"Thud. Thud. Thud." A constant banging noise awakened me, so I went out of my bedroom to investigate. "To my surprise, there was Cuddles grasping one of her new puppeis by the nape ot its neck, traveling up the stairs to be with me. Torn between laughter and concern, I brought Cuddles and all of her puppies up to my room to spend the night on my bed, Cuddles' usual spot. Let me tell you how this important dog first entered my life.
Cuddles came to me as a tiny fluffball with a red ribbon around her neck. She had been a Christmas gift from my parents when I was about 13 years old. She was so cute and cuddly, I knew here name had to be "Christmas Cuddles".
This adorable Shih-Tzu dog soon became my constant companion and faithful friend. We played tug of war with an old pair of socks. We went for walks down the street and- rides in the car. I shared my snacks with her as I watched tv. We were so inseparable, she even slept on my bed at night.
Her happy-go-lucky, playful nature was challenged for a short time when she was bred for puppies. It was quickly apparent that motherhood was not her calling. After a difficult delivery (one of her eyes actually popped out a little), Cuddles dutifully tended her puppies to the extent necessary, but yearned to return to life with just the two of us. Going to the trouble to carry her puppies up the stairs is a good illustration of this point.
Needless to say, Cuddles was not put through the rigors of pregnancy and birth again and she enjoyed many years of carefree living. She was a joy and comfort to me throughout my tumultuous teenage years and I will always remember her fondly.
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