Recently, I’ve been reflecting on how much love fur-babies bring into my life & those of others. This time of year is tough for me, like many, because I’ve lost important people & pets that made the magic of the winter holidays incredibly special. In particular, I mean Wampa, our 100-lb yellow lab lapdog who was a meaningful Christmas present in 2013. If you read my blog, then you know Wampa unexpectedly passed away in October due to an undetected heart defect. Wampa really was my first baby after Maximus, my redhead Maine Coon cat who felt like my familiar or daemon (if in the His Dark Materials series). I lost Max last year, so losing Wampa compounds the loss I already feel, especially since I lost both my dad & closest brother Dan (both passed away years ago) who loved Christmas so much. Many, many memories surface in my mind associated with Christmas so it’s hard not to feel loss this time of year.

Especially recently, I’ve had to watch several people around me lose their dearest fur-babies, too, which causes me to relive certain losses. Thankfully, there’s been a bright spot in the midst of all of it.

That bright spot in my life involves our new addition to the family, an adorable rambunctious corgi puppy named Wicket who brings energy & silliness into our home. Nothing really prepared me for having a small dog, let me just say that from the onset. Until now, I’ve only raised labs or lab mixes & my partner golden retrievers growing up. So, I should say our household didn’t know what was coming with that little ball of fur! Small herding dogs have a very, very different temperament & a much bigger learning curve from those bigger service-oriented dogs who only want please their owners by retrieving things. This corgi puppy believes it’s his duty to herd the family, including the cats. He will run after heels, nipping & tugging on pant legs, or he will chase Monty with incredible wind sprints, then to tackle & subdue. He will make these little growling noises as he bosses everyone around, which is fairly comical to watch.

Well, as he bosses everyone else around. Wicket doesn’t try that with me; he knows better. I’m the alpha. That’s not a debate, but rather a fact.

And the little one is absolutely besotted with his “puppy-dog.” He loves Wicket & calls him “Day-ell puppy.” Wicket came at just the right time, as the little is obsessed with anything & everything dog-oriented, dog-related, or dog-adjacent. Believe me, I’ve seen more shows & movies about dogs than ever imagined I would in one lifetime. There’s the whole Air Buddies series (SO many versions), PAW Patrol, Puppy Dog Pals, Blue’s Clues, Goofy & Pluto on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Barkley on Sesame Street, 101 Dalmations, Lady & the Tramp, & The Secret Lives of Pets. I could list more but I’ll spare you. Funny enough, there are plenty of antics between Wicket & Monty to keep anyone entertained without all those other shows or films. Monty is a willing participant, let me add. He will egg Wicket on, as they take turns chasing each other, only to leap to a height on the bed or cat tower, where he knows Wicket can’t reach.

Monty will look down, gloating with a twitching tail, relishing all of the frantic jumps Wicket makes just out of reach.

Eventually, both tire out & pass out on the bed. Do you notice how little Tasmanian devils of dogs & toddlers can look so seemingly sweet & peaceful when sleeping. Lies! Wicket wants to chew on everything. I mean everything. When he wants to get up on the bed, he sprints from one side to the other, panting so loudly so as to say, “You WILL see me here & let me up!” A common refrain of mine is, “Good thing you’re so cute!” He will grow out of a certain amount of that behavior, I know, & as for the rest that’s where obedience training will come in. He leans towards possessiveness, so I remain keenly aware of any potential food aggression or hoarding behaviors & address them immediately. Housebreaking is still a challenge as smaller dogs take longer to develop the control necessary, & then there’s the territorial marking because he likes to assert his authority (which will be addressed when he’s old enough to be neutered). He helps provide diversion & distraction during a time of year that tends to be more sad than not.

More blog posts will come, I’m sure, about Wicket & his antics. He’s certainly helping me to develop patience & tolerance. This small dog has a big personality. Napoleon had nothing on Wicket.