10/10/2026
On World Mental Health Day, we think about the dogs who help us through the harder times, and all the little ways they heal us š§”
Most of you know that when we lost Alfie (photo 2), it broke James and Iās hearts. We never imagined weād have to say goodbye to our first pup at just 8 months old.
We dealt with our grief in different ways, and it was tough. James wasnāt sure he was ready to open his heart to another dog, but I knew I needed something to help fill the hole Alfie had left behind. Not because I wanted to replace him, but because coming home to an empty house after work, without a 30kg floof waiting to welcome you home.
So, story timeā¦
When we made the decision to get Theo, we never imagined just how much he would help heal our hearts.
Our breeder was incredible from the moment we found out Alfie was poorly. She collected him from the hospital and laid him to rest at her home, alongside the other family dogs sheād sadly lost over the years. She let us plant a tree for him, and told us we could visit whenever we wanted.
A few weeks later, she called us with some unexpected news. Alfieās dad had got one of her bi***es pregnant during a silent season. She knew how much love we had to give and there was nothing we could have done to save Alfie. She wanted us to have the first opportunity to welcome one of those puppies into our family, if and when we felt ready. There was absolutely no pressure.
The crazy thing? Theo was conceived the very weekend we lost Alfie.
We spoke about it so much before deciding to visit the puppies and see how we felt and when we did visit, there was Theo.
He tucked himself between Jamesā legs and barely moved the entire time we were there. And when we put him back with his mama, he decided to poo in Jamesā hand. That was that. Heās been our soul dog ever since.
Sometimes, they donāt realise just how much theyāre helping us. Theyāre simply there, loving us unconditionally through it all and sometimes, thatās exactly what we need.
Give your dogs an extra cuddle today. You never know just how much they mean to someone. š§”
