01/14/2026
Hadley turned 9 a couple days ago. The age nine feels… old. Outside of needing a little extra recovery time after a big day and the salt and pepper slowly sneaking across her face, she doesn’t really act it. So that’s what really matters, right?
Had is our steady one. Our right hand. The dog we can always count on to be dependable, sweet, tolerant, and to absolutely keep sniffing even after we recall her. She loves being outside. Exploring, sunbathing.
She’s also been our most patient teacher. Sticking by us through all the figuring out, trial and error, and learning how to show up as better owners. Lots of mistakes in between. Because of her, we became better handlers, better dog owners, better trainers, and better humans. And eventually… that knowledge turned into helping others and building this little community we now call HTC. Quite the ripple effect for one hound dog from Mississippi 🥹
We have this quiet, unspoken language now that only comes from years of showing up together. Bringing a puppy into the mix this year has reminded me how much there is to appreciate in a dog you’ve put years of work into. It’s the best.
If I think about her getting older for too long, it makes me sad. So I won’t. I’ll just feel really lucky we get to do life with this special dog. Happy 9th, Haddie girl! 💌
