Positive Life NSW

In April this year, my life took a dramatic turn. It was the start of the Easter long weekend and I happened to be in Chinatown doing my weekly fruit and veggie run at Paddy’s. I usually wander past the pet shop to look longingly at the puppies in the window, but never really entertain the idea of buying one. So, it was a perfectly harmless activity: swing past the pet shop, admire the puppies and go home. Only this time, the unexpected happened.

As I approached the window, I noticed four Maltese pups. They actually looked like four little white balls of fluff that just happened to have coal black eyes and noses. Cute, I thought, but totally impractical. I thought about the early morning walks, the toilet training and then all that suddenly slipped away as one little ball of fluff stood up from its slumber and walked right up to me and slapped its front paw on the window.

She chose me! Lots of things ran through my head, but I went home and did some research on the breed to make sure we would be compatible. That night, I had a series of dreams about the pup and this sealed our fate. It was a long weekend, the perfect time to get a new pup, I reasoned. Four days to devote to her and get her settled into her new home.

The next morning, I was desperately waiting for the shop to open. There were only two pups left and I thought perhaps I’d lost her. Then, sure enough, one of the pups stood up, walked over to me and slapped its front paw on the window. Phew! Some careful negotiations on the price, a little paper work and 20 minutes later I was walking home with a puppy in my bag.

She was two months old, fit in one hand and had butterscotch colouring, so I named her ‘Tao’. I have since endlessly had to explain that it is not ‘towel’. Her name literally means ‘peach’ but it has a connotation of long life in Chinese tradition. I then get overall praise for the name choice.

Tao is a bit of a cheeky character and she attracts lots of attention. So much so, it is sometimes hard to make any progress on our nightly walks. She is a bit of an expert at sizing up the approaching crowd. Instinctively, she will either fall flat to the ground and shoot you her best puppy eyes or jump up on your leg, hang her tongue out and wiggle excitedly.

She is a very social pup and, in the last few months, we have gotten to know the staff in every shop and cafe within a 10 block radius of home. She is less social with other dogs though. At the park, she will chase the occasional dog but invariably runs and hides behind my leg or asks to get up in my lap.

Tao is incredibly affectionate and protective. She sleeps in my bed and invariably ends up on my pillow nudged between my head and the headboard or on my back or chest depending on my position. In the morning, I am woken up with a gentle nudge of my chin as she tries to curl up next to me or a gentle nibble on my ears as she straddles my neck! I would find this annoying if she weren’t so adorable.

Tao has opened up a whole new world for me and brought a lot of joy into my life. She is my constant companion when I am not at work. I’ve watched her personality develop over the last five months and notice that she does a lot of mimicking. When I sit down to have a snack, she’ll grab her rawhide and sit beside me, happily gnawing away until I’ve finished. She follows me around the house and even delights in taking a shower!

It has amazed me how much she has touched other people’s lives as well. Part of our walking routine involves a time out for me to have a coffee and I see people’s mood transform when they see her. She always manages to get a little smile or nod, which is especially nice when you see the initial look of exhaustion or frustration on people’s faces after a long day at work.

Tao has helped me focus a lot more and brought out my nurturing side. She has been a great stress reliever and she forces me to get out and exercise more. I feel less stressed, less anxious and healthier – anecdotal evidence that all those studies on the benefits of having a dog are true!