Puppy Love!!

Since today is a busy day with patients and there’s not much time to write, I thought I’d just introduce you to another one of our family. This is Harry Winston! He’s a four-year old cavalier king charles spaniel, and he is my “other” baby. It’s Puppy Love for sure.

I brought Harry home from a trip to Australia four years ago now. There is no quarantine coming into the US, and so he caught the same flight as me. When I went to pick him up at LA customs, there were those moments of nervousness hoping he was ok. The lady in charge went to check his crate and said that he wasn’t in there. After a moment of panic we located him – in the office playing with the other female staff members, having treats and cuddles while he waited for me. This has been his MO every since.

Three years ago when I was splitting my time between San Diego and New York, Harry would fly back and forth with me, sitting quietly at my feet. He was well known in Central Park – and I’d often be walking him and hear whispers of “there’s Harry Winston, there’s that puppy I was telling you about”. He trotted along like a movie star on parade, loving the attention. In New York he found his first and true love, another King Charles Spaniel named Ladybug. They were inseparable for the time we spent there.

Nowadays Harry comes to the office with me every day. We call him the office greeter but he doesn’t take his job very seriously. He would rather either sleep in his bed in my office, or follow Carmen around. Carmen is our medical assistant and Harry has a total crush on her. He is so good around all the kids who come in though – he really calms them down and is very tolerant even with the high energy ones!

I won’t say Harry wasn’t impacted somewhat by the arrival of the baby, but over the first few months he got used to her, and now they’re good buddies. She cuddles him and kisses him all the time, and he just sits there and takes it, ever the sweet and tolerant boy. In return, he gets to clean up all her toddler food messes, so it works out ok for him in the end. They have an understanding.

We have another dog, a Weimeraner named Klaus, who I’ll introduce another day. Klaus is 9 years old, and showing no signs of slowing down – he’s still very puppy-like (and more than a little neurotic too, which makes for an interesting combination!). Harry is so mellow, he’s happy just sleeping on the couch or in my office – they’re polar opposites, but they get along great and love each other.

Harry is a great companion and everyone loves having him around the office. When I’m traveling and he’s not there, the girls tell me that they still hear the clickety-clack of his little paws on the floor. He’s a part of my office family as well as my home family! I love being able to take him with me, and it gives us something to do together that doesn’t involve the baby!!!

There’s good reason why dogs are called man’s best friend!!