Man's Best Friend

Mackie is a 2 year old pedigree chocolate Labrador.  Although cheeky, strong willed and a bit slobbery, she is beautiful, smart and loyal- a real character that you can't help but love. 

Mr T and I brought her home as a tiny helpless pup and fell instantly in love with her.  We faced 'toilet training'- this was a painfully slow process, but hey, she cracked it!  We got through the teething months (many, many months)- razor sharp little pegs gnawing at your fingers, toes, clothes... the big strong teeth that followed, gnawing on... well... the entire house.  We lost floorboards, carpet, furniture, so many shoes- even bricks from the walls!  If it came loose, she chomped on it.  We faced the sleepless nights of howling and whimpering from the pathetic little creature that needed to be with her pack... right in the bed beside us, in fact.  We tackled puppy bootcamp, learning to 'Sit', 'Give paw', 'Roll-over', 'Put my shoe back', 'Please stop barking', 'We need to get back in the car now...'- I guess we trained each other!  The hard work was so worth it- she's a bit older and she is the most kind natured, loving dog you could ever meet- if still a bit noisy- and we simply love her.

Since bringing home that adorable pup, our lives have changed quite a lot.  With a change in career, comes a change of hours.  The working days were getting longer, time with my best friend Mack was getting shorter.  Ever the perfect companion, she greeted us lovingly at the door day after day, always pleased to see us (and I always imagined to "finally have someone open the door so I can peeeee!"), never destructive, or badly behaved- just there.  Mr T and I are also in a band, so along with the long working week, we also have rehearsals and gigs- yet more alone time for poor Mack.  Other than the odd extended game of fetch, she never wanted anything from us but our time- the one thing we didn't have to spare.  Whilst she never played up, we really felt the guilt of this sociable, lovable pup all alone for so much of her time.  Don't get me wrong- we engineered a fellow couch potato in our Mackie, happy to snooze all day long if needs be- but we knew in our hearts that this was not the life she deserved.  We made the heartbreaking decision to rehome her when the perfect home appeared.  She would have company every day, a fellow pup of a similar age to play with, long walks come rain or shine- we couldn't say no.

After brief visits to both our home and theirs, we dropped Mackie off for our final goodbye.  I did not expect such pain and heartache.  Mr T and I were inconsolable as we made our way home.  We opened the door to our empty house- a home no more.  No greeting, no familiar noises, no scuffle to get in to the hallway... just nothing.  The house looks bare without her and her things.  Our whole routine is gone- our lives were centered around her.  I dread the day when Mr T is out and I am home alone- because I really will be alone.  No pup laying at my feet, shadowing me around the house, pestering me to go in the garden every few minutes.

So the house will be clean and tidy- it may even stay that way until the goblins are around.  We have the freedom to come and go as we please- we've booked a little weekend away and have been able to stop off for dinner on the way home from work- a luxury we couldn't afford with Mack waiting to be fed and watered!  But I'd take it all back in an instant.  I'd give anything to have her come trotting in from the garden, rain soaked and covered in mud and jump on the sofa beside me!

I know it will get easier in time and we are trying hard to focus on how much happier she will be in her new home.  We've seen her with her little partner in crime, bouncing around the garden, just the way it should be.  We know we did this for all the right reasons and she will live a longer, happier life as a result.  We will build new routines and get back to some sort of normality. 

But she has left a huge space in my heart, in my life- I will always miss my best friend.  Always.