Growing up and in love

Bailey is my brother’s true love. Like, love love. That dog has him wrapped around her little paw. Actually, my entire family is gaga is about her. She likes to go in the living room of my mother’s house and look outside- a room Natalie has only been in twice due to special occasion. A dog?? In my mom’s living room? Hell, I haven’t been my my mom’s living room more than 10 times.

And Bailey loves the family right back. Craig, my mom’s boyfriend, makes fresh orange juice every morning. And Bailey adores playing with the oranges. She sits. Waits. And then the oranges come out and she runs all over the room trying to catch them. And she loves nothing more than to snuggle with my brother as he just wakes up. My brother has a very distinct voice, just like my father did. And Bailey listens for it and always keeps one ear open, even if I’m playing with her, just to make sure DJ doesn’t have a new game for them to do or a new place to explore.

I’m so proud of my little brother. Having worked in animal hospitals or shelters for most of my life, I know it was a big big step for him. A huge responsibility. But he knew that from all my rants throughout the years and even made a spreadsheet of how much it would cost in dog food every year. He wanted to be prepared and maybe impress me a little. He wanted to be the right kind of dog owner. The kind that right off the bat sends his dog to intense dog training camp. And then keeps up with it. Really. That talks with all his friends and researches the right vet- one that does both emergency and everyday for convenience. That hired a dog walker for his long days at the office. That built Bailey up for hiking and running, not just throwing her into it with no training. Just like a person, a dog has to build up to running 5 miles. He read books, asked questions…..and you wonder why my mom is calling Bailey her Granddog.

She is literally an intense strawberry blonde color. When I took her for a walk, people kept stopping and asking questions. And if they didn’t, they always did a double take. Her gorgeous coat is just that bright a color. She’s soft and sweet. And the perfect addition to the Fitzpatrick family. So ya, I’m smitten. And so proud of my brother.