teddy girl at {one} year

Today my little puppy… who just happens to tip the scales at 60+ pounds, is a year old!  Bah!  Makes me very nostalgic, but happy.  As you all know, I’m very, very attached to my dog.  Obsessive really.  She’s really given me no reason not to be, she’s so darn cute and eager to please.  I love her dearly and I am so thankful for her.

I just can’t believe it’s already been a year.  Finding Teddy was kismet and impulsive; we’d been back from our honeymoon all of a week when we found and answered the craigslist posting for six week-old golden retriever puppies for sale.  She was one of twelve and when we went to see her, I must admit I had no idea which puppy I wanted.  Actually, initially I wanted a boy so I could say “come here, boy!”  Teddy, who at that time was coined, “Naughty Katie” was very sleepy when we first met her and attached herself quickly to M.  Because I couldn’t choose, I felt like a horrible person if I did, M decided on Teddy.  Good thing!  Teddy hasn’t really been very naughty with us.  I can’t say that I’m very strict with the dog.  We always joke that she knows M is her owner, while she just considers me another dog to roughhouse with.  I still remember taking her away from all her siblings in the car, with literally nothing for her.  We didn’t have a blanket, a bone, collar, nothing.  Poor girl had a hard time.  She was about 10 pounds when we met her and we’d spend all day outside attempting to run in the grass, which was as tall as her legs.  She’d fall, get tired, sleep; I’d let her go free, because she couldn’t get anywhere.  I’d take her for a walk to the lake to socialize her and I’d end up carrying her the whole time.  She was so freaking cute and got some much deserved adoration.  Especially when she’d fearlessly jump in the water and roll in the mud.... nothing's changed:  teddy and the creek



{stop with the pictures!}



I let the dog do anything she wants, but somehow, she’s incredibly good natured and behaved.  She’s grown up to be a big, quirky dog who still seeks approval and gets into everything.  After a year, she still lays down on the sidewalk for every approaching dog, nose dives into grass/snow/water to itch off her gentle leader, jumps on strangers and thinks they like it, hunts down squirrels and bunnies thinking she actually has a shot at them, carries entire tree branches home, and lays on her back while she sleeps, hoping for a stomach scratching.  She still follows us like a puppy and watches for us from the window until we return home.  Once a cute little thing, Teddy is now a very regal, elegant-looking dog, who seems to get better looking with age.  At least on walks, I can confidently say I’ll always get compliments for how she looks;)

Happy Birthday, Teddy Girl!

A year with Teddy in pictures: