What brings a tear of joy to your eye?

A double-whammy for me with this DP. Thank you WP. Patch, Patches, The Patches, Himself, His Nibs. Bless his little heart, he brings me joy and has in the past brought me to tears – proper go to the hospital and get stitched up kinda tears.

He was advertised on a charity Rescue site as a ‘small dog’. The younger version of him was more lithe, and his head is definitely Jack Russell, so from his pic I thought maybe he was crossed with one of those long-legged JR’s.

I went to meet him and was quite taken back by his size ( turns out he is a JR/Beagle cross..hence as he has aged he has become very thick set) I’d really wanted a smaller dog this time, but of course, having set eyes on him, my heart was taken. He was mine.

The charity had an animal behaviourist ( what a joke and certainly another story there!) and Patch had come through as an unwanted dog from one of his private clients.

On the day Patch arrived, the  behavourist talked a lot and said nothing. Everything I tried to say or ask something, he shut me down.

It was early evening on our first day together. All seemed well. I was in the kitchen at the sink. Patch was as far as I know just milling around. Then there was a little nudge at the back of my knee. ‘ Aww’ I thought. ‘ How cute, he loves me already’.

Wrong! I turned with a smile and warmth in my heart only to be confronted by a very angry dog. Whoa! I grabbed a nearby hand towell and pretty much fed that to him until he backed down. Great!

That was the first of many tantrums. Some more serious than others..and I can tell you something- his teeth were sharp, he didn’t let go…and it hurt.

I’m his 4th mom and he’s been with me getting on for 5 years and only now do I feel his anger and upset with the world has abated…