Tail Wagging Tuesday: Special Pup Feature- Amelie

This week's special feature pup belongs to a friend I met many years ago through a scholarship program we were both involved with.  Although we were from different states, and despite the fact that we only hung out in person a handful of times when we were 10 or 12 years old, Elizabeth and I have remained friends courtesy of this amazing thing called the Internet.  She and her beautiful family agreed to share their sweet furry baby, Amelie with us this week.  Let's see what she has to say. :)
 

What kind of dog is Amelie, and how old is she?

     Amelie is a siberian husky. She is 3 years and 5 months old, and the funny thing about her birthday is that it is on the same day as mine! (i just happen to be another 23 years older than her).
 

 

 
What is Amelie's story?  How did she come to live with you?

     Amelie is orginally my dear sister-in-law's dog. When Natalie went back into the army she needed someone to look after her dog and cat for a few months until she could get into off base housing. Her parents took the cat and we took the dog. Since we live in Vermont, we thought our environment would be great for a husky. The first few months were very interesting. Amelie loved the snow and was great at listening, then one day she realized she didn't always have to obey her owners, haha. She ended up staying with us because it took Natalie over a year to get into off base housing and by that time we were definitely too attached to Amelie, who had become a part of our family. Amelie still gets to visit her Aunt Natalie every now and then too.

 

 

 How did Amelie get her name?

     My sister-in-law's favorite movie is Amélie , fitting for her fun loving husky pup. And due to the times when we needed to stress to Amelie that what she did was not so good I gave her the middle name Mae. She now knows that when she hears "Amelie Mae Beaugh" that means she might be in trouble. Also, she has just a handful of other nicknames: Bear, boo bear, sneak or sneaker, rat, and puppy.

 

What are Amelie's favorite things to do?  Any silly things she does or crazy quirks that make her unique?

     Amelie loves her stuffed animal toys. Sometimes we buy her the real ones, not the pet ones, because she loves tearing them apart. She takes off the eyes and nose and then will start to rip off an arm or leg and then proceed to de-fluff the stuffed animal. Amelie really loves to play in the snow, especially when it involves playing with her best friend Missy- who's half husky half German Shepard. Some things that amazed us about Amelie is that for a while she just never barked, we really had to coax her to bark. We once saw a YouTube video of a husky saying "i love you" and wondered if our Amelie could do the same thing. After some time training her she really would repeat to us, "I Love You". It's so cute! Also, Amelie will "sing" if we ask her to. Recently, when our baby boy was just a few days old we asked for Amelie to sing to her baby brother and after some lullaby music was played she started singing to him. It was the funniest and sweetest thing!  Another thing I found to be so strange was how Amelie adored our neighbor's cats. She doesn't get to see them much, but even from their first encounter Amelie and the cats ad a special bond. Amelie even let them lick her face and play with her a bit. Amelie has really been such a good puppy for us. She always listens when we tell her to go get in her kennel or go to her bowl (for a tasty treat) and she's always in the mood to give anyone a good ol kiss! 

What makes Amelie so special to you and your family?  Particular times she's really "been there" or special things she's done?

      My husband and I have been married for 6 years and were recently blessed with a baby boy, who is now 3 months and such a joy to our family. However, the road to having a baby was not quite easy for us. I had trouble getting pregnant and even lost a baby during my first pregnancy. Those moments were so very hard on my husband and I, but somehow we really feel that Amelie was the reason we were able to get through it a little easier. I remember one day having some tears running down my cheeks just thinking about everything that had happened and wondering why, then a moment later Amelie came running into my bedroom and starting licking my face and putting her head in my lap- I hadn't even made a sound! She just somehow knew. She knew the times when my husband needed an extra snuggle or moments when he needed to rough house with her just to get some energy out. I personally never had a pet growing up, so Amelie is the first pet I've ever known and now I can't imagine life without her. She was there for us and continues to be there for us. I now understand why they say dogs are so loyal, so forgiving, and so lovable. She also was an awesome companion during my pregnancy, always being extra cuddley and laying on my feet at night (I hate having cold feet). She was also super protective (no one better mess with me) and compassionate to me when I had my crazy preggo moments (quickly at my side when I was upset). She welcomed her baby brother so easily and didn't get annoyed at his crying or that there was someone else she had to share our attention with. She loves all of us and we love her. Now I understand and I totally agree, dogs really are man's best friend, I know Amelie is definitely one of ours! 

A big thanks to Elizabeth for sharing her sweet Amelie!  I'd love to hear from more of you guys and feature your furry (or feathered) friends.  If you're interested, please shoot me an e-mail at TailsToTell [at] Live [dot]com, and we can set up an "interview." :)