didn’t say something about his weight, but I can’t think of anyone. Nobody. “Well he hasn’t missed a meal!” “Somebody likes to eat!” “Big guy looks like he could lose a few pounds!” “He is fat!” We’ve heard it all. The truth is, he really can’t lose weight. He’s a Chihuahua-Pug mix, so his skinny little Chihuahua head makes his big Pug body look even bigger. He’s been on several kinds of prescription food and walks all the time. We love him just the way he is and I’ve finally stopped taking offense to others’ comments about how fat he is (after all, he has no clue what they’re saying and it’s not like they’re calling me fat).
Love love love
We can’t imagine life without this little guy. He’s our welcome home party, our bedtime snuggle bug, our best kitchen vacuum, a major source of laughter, and a source of unconditional love. If you don’t think I’m bananas for being so crazy about my dog, then surely you know this type of love. It’s one of the very best kinds.
Fun Facts:
- Though he’s not a fan of dog toys, he’s obsessed with babying stuffed animals and can’t go to sleep at night without his special animal named Red. It’s bizarre.
- He makes this noise when we pick him up to put him in bed that sounds exactly like the wildcat sound that’s played over the loudspeaker at KSU football games.
- Our next door neighbor in Arizona had a dog that looked exactly like Teddy who quickly became his very best friend. We miss Wolfie!
More posts about Teddy:
Adoption Story Written the Day After We Got Him
That Time Teddy Locked Me Out of My Running Car
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo