a girls best friend

I was never an animal person. Growing up we had pets but they were limited to a hamster and some fish. To be honest, I was pretty scared of other animals until recently when on one wonderful day nearly a year ago, we acquired a dog. I would generally say I was quite nervous around cats or dogs; I think not being brought up in an environment with such animals makes you unsure of them. Its difficult to understand their movements, there noises and their expressions. If it hadn't been for the fact that, our now 3rd resident,  took such a liking to me, I dont think we would have even contemplated taking her home with us. 

Millie, as we named her, was an unwanted puppy that was taken in by my boyfriends family, since her original owner was going to leave her in a field (a common and horrendously frequent occurrence here in Cyprus). Scared, frightened, underweight and unloved, when we first saw her she was shivering wreck. However after much coaxing, she ventured close enough to us for a stroke and the rest is history. I dont know if she was like putty in our hands, or the other way. It was like she was superglued to the spot next to my feet, barely moving all day. Her eyes so full of thanks and love that she stole a piece of my heart within a few moments of our first meeting. 

Unfortunately for my boyfriend that meant much nagging and pleading and some negotiating with our landlord. But it was a relationship that was bound to blossom and now she is a permanent feature and quite literally part of the furniture and I can't imagine life without her. 

They say a dog is a man's best friend. Well a dog is also a girls best friend. There is a sense of therapy to having a dog, the walking is calming and great exercise and coming home after a hectic day at work, sitting on the sofa with a big eyed, furry thing that just wants love and attention, immediately lifts away any stress I had before I walked through the door.