The Perfect Pair
It was Thursday Morning 13 June 2019 at 11:25am when a black and white springer spaniel arrived at my home from The Spaniel Welfare. I know it's weirdly specific to remember the exact time she arrived but that day and all the details involving it changed everything for me for the rest of my life...
See, we didn't do any introductions or meet ups before she arrived at my home… 13 June 2019 was the day I met her for the first time and the day she found her forever home. I look back at the photos from that day and I want to cry because my little girl must have been so scared.
Nacho, then called Roxy, was 2.5 years old when she came to live with me. I was her third home… It still breaks me to think that she had been rehomed three times by the time she was just over 2 years old. I still don’t understand why she was rehomed in the first place because she’s the sweetest, most well behaved dog I have ever met.
The first two weeks were difficult. I remember Googling NUMEROUS times "how long does it take to bond with a rescue?".
But, I digress… The first two weeks were difficult. I remember Googling NUMEROUS times "how long does it take to bond with a rescue?"... See, I had this dream of getting a dog that can go everywhere with me and do all things with me. But Nacho (aka Nachie aka Nachie-Noo aka Noodles) is a reactive dog – I have no idea where it stems from or how she got to be like this; I know almost nothing about her past. All I knew was that busy places and other dogs were her worst nightmare. She’s also fearful of driving in a car. In short, Nachie was the antithesis of the dog I had dreamt of for so many years.
I had to shift my expectations drastically. I had a session with one of the world’s best behaviorists (my opinion because she’s truly a gem and always advocates for the animal) roughly 10 days after Nachie came to live with me. And she helped me adjust my view and get my mindset in the right place. She made me aware of what Nachie needed over what I wanted… This was a huge turning point for how I view dogs.
We so often want dogs to do stuff WE want, but never think about whether it’s something that they’re comfortable with. To this day, this is the biggest lesson I’ve learnt in adopting Nachie.
Once the behaviorist guided me on how to be the dog mom Nachie needed, this girl had my heart. More so, she changed me forever… She broke down so many walls I had built up through the hard knocks of life. She's taught me about unconditional love and that anyone is capable of change if nurtured with love – she made my heart expand with a love I didn’t even know it could hold. She also taught me about patience, resilience and that being silly is really the best medicine after a long, tough day.
Today, Nachie has blossomed into a beautiful confident dog who loves going for long walks in nature, who loves digging for moles, who loves people.
Today, Nachie has blossomed into a beautiful confident dog who loves going for long walks in nature, who loves digging for moles, who loves people. Last year she learnt to swim at the ripe age of 7 – yes, a springer spaniel that only learnt to swim at 7 (she had hip replacement surgery that also changed her but that is a whole other story… all I can say is that she’s very clearly no longer in pain from her hip dysplasia has given this girl a new leash on life).
This June will be 6 years since Nachie came home to live with me. I can confidently say that she’s the love of my life, she’s my soul dog, she’s truly my best friend. And every day I wonder how lucky I am that she found me.
Written by Eulogi Rheeder (@nachie_ and_queso_)
