This past weekend Meeko turned 1 year old!
Looking back at the time when I first brought her home, I was anxiously awaiting the rest of my grad school decisions, knowing that I would be moving homes that summer either way. I asked Meeko if she would be my “grad school puppy” envisioning her terrorizing the halls of some university, probably shredding someone’s paper.
After a rough Spring of not getting into any school, hiding two dogs from our landlord, and living with a new roommate after Ashwin moved, Meeko joined me on the adventure of a lifetime! I’ve actually just finished writing a short story loosely based on my cross country road trip. I’m sure that whole experience will inspire many more stories for me in the future.
While all the traveling and moving apartments interrupted Meeko’s training, leaving her ‘behind’ Snickers in terms of how many tricks she knows, we certainly made up for it in socialization! At 1 year old, Meeko has met more people, babies, and dogs than Snickers has in her first 10 years. The result is an outgoing Sheltie who shines at the dog park, befriending humans and dogs of all shapes and sizes. The only thing Meeko has shown fear of is Ashwin playing guitar. “You can’t stare at her when you’re soloing! You’re scaring her!” But with lots of treats and reassurance, Meeko is improving.
As I use up the last of the puppy food, I wonder what lies ahead for Meeko’s second year. Maybe I should hope for a less hectic year for her, but if I get into a graduate program, we’ll be moving and adapting to a new city(town? village?) and a new climate all over again. Whatever the case, I’m sure Meeko will be up for another adventure!
She is full grown at 16″ tall and weighing about 17 pounds. Her full adult coat will come in throughout her second year.
Happy Birthday crazy dog!