{Hey Hey, It’s Tate’s Birthday!}
Today is my Dog, Tate’s eighth birthday! It’s hard to believe that it has been eight years or to imagine what life was like before Tate came along. Tate has taught me an endless number of things. He has shown me the meaning of unconditional Love, patience, and loyalty. Tate has brought so much joy to our entire family and is so much more to us than “just a dog”. He is our little baby, our constant companion, and a source of unwavering love and loyalty.
My husband, Fabian had German Shepherds growing up, so he knew what it was like to have a dog, although their dogs were really just the family dog versus getting the royal treatment that Tate does. Fabian has said countless times that he has never had a bond with a dog like he has with Tate. I never had a dog growing up. I was completely afraid of dogs and generally indifferent about most animals before he came into our lives. How things have changed! Because of Tate, I have become a devout animal lover. My fear in earlier parts of my life was due to not understanding dogs or other animals. Tate really changed my life by converting me into a true dog person. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced a dog’s love. It’s unlike anything else. He is our unwavering, fiercely loyal, and incredibly sweet companion.
As most of you know, Tate has gone through the wringer in the past few years with a couple of injuries that finally resulted in spinal surgery in the summer of 2015. Both of his injuries were extremely trying and sad to witness, but if we learned anything from those experiences, it was that he is a fighter. He is a tough little guy and I truly believe that he fought to get better so that he could remain by our side. He knows how much we love him and he loves us just as much.
Just last week, Tate sprained his leg and has been on crate rest quite a bit. It’s never easy seeing him that way, but thankfully, it was minor and he is doing a lot better today. For anyone who has met Tate, you know that he can be a little timid and anxious at first, but once he gets to know you and you become one of his “people”, he will love you forever. He loves the girls in my office so much that he gets super excited when they arrive at the office each morning and cries when they start packing up to leave in the afternoons. It’s really sweet, but that’s Tate.
Happy Birthday, Tate! You are the best dog anyone could hope for.
For more of Tate’s adventures and more regular updates, follow me on Instagram along with his hashtag #TatetheCockapoo. If you’re not acquainted with Tate and are curious about him, he is a Cockapoo (Cocker Spaniel/Poodle Mix). As a result, he is highly intelligent, hardly sheds, allergy friendly, and extremely affectionate and adorable. He is on the larger side for a Cockapoo and weighs about 36 pounds making him a medium sized dog. If you’re considering a doodle, they really are the most wonderful dogs!
