In mid-June we joyfully added a new addition to our family....a puppy! We are pleased to introduce you to Sir Oliver Wyatt Spaulding... Ollie for short. He is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and because of his regal heritage, he of course needed a very British regal name. Oliver was just the perfect English name with a cute nickname. And Wyatt is his father's name.
The boys had been asking us for a puppy for quite awhile after we visited our friends, the Lapours back in 2021 who also have a tri-color Cavalier like Ollie. We started to research the breed and really liked all the traits and characteristics--good natured, friendly, good with kids, easily trainable, smaller, snuggly but also active, doesn't shed too much, etc. The breed seemed to check all the boxes for us and what we were looking for in a dog. We did a lot of research and thinking and then decided that 2023 was a great time to get a dog with the kids' ages and now that I have a hybrid work schedule and am home a couple days a week. We knew we wanted to get the puppy in the spring or summer since that would be easier weather-wise. So we started calling breeders in Feb/March. We found breeders called Cavaliers of Grace Victoria Manor (so bougie!) out of Fall City. The couple actually moved to Utah, but their family is still here and they still bring litters up to the area a couple times a year. We talked to them on the phone and fell in love with them instantly because they were so kind, were exactly from our area and one of their dogs (named Paris!) was pregnant and due in June which was our ideal timeframe. We also had first pick of a boy. So we paid a deposit and started to prepare.
Similar to having kids, you can never truly prepare. You can get all the supplies and gear, but you never truly know how the experience will change your life. Ollie was born on April 19. And about 2 months later we drove out to Duvall and met our breeders to pick him up on June 15 to bring him home. And what a sweet, wonderful, amazing, hard, and wild ride it's been since. He is such a wonderful dog and brings so much joy to our household. But it has definitely felt like we brought a 3rd kid into our lives. It's been a change to our routine and requires constant commitment because we want to have a really well trained dog. But also he's taught us so much about unconditional love and has helped us be more present and enjoy the simple things in life. Now I can't even imagine our family without Ollie.
Here are some of the most significant memories and highlights since June:
- Our neighbors got us connected to Lizz Watson--the most amazing dog trainer in the world. She has been a godsend. She's literally been with us since day one (she came over the day Ollie arrived!) I don't think we would have enjoyed having a puppy as much without Lizz. She has taught us so much (and is still teaching us) about how to be responsible dog owners and create a pleasant, obedient and well mannered dog. Ollie just adores her and gets to go be with her and her husband Johnny at their farm in Fall City every week for doggy day camp.
- We had such a fun summer with Ollie--taking him outside to explore, taking him out for a day to Lake Kachess when James and the boys went camping with the Spauldings, taking him to the river in Idaho on our friend trip, going on lots of walks, and exposing him to as much as we could at a young age
- Tiara is another godsend who we met in the neighborhood. She comes twice a week to walk Ollie and play with him while we're at work. She is also a professional photographer so we get all these amazing photos of Ollie. Ollie just loves her and she is so wonderful.
- Unfortunately Ollie did something to his foot in our backyard around late October and he sadly broke a toe on his back foot. It took about 6-8 weeks for it to heal and he had to be in a bandage and wear a little bootie outside. He couldn't go for walks the entire time too. Ugh it was so hard, but he was a trooper and did a great job. Now we feel like we can make it through anything after the ordeal.
- It was fun to celebrate holidays with Ollie--Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. He wasn't much of a fan of 4th of July though. He was still really little and was pretty traumatized by all the loud noises.
- Ollie got neutered in mid-Dec and was a champ! He healed pretty quickly and it felt like an easy procedure after all the foot stuff
- We have a wonderful vet--Salish Veterinary Hospital just down the street from us--Ollie is in good hands
- Ollie now is well trained--potty trained, can sit, lie down, spin, "place" on his cot, walk alongside us, and we're always working on "leave it" and "drop it" as he loves to grab our socks, underwear, stuffed animals, etc.
- Ollie loves to play tug of war and fetch with his toys. He's also a major chewer and loves chew toys--especially the nylon "sticks" that we learned about from the vet
- One of my favorite things to do with Ollie is go on walks with him--we go all over our neighborhood and back in the trails. He's a good explorer and loves to be outside
- One of the best feelings in the world is having Ollie on your lap and snuggling with him. He is a great snuggler. He has taught me so much about slowing down, relaxing and being present. He helps me stop to rest by asking me to sit with him with his stick. Just a simple snuggle from Ollie can make your day and cheer you up.
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WE LOVE YOU OLLIE!!
