meet our new puppy, Twig

This week has been a big one, meet our new puppy, Twig! I am so excited to share everything about him so grab a cup of tea let’s get to it.

You all know my dog Gizmo, my heart dog who was beside me for sixteen years, and who passed away at the end of February. Losing him broke my heart and I don’t think I will ever get over losing him.

Gizmo was in a lot of my YouTube videos, and I spoke a lot about how much dogs help our mental health. Pets in general, help so many of us and not just service dogs, any pets can bring so much to our lives.

I read an incredible book by Niall Harbison called Hope, it is an incredible story of survival in Thailand of a man with alcoholism. He struggled with depression as well, and he states in the book that often the only reason he got out of bed was to look after his dog. This led him to starting a recue for dogs and feeding stray dogs in the jungle in Thailand, which has inspired me so much.

For many of us with chronic mental health conditions, this is very real and relatable, and I have been in this place many times. Gizmo was all that got me out of bed, and when he passed away, I found myself at a loss and my shine seemed to dim.

I started to look for dogs because I felt lonely and a little lost without someone to nap with and to snuggle. I did a lot of research into different breeds because I knew I didn’t want a Shih Tzu again as they wouldn’t be like Gizmo.

I found Twig on a website for breeders after settling on Maltese as they are small and have similar characteristics to a Shih Tzu, but they have a snout. It didn’t take long for me to come across a group of seven puppies for sale within our budget.

We travelled about an hour to meet Twig, then known as Red, and I fell in love he was so snuggly and sweet. After thinking about it, and discussing it, we returned on Friday to pick him up and it has been the best decision!

Though Friday’s video was late going up on my channel, and I am exhausted, I am so excited for you all to meet our new puppy, Twig! He is just over ten weeks old and such a character, he loves cuddles, and playing with slippers and toilet rolls.

I am already looking up ways to train him and how to groom him properly etc, but to be honest much of looking after a puppy I find is pretty intuitive. I am loving playing with him, and just having a little one to focus on instead of just focusing on my own health.

This has been especially useful with the government’s latest rhetoric, which I spoke about in last week’s blog post. Getting Twig has allowed me to have mindful breaks, playing and trying not to worry or get angry.

Now you might be wondering why the name Twig. Well, I named him after the dog in a Netflix show, and comic series called Hilda. It has become such a comfort to me, and the dog is a little foxy boy with antlers, and he reminded me so much of Maltese dogs. I knew before I picked him that he would have that name and it really suits him, kind of witchy too!

I will be making a YouTube video about him this week, and he will be featuring a lot in my Patreon monthly vlogs where I share my chronic illness life with members. It is only £2 a month so if you are interested in more Twig, and you also get access to our Discord server, head over and join the Butterfly Family there.

I have certainly seen my mental health improve since we got Twig, and he is getting along well with Dexter and the rest of the family. I am sure there will be many times I talk about this little chaotic lovely boy, so I am really excited for you all to get to know him.

I hope you enjoyed this little blog post to meet our new puppy, Twig, let me know about your pets and how they help your mental health in the comments.

Thank you xx

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