[PeggyTheParti]

Many of you probably know a bit of Peggy's history. We saw some red flags within hours of picking her up from the breeder, and by the end of the first week, we were seriously considering returning her.

We were told she had a poor temperament. We were told she'd been under-socialized. With our own digging, we began to suspect she'd had some extremely unpleasant early interactions with young children. We were told "Once a bad dog, always a bad dog."

And the worries piled up.

Honestly, it was a terrible time. Bringing home a puppy is a challenging time, sure. But it should also be a hopeful time.

We were running extremely low on hope.

Obviously we ended up keeping her, but my anxiety ran high for months. I don't even like looking back at my old Peggy posts, because they bring back those memories in a very visceral way.

So why am I bringing this up? Because the neighbours in the house behind ours have family over today—including grandkids with their squeaky little voices and sudden shrieks—and they're playing croquet.

Whack! Clack! Cheers! Oh my!

The noise is constant and we're separated from it by only about 2 feet of trees. And what's Peggy doing?

"Wanna play?"

"Can I at least have a treat?"

"Okay, fiiiine."

I know this doesn't seem like a big deal. She's 14 months old, she should be able to relax in the backyard.

But I wasn't sure Peggy could ever be this dog. And I'm not only proud of her. I'm proud of us, too! And I'm grateful.

We've benefited so much from your collective knowledge and your generous support and insights over this past year. I'm so grateful for Poodle Forum and for all of you.

I hope you know you're all Peggy's godparents.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

Awesome😭💗! I'm really proud of you guys and Peggy😭💗. We're all Peggy's Godparents 😢😭💗

 

[Teddy’s mom]

Your hard work has paid off! 🎉🎉

 

[Rose n Poos]

I'm so glad that you connected, however that happened, with PBG. You, Peggy, and your DH are such pleasurable companions!

 

[Raindrops]

That's such a good success for her! I know how hard it's been and how much work you've put into her. She is very lucky to have you two as parents.

 

[fjm]

That is lovely to hear - and I for one am very proud to have Peggy as a godpuppy! You have all worked so hard, and persevered through some very trying times - it is good to see it all coming together so beautifully.

 

[Starvt]

What a great success story!
Every time I see a Peggy pic I want to squish her, she is just so cute. Is it just the lighting or is her muzzle starting to show blue?!?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

What a great success story!
Every time I see a Peggy pic I want to squish her, she is just so cute. Is it just the lighting or is her muzzle starting to show blue?!?

Definitely looking blue! But I don't really know what to expect from her coat. The white and black mingle a little more every day.

 

[Tierna]

That's great, what a good girl! You should be proud all your love and hard work have paid off, and Peggy looks like such a sweet girl.

 

[ShamrockPoodle]

This is great!!!

 

[Dechi]

I’m so happy to hear how Peggy is turning into such a pleasant companion. She’s lucky she had you and your hubby as parents, because many people would not have been able to deal with her and would have abandoned her.

Congratulations are in order but your biggest reward is your dog !

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I’m so happy to hear how Peggy is turning into such a pleasant companion. She’s lucky she had you and your hubby as parents, because many people would not have been able to deal with her and would have abandoned her.

Aw, thank you. I think a lot of people would have just shrugged their shoulders and called her "quirky." I'm glad she found her way to us, and I'm glad we found our way to our trainer and classmates.

Between that local support and Poodle Forum, Peggy's got a whole village behind her.