Milhouse is One!
They say the days are long but the years are short. When you’re a dachshund owner you can also swap out ‘days’ with ‘bodies’ and ‘years’ with ‘legs’ because as a dachshund owner, their ridiculously formed anatomy is a source of entertainment even for those who don’t consider themselves ‘dog people’.
Milhouse turned one this week, and I can’t quite believe my luck, really. We’re fortunate that Hackney seems to be infested with sausage dogs, and Milhouse had 6 (SIX!!!) local sausage friends show up for a walk last Sunday. Some even brought gifts, and while the whole thing was absolutely ridiculous (I mean, a dog birthday party is the focal point of an entire episode of Selling Sunset, the most ludicrous show on television*). I also felt so incredibly grateful. Deciding to move away from my family (again!) was a really difficult decision. I left London two years ago because I felt there was something missing, and since coming back it’s been really challenging to settle back in.
So the fact that this little dog had a turn out of six neighbourhood friends, along with their owners, was somewhat life-affirming. Until Milhouse started humping for the first time.
Pubescent puppy aside, having this community has been a godsend, because it also ends up being like a therapy session. Dachshunds as a breed are utterly bizarre. Getting Milhouse off of the couch and out for a walk requires a great deal of bribery, coercion and deception, and they can be incredibly wilful and stubborn. So it’s nice to be amongst those who also had to end up carrying their dog part way, or refuse to go out unless the temperature outside meets their specific requirements. We’re all in the trenches together.
A real highlight for me was being able to speak about my experience as a dog owner for Stylist Magazine, in an article about ‘millennial puppy parents’ by Christobel Hastings. I still glance back to it, time and again, because it’s a reminder to myself that I should never dismiss something because I ‘don’t have the time’. It can be possible to make the time (and most importantly, ask for help).
Local woman attempts to buy her dog’s affections.
It’s been an eventful first year, Milski, but it’s been worth it. Happy birthday, my sweet boy.
