Four Years With Rosie

On Sunday, we celebrated four years with Rosie, our Tibetan terrier.

Four years!!

I can't believe it's been four years (and four days) since I went out to the breeder's in rural Cheltenham, and brought our tiny ten week old puppy home for the first time. It only feels like a year or two at most. The time has flown... yet, at the same time, it also feels like Rosie has been a part of the family forever. Isn't it funny how pets can reshape and redefine your life in such a short space of time?

Having Rosie in my life is so normal now, I can barely remember what life was like without her in it. Was there really a time when I didn't have a shadow whenever I ate, someone hogging three quarters of my bed during the day, or a paw jabbing me in the stomach / chest / arm pit while I sat on the sofa watching TV? Did a time actually exist when I didn't have someone to bark at every cat, squirrel, and tall head daring to move along the perimeter of the garden fence and alert me to harmless passersbys? Nope, doesn't sound right. I honestly have no idea how we ever got by without her. The house must have been so lonely without the sound of her nails clicking on the kitchen floor, her collar jingling from a good scratch, and the sound of her snoring softly on the sofa.

I would miss all those things if she wasn't here. 

My dog is the best. 

I was going to write about what Rosie means to me, how she's helped me cope with my chronic illnesses, and how much she makes me smile, but I'm not sure what I can say that I haven't already covered in previous 'Gotcha Day' posts. I thought I'd spare you a repeat of the same recycled stories and sentiments, and instead share some facts about Rosie aged four, along with some of my favourite photos of her from the last twelve months. I know I'll enjoy looking back at the photos and observations later on. If you do want to hear my sentimental stories about her, though, check out my Two Years With Rosie post.

Rosie Aged Four

♥ Hates cats and squirrels with the fire of a thousand suns.

♥ Her favourite toys are tennis balls, especially if they squeak and / or are falling apart.

♥ Equally happy with a sock, hankerchief, or a shoe, should the opportunity arise to steal one. (Even though she knows she isn't allowed to steal one).

♥ Loves soft toys, but only until she rips the squeaker out. Then they're dead to her.

♥ Would sell her soul for a belly rub. Back rubs welcome, too. The only condition for belly rubs is she must always keep a paw on you at all times.

♥ Hates having her face stroked. Will actually grab your hand with both paws and push it away, usually towards her belly.

♥ Loves cuddling up to people on the sofa. I love it when she gets all cuddly, rests her head on my knee, rolls on to her back, and just gazes up at me.

♥ Still likes to lie, sit, and sleep on top of the sofa like a cat.

♥ Also sits on the sofa like a person, with a leg draped over the arm rest.

♥ Hates being picked up almost as much as she hates cats.

♥ Wants to make friends with everybody. She always cries when she can't meet every person who comes to the door.

♥ Likes to smother you with kisses on the face (whether you like it or not) and groom your hands and arms.

♥ Her favourite pastime, besides sleeping, is playing fetch. As soon as my Mum gets home from work, she will always bring her a tennis ball and demand a game- whether my Mum wants to play or not.  It's so cute.

♥ When she stays at the kennels, she is sometimes put in with anxious dogs to make them feel less scared, and always helps bring them out of their shells. (Which amazes me as while she is chilled and content, she can be quite nervous, too- especially in new situations).

♥ The kennels also tried her in some amateur agility during an agility event, and she was the fastest of the group. Unsurprising, as she can run like the wind.

♥ Scared of fireworks, loud gusts of wind, the hoover, my bedroom curtains, and my TV ariel.

♥ Hates my phone and will usually turn away when you try to take a photo of her, unless you hold up a toy or treat behind the lens.

♥ When she is let out in to the garden, she always takes a toy or treat with her for the road.

♥ If you present multiple bags of treats to her and ask her to choose 'which one?', she will sniff them all in turn and pick one by hitting it with her paw.

♥ Her favourite treats are The Dog Deli Duck / Chicken Sausage Slices. She goes crazy for them. Will also bite your fingers off for Nature's Menu Real Meaty Treats.

♥ Loves gnawing on a good Nylabone, but can actually chew through some of them.

♥ Oddly, she loves sweetcorn. Last time we had a barbecue, she was more interested in the corn on the cob than the burgers on our plates.

♥ It turns out, she doesn't like foxes. We had a fox appear in the garden twice lately, and both times she went absolutely ballistic. (She was safely inside). I've never heard her bark so furiously before.

♥ Sleeps in the weirdest positions, often with her front legs rigid in the air.

♥ She loves being outside in the garden and would stay out there all day if we let her.

♥ Always manages to hunt down the biggest stick she can find to drag down the garden and gnaw on while lying on the garden bench.

♥ Sighs loudly, like a person, if you annoy her. 

♥ My Dad overheard a little girl call Rosie 'the pirate doggy' (because of the black patch of fur over her eye), which was the cutest thing. Rosie will forever more be known as The Pirate Doggy, and 'Long John Rosie.'

And that is four year old Rosie in a nut shell.

She's a weird little goofball, but an adorable one, too, and I wouldn't change her for the world. (Okay, maybe I'd be happy with a little less barking). She's brought so much to my life over the last four years, and even when she's being a pain in the butt, she still manages to brighten up even the worst days. I'm so glad to have her in my life. Shes's the best.

Excuse my extremely swollen arthritic hand in this shot.

If you'd like to see photos of Rosie as an adorable teeny tiny puppy on the day we brought her home, I posted some puppy photos on my Instagram on Sunday. You can also find more Rosie puppy posts linked below with plenty of puppy photo spam.

Do you have any pets? Tell me about them in the comments!

Rosie Posts You Might Also Like

Two Years With Rosie

One Year With Rosie

Snow Day 2019

Rosie's First Snow Day

Puppy Spam: Rosie 4-6 Months Old

Puppy Spam: Rosie 12-16 Weeks Old

Puppy Spam: Rosie 10-12 Weeks Old

We're Getting a Puppy!