We both love dogs. Well, we both love animals, but having spent most of our working lives away from home as tour guides, we always felt it wasn’t fair to have a dog. Little did we know that in 2020 we would be preparing to bring a Hungarian Vizsla home.
Then Corona Virus hit, and of course we both lost our jobs as tour guides when the tourism industry collapsed and Lockdown was announced. We do have other skills, thankfully, so we have been beavering as hard as we can to grow our ‘side hustle’ into a business. It needs to replace a very healthy income we had jointly, so we are working up to 12 hours a day. And, as things stand, we won’t be going anywhere for at least 18 months.
We had not even thought about getting a dog, until we were presented with the opportunity. We sat around the chiminea one evening, sipping on whiskey, chatting about it.
Of course, pets are expensive, and they flip your life upside down, but the benefits far out-weigh the negatives. The friendship, laughter, company, and joy they bring every day, are incredibly precious. And a dog will force us to get out and walk, and explore the outdoors. I know we can do this without a dog, but we just have not, and I know our health will start suffering.
So, we agreed. After 9 years together, we have decided to become parents to a gorgeous Hungarian Vizsla!
And boy, is she cute!
What do we call our little girl?
As we both have names beginning with a D, we thought Doris is a good name. The name has character and when I looked into it, the it fitted more perfectly.
Doris is a Greek name and comes from two words: ‘Dôron’ is ‘gift’ or ‘abundance’ and ‘Zôros’ which means ‘pure’ and ‘unmixed’. Spot on! She really is a gift and as she is a purebred Vizsla, the name Doris, is made for her.
Day Zero Minus 1
We suddenly realised that we have 24 hours before 7-week old Doris comes home and we had nothing in place.
Dan sprung into action securing the garden. That little Doris body will grow quite rapidly, and there are few places she can squeeze into, but we did a survey and are now sure she won’t wriggle anywhere she shouldn’t.
And a dog bed?
So, we realise she will outgrow any bed within months, so we decided to make something for her. Partly to save money and partly to save the planet.
For years I have had a plastic crate which is slightly damaged. I don’t know why I have hung onto it, but I have….in the hope I can use it one day. I am no hoarder, but this seemed like something worth holding onto.
So, Dan set to work….
I found an old belt that I have had for years and never actually used. Now we have a use for it. We softened the edges of the bed with tape and the belt.
And voila, the bed is made.
Now for Bedding
Again, I have had bedding in the cupboard I have never used, not wanted to get rid of, and hoped I would one day find a use for it. The pillows are old, and I love the African print, so….a bed for Doris is complete.
And, as the puppy book suggests, Doris will be sleeping in our room with us for the first few nights, so this bed is light and easy to take upstairs too.
And we have a couple of toy treats waiting for her, including a Coronavirus looking toy – well, it’s topical and made me smile.
So, we are almost ready.
Now we start our last evening in a quiet house. It feels strange knowing that from tomorrow, our lives will be very different.
Excited and nervous all in one for our Hungarian Vizsla!
(20th August 2020)
