Monday was Lila’s birthday. She is now three years old. I was told early on, if you survive the first two years of a Portuguese Water Dog’s life, you have the best dog imaginable. It’s true. The first two years were hard. We had some major learning to do here. And it’s been worth it, every bit. I’ve learned so much from working with her. She taught me how to be a stronger, better person. I am very grateful.
So Monday I took her to one of our favorite dog stores, Bark & Fitz, and she picked out a toy. I wanted her to get one that makes a noise when you drop it. That way she gets to feel powerful as she pushes it around. They had a Santa, a monkey, a duck and a rooster. She liked the duck best. But I also liked the rooster, so we bought both.
That evening, to my surprise, my neighbors came over with their dog, Suzie, and we had a dog party. They brought a present for Lila and we sat around drinking beer and watching as the pup’s played (and destroyed—Lila loves to take the stuffing out!) the new toys. (We did try to stop them but it was a loosing battle! All we could do was take them away and it was, after all, a birthday party.)
Here Lila has downed the duck:
