As Ollie’s second Gotcha Day anniversary approaches, I wanted to take this opportunity to share my love for this munchkin.
I find myself always looking at pictures of him when we’re away, and I love reminiscing about those first few months with him.
I’ve also cried multiple times because I don’t want to imagine a world without him (yeah crazy I know…).
But truthfully this little guy was the best gift I ever received.
And I mean that because I talked about dogs all day long until Kris said “fine, I’ll get you a pup.”
You best believe I started looking for dogs ASAP!
But our story might not be exactly what you expect.
So help me celebrate Ollie’s Gotcha Day by taking a stroll down memory lane.
Not what I wanted
Did you read that heading? Say what?
Yes, I really wanted a dog. But I wanted a specific dog.
Growing up I had a Labrador so I really wanted another one or a Golden Retriever.
Sounds lovely right? Well, keep in mind we lived in a 700 sq ft apartment at the time.
So perhaps not the best choice of breed.
Kris kept telling me about how awesome Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are and I just wasn’t convinced.
Adorable? For sure! But I was used to big dogs and the thought of a small dog was unimaginable.
Of course, though, I had to come back to reality and understood that a small apartment was not the best decision for a big dog.
So I told Kris I’d research Cavaliers and let him know what I decided.
My findings led me to Ollie
While researching Cavaliers (btw if anyone has any questions about the breed feel free to comment below or DM me), I found Ollie.
I went through all the facts and needs about the breed and then decided to look into Cavaliers near me to figure out if I should get my hopes up or not.
Didn’t take long enough until I found Cavalier Corral and thus I found our little munchkin.
I swear (not exaggerating) as soon as I saw his photo I fell in love with him.
I sent Kris the picture and told him we NEEDED that dog.
Then I proceeded to call, email, text, and FB Message Cavalier Corral.
Yes, all of that because like I said, we NEEDED Ollie.
Lee and Cynthia (owners of Cavalier Corral) probably thought I was crazy but hey, it worked!
We agreed to pick Ollie up that weekend from Ohio (where they’re located) and our lives forever changed.
What a first impression
When we got Ollie we were living in the Chicago suburbs.
It was about a 5-hour drive to get to Ohio but Kris and I left at 6am. I genuinely couldn’t contain my excitement.
When we finally got to Cavalier Corral, Lee pointed at Ollie who was walking around on the backyard.
I couldn’t believe how tiny he was!
And then it happened. Ollie showed us his true colors.
And by that I mean he showed us from day one that he’s a walking pooper!
Yup, you read that right. Til this day I have to walk behind him picking up his poop.
Building a home
After Lee told us everything there is to know about Cavaliers and even trained Ollie to sit (they learn very quickly), we were back on the road.
We stopped a few times to make sure Ollie could potty, but overall he loved being in the car.
When we got home he had no trouble exploring around and making himself comfortable.
He knew he was home!
The first few nights were rough – he just wanted to be with us and crate training was not the easiest.
Kris and I weren’t sleeping, I was crying every time Ollie cried, and I couldn’t even eat from the stress.
After about a week he learned the crate was his friend and he slept like a baby.
Side note – try giving them food and treats in the crate so they associate it with positive things.
Breaking all the rules
When we decided to get a dog I told Kris very clearly that the dog would not sleep on our bed or lay on the couch.
I didn’t want hair all over the place and I wanted the dog to respect our space.
Guess who broke that rule first? Yes, of course it was me.
I got sick one night and Ollie was cuddling me on the floor and it felt so nice.
At bedtime Kris told me to let Ollie sleep on the ground next to my side of the bed.
So instead I grabbed him and cuddled with him in bed.
Safe to say he has slept on our bed every day since.
Going through life
For the past two years, Ollie has joined us in our biggest moments.
He was there for our wedding, saw us change jobs, went to work with me for a while, and finally, came with us to Miami!
Through all those changes and special moments, he’s been our rock.
He’s brought us closer together and added so much joy to every day.
There’s never a dull moment with Ollie and you can count on him to always show you unconditional love.
So this is my thank you to our sweet pup.
Although he can’t read I hope he knows how loved he is.
And to my sweet hubby who can read, thank you for the best gift ever.
Happy gotcha day, Ollie!
