Notes From The Matchbox : The Story of Harvie

Chris and I wanted a dog for a while. When we were dating we used to talk about how much we both loved dogs and wanted one eventually. The only thing was we could not agree on dogs. I grew up with a lab mix, so I wanted a large dog. Chris grew up with a small dog and believed they were the only way to go. When Chris bought our house this finalized the debate since our home could only accommodate a small sized dog.

Thus began the search and compromise on my part. I was not thrilled with the idea, but thought that maybe I could find a cute, lovable small dog out there. Of course, I browsed Pinterest like most women would and I found a pic (posted just below) of an adorable small dog called a Cavapoo. This is a mix between a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and a Poodle. I've never heard of this dog, but thought it was too cute and sent the pic to Chris on a Friday afternoon. When we met up that evening he said he found a breeder in San Diego who just had puppies of this same type. We looked at the pictures online and set up an appointment to meet the puppies.

Cavapoo - Found on pinterest

This all moved very quickly from my simply sending Chris a picture. I have sent him numerous dog pics in the past, but for whatever reason this particular one sped up our search. This was in May of 2013, so we were already engaged and planning our future, so a dog seemed fitting. Of course, meeting the puppies completely melted my heart. I feel in love with this one little pup who had a white stripe down her head. She was shy, playful, and sleepy...pretty much the dog version of myself :).

Next thing I know we were placing our deposit and preparing for our puppy. I picked the name Harvie (it was something I heard once and always loved for a dog) and Chris decided spelling it with an "ie" at the end made it more feminine. We could not pick her up for 8 weeks and during this time I did nothing but worry, fret, and debate. I was not convinced and my mind swarmed with questions

....what if she changes my relationship with Chris? Am I going to love her? Will she like me? How will this change our life? Is it too soon? Should we be married first? Will she grow or stay small forever? Will I like a small dog?

Learning to walk upstairs - 2013

Chris kept reassuring me and I slowly started to get excited. After bringing her home I was IN LOVE and wrapped around her paw from day one. She has completely changed our life, but all of the better. Our relationship is stronger and more united because of our fur child. I do anything for this dog and let her get away with everything! I seriously cannot believe there was a point in time when I did not want her. She is the perfect fit for our family and to say I am obsessed with Harvie is an understatement.