A Review Of Oli's First Year

2022 did not start off well. I lost Milo and spent January and most of February crying about it. But then March rolled around and I was introduced to this guy: 

The breeder named him Michael, in honor of Michael Jackson, but I renamed him Oli M., in honor of my dachshund, Milo. We met at a high school parking lot in May. He was a small, skinny bundle of white, downy fur. Oli reminded me of a dandelion gone to seed. 

Oli started off an incredibly fiery little puff ball. He thought hands were chew toys and clothes were tugs. And socks. Oh, how he loves to pull off socks! When the clock struck 6 or 7, he would become "wild" - sprinting through the house, growling and tossing every cushion and throw pillow into the air like confetti.  Getting him trained to go to the bathroom outside was a trial. Occasionally, I wonder if I had walked a different path in life and had children what kind of mother I would have made. Training a puppy gave me a small window into that life. The answer is sometimes a sane person and sometimes a basket case. 

Speaking of training, Oli went to puppy school! We drove down to the PetsMart in Santa Fe and learn some of the basics of dog obedience. Oli was apt student; plus, he loved every single treat the instructor would give him. 

Then again, Oli is no picky eater. My boss joked one time that perhaps Oli is part goat. If he finds anything - a fallen, withered apple, a scrap of paper blowing in the wind or a piece of mulch - Oli will dine on it all. It's hard to say if Oli has a favorite treat. Although peanut butter and cheese seem to be the current top contenders. 

If I were to identify Oli's other great love it would be playing outside, especially in the dirt. Oli is a Coton de Tulear, which I believe is French for cotton. And that is where his fanciness ends. Oli is a lover of snow and puddles, digging holes and investigating bugs. 

Of course the best way to spend time is with a good friend and Oli has found a good friend in my parents' black lab, Puck. They are the Odd Couple - complete opposites but kindred spirits nonetheless. 

Oli has grown up a lot in a year. He isn't a sparking, exploding firecracker so much any more, he has figured out that the great outdoors is where he needs to go to relieve himself and socks are loosing his interest. As for me, I feel happy again. That gap from when Milo passed to when Oli arrived was rough. I didn't have a friend to sit with every night and watch TV, I didn't have any reason to leave the house occasionally for a walk, there wasn't anyone to wish good morning to at the start of the day. It all felt empty and blah.  Oli fixed all that. So as this year ends, I would give 2022 an A. It started off horrible but it is concluding on a very good note. And I have Oli to thank for it.