I've been thinking...(my friends wouldn't believe that ;)), how much Harry has changed things for me and my family. I had to do a lot of persuading to get my hubby to agree to another dog especially one that was going to live indoors! (Toby our black lab lives outdoors).

We got Harry when he was only 6 weeks old and he turned our lives upside down to the point that after a week or so we were wondering what we'd done and God forbid, even considering rehoming him! We stuck with it though and thanks to the great advice on this site decided that we were in charge not Harry and stopped molly coddling him so much and running to his every whimper, then things turned a corner.

He came to us full of worms and flea's although he'd supposedly been treated and we now know that he was too young to leave his mum. As time has gone on he has made the whole family fall in love with him even my 13 year old son who was very anti indoors dogs (smell, mess, hairs etc). The living room has more Harry toys than kids toys, he gets on the sofa and looks out the window like a cat, anyone who is sitting on the sofa has to realise that their lap is the property of Harry unless he decides to get off!

One thing my hubby said was that there was no way that a dog was going to sleep on the bed let alone in it, but Harry does both, usually on his back with his spotty tummy and everything else on display (he's not shy). Hubby thought my farts under the quilt were bad....!

We put a flap in the back door so he could come and go into the garden as he pleases, he has given Toby a new lease of life who now tears about the garden like a lunatic with this little black and white thing in hot pursuit. They are partners in crime....Harry pinches socks as i try and load the washer and legs it through the flap where him and Toby then play tug of war. Many things go through the flap, shoes, clothes, toys...and many things come back through it, often stuff you dont want in the house. Anything too big gets left at the flap or half way through it!

After suffering depression for a long time and being very lonely when the kids are at school Harry has given me a reason to stay out of bed, get regular exercise and also meet new people at puppy class, he's always ready for a cuddle and a long romp over the farm with Toby. Last week he caught himself a pigeon wing....we were so proud! :) (something had obviously eaten the pigeon first). Anyway, enough rambling, I love Harry to bits as do the rest of the family even though sometimes he's a pain in the bum! Heidi

Read the forum thread 'For the love of Harry'