On October 9th, 2023, we brought home a tiny new addition to our house. No, not a new baby—well, not a human one anyway.

Dixie, our little lady.

Dixie is a Chihuahua/French bulldog cross. She was born in July, making her just under six months old now, and she is an absolute sweetheart.

Graham and I had been talking about maybe getting a dog for a long time – many, many months. We both grew up with dogs and are huge dog lovers. The children love dogs, too, and while they get to experience the love of a dog when we go to see our families, it just isn’t the same as having your own little bundle of fur to snuggle up to.

We were very hesitant about getting one and constantly went over the pros and cons. Dogs are expensive, for starters. Not just the initial outlay but insurance, food, toys, vet bills, etc. On top of that, we live in a rented house, and while it’s a relatively secure tenancy and we aren’t planning on going anywhere anytime soon, it’s never guaranteed. So many landlords don’t allow pets, especially dogs. The main thing was whether we had the time and attention to give to a dog. We are both aware of how much attention a dog needs and how they put restrictions on your life. We have four kids, three cats, and busy lives. Would it be fair on a dog?

We talked and talked and realised that with me being at home all the time and the kids now all in full-time school, we could make room for a small dog in our lives. We were going to wait until after Christmas (because puppy and the Christmas tree!), but when we saw a friend selling some puppies, we decided to go ahead.

Before anyone comes at me for buying a puppy rather than adopting one, we absolutely would not have been able to adopt, and given our circumstances, I don’t think it would be safe. We have young children and cats; we needed a dog that we knew would be okay with them and that didn’t come with any trauma, as we sadly know that many rescue dogs come with. A puppy that had been born into a busy household with young kids and other animals was ideal.

And so we went to visit the puppies for sale, and as soon as we walked in, Dixie ran full force to Graham to be picked up. We didn’t choose her; she chose us, and that’s how it should be.

That was three months, and it’s like she’s been with us forever. She has well and truly stolen all of our hearts. She loves nothing more than snuggling up to one of us for hours on end before spending a couple of hours with her toys and playing with Yoda, our youngest cat.

Talking of cats—that was one of our biggest worries. We have three cats, and while we know they are okay with my mom and dad’s dogs, you can never be quite sure. We hoped that because she was smaller than the cats, they would accept her, and they absolutely have. They all stand and eat together, and while Ellie and Tigger don’t pay a great deal of attention to her, Yoda loves playing with her. They chase each other, bat at each other, and generally run around like a couple of maniacs.

At night, she sleeps with me, cuddling up with her head on my pillow like a tiny human. I love feeling her little paws resting on me and her little gentle snores in my ear. I guess now that Elizabeth doesn’t need me quite as much, it’s nice that I have something else to look after! During the daytime she sits next to me or on me, and if I am working at my desk and haven’t sat down with her, she will come and paw at me at around 11am until I give her a cuddle. Shes’s definitely a ‘people’ dog, at her happiest when she’s snuggled up to someone.

She is a fantastic little walker, trotting along next to me, and has excellent recall if she is off-lead. It will be lovely in the summer when we can spend a lot longer out – it’s been so cold, and with her tiny size, we can’t keep her out too long.

So, there’s an introduction – albeit a late one – to our little Dixie. Watch this space for more Dixie stories and updates.