My day started with our beautiful dog Tia having a poop on the bathroom floor. She doesn’t usually do this; however, it is International Dog Day 2021 so I guess it is allowed.

I’ve been wanting to write this blog post for a while now, and today, on International Dog Day, it seems like the perfect time to write an ode to my dog Tia… I mean, look at her, how can you not love this little fur baby.

Don’t get me wrong, she can be a little shit, she is a Shih Tzu of course, breeds notorious for being fussy, feisty but oh-so lovable.

Traits of a shih tzu:

• REALLY fussy with food, unlike every other dog!
• Love to growl and nip if you try and take her treat
• Loves to bark at the TV
• Can’t walk for more than an hour max and will sit down on the road if they want to stop walking
• Very playful
• Super cute
• They’ll need more haircuts than you
• But so beautiful and loving

Tia

We got Tia last year (pre-lockdown, so she isn’t a Covid dog). My parents (read Mum, not dad. Dad was SOOOO against getting one), wanted to get a dog now they’re retired and had nothing much to do.

After some researching, we found Tia, who was previously called Tiffany. We found her on a Pets 4 homes. A family just couldn’t look after her, so at 9 months old she came into our home and we re-christened Tia. We didn’t want to change her name too much and Tia just seemed to stick. There are so many beautiful animals waiting for their forever home, so we really wanted to re-home/rescue a dog.

It took a while to adjust to having a fur baby, although my sister has had her gorgeous lab Coco for 11 years, it was the first time we have had a dog.

I was back in London at this point, so it was mostly my parents that were re-adjusting Tia to her new home. But it didn’t take long and she quickly because very much a loved family member.

Cue Lockdown and I temporarily moved home. It was only supposed to be for a few months, but 18 months later , I’m still here. I couldn’t have got through the days without Tia though…

I wasn’t a walker before getting Tia, but now I love going on long walks. Our dog has helped someone in my family deal with depression and for me has been my lockdown saviour when I moved home and certain things happened. The dog gave me cuddles, got me out of the house, she’s my ride or die. I’m going to be extremely sad when I have to move back to London and leave her.

Brown dads

My dad who was adamant that we are not getting a dog now LOVES her and walks her every single day. that’s the magic of a dog, they change your life.

For those considering getting a dog

The above all sounds great, doesn’t it? But it isn’t a walk in the park… For those considering getting a dog, I want you to remember it isn’t all dog walks and cuddles. It is like having a child and it takes a lot of time and effort to engrain them into your homes:

• Dogs need to be trained to pee/poop outside, do tricks, eat at certain times, sleep in a crate if you are going to do that etc. It can take months, years to train a dog
• They ideally need a garden
• They need walks daily
• If you are someone with a busy lifestyle, do not get a dog. It isn’t fair to leave a dog alone so much
• They will wake up in the middle of the night and might not go back to sleep
• They need love, care and attention throughout the day
• They might bite you
• They can be really naughty
• They’ll poop and pee everywhere before you fully train them
• You will have to plan outings around how long you can leave the dog alone for or if you have a reliable dog-sitter/kennel
• Some might be great with other dogs or animals, but others wont be
• Vet trips can be expensive
• If you have a dog that needs grooming regularly, it can be costly
• They can get sick just like other dogs and won’t live forever (this makes me so sad even typing it)
• Spaying/neutering is essential for their health, and it isn’t fair to buy dogs to breed them so that you can make money
• You’ll have to deal with female dog periods (called heat or seasons). If you don’t spay (basically having a dog hysterectomy) a female dog, the dog will have periods every 4-6 months. Its basically like a very light human female period and you’ll need to buy dog nappies or deal with the discharge in your home
• Neutering (getting rid of a male dogs balls) calms a hyper dog and will stop them from humping everything in sight
• They’re going to need letting outside for a wee before bed every night. So, if you don’t like the cold, you better get used to it
• Please consider a rescue, they haven’t had the best lives and there are so many dogs waiting for their forever homes

It’s a journey

It’s hard work. If you can deal with all of this, then you are going to have the most love in the world. A dogs love is like no other. They follow you around, they get excited every time you come home, even if you have just gone to the shops for ten minutes. The cuddles are the best in the world. They are loyal to their owners and dogs are a source of exercise! Dogs are pure love. I wouldn’t have my Tia any other way. It’s been a journey to get to this point, but I’m so glad we are here.

My Pringle, boiled chicken, treatie, farsi puri, gathia, paratha loving sweetie, I love you. My life wouldn’t be the same without you.

Remember, adopt don’t shop x

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