Her name is Lola...

And as you can see, unlike her mother (her real doggy mum I mean :-), she's not a showgirl!

A year ago today we brought our golden girl to her forever home.

Everyone warned us...

Puppies are hard work.
Puppies bite and chew everything.
Puppies think the world is their toilet.
Puppies are boisterous.
Puppies take up a lot of time.
Puppies need trained.
Puppies eat things that are bad for them.
Puppies need daily grooming.
Puppies are mischievous.
Puppies grow.
Puppies need you to have eyes in the back of your head.
Puppies take over your life...

Yes, yes, yes, we KNOW all that!!

OMG!  We SO didn't know!  Hahahaha!  

When I think of those first few weeks and months with this little bundle of fluff, it really was like having a new baby in the house!  Exhausting!

Another thing we didn't know is that being a dog lover is not the same as loving a dog.  

We have always been dog lovers and seeing friend's dogs has always been a pleasure and we have shared their pain at the loss of their beloved fur babies, but until we were blessed with Lola, we had no idea how deep that love is.  The quote "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened" by Anatole France is so true.  She is absolutely adored and we just can't imagine life without her.  

One of my favourite blips that sums those exhausting early days with Lola is this one :D  David exhausted from chasing her round the garden (to stop her eating plants, chewing stones and digging holes!) whilst trying to instil some recall.   Hard, and at times, frustrating work (Lola, you've been outside for half an hour, why do you pee within a minute of coming back into the kitchen?!!) but of course it is All worth it in the end :D

To commemorate today, I had planned to photograph Lola in all her glory, washed, brushed and gleaming at her absolute golden best, but when she came back from her morning romp on the moors, I realised this is her in all her glory :-))

We all love you to the moon and back, our little bog snorkeler, and look forward to every single day with you.  Thank you for all the amazing, unconditional love you give in return, even when I won't share my toast! 

Happy Gotcha Day Lols. Love you forever :D xxx