Meet Bill, the Alx&Co. Shop Dog!
If you have visited our shop over the last couple of months, you may have been greeted by a small (but ever-growing) furry gentleman during your appointment. This gentle soul came to us with no background in jewelry design whatsoever, but his client relations skills are unparalleled. Meet: Bill!
Tim and I added Bill to our family back in October, and honestly, we weren't completely sure what we would be getting into. Our dog, Bu, was definitely getting up there in age (14 going on 15), and we knew the reality of what that would bring over the next few months. Still, we felt like we were just getting into the sweet spot of our family where our dependants, Bu and Nolan, didn't require waking up early and tons of constant oversight. A puppy would definitely change the vibe and throw our routine off balance, plus the time investment required to search for a new puppy felt daunting.
Enter... luck! A friend of ours in the country mentioned that she had recently bought an English Lab puppy from a local breeder and that this breeder had two unclaimed males from her litter. These males had remained unpicked because they were born "dudleys," meaning they lack the signature black nose and eye outline that English Labradors are supposed to have by AKC standards. We did not care about showing our puppy in any kind of dog show, so we agreed to meet the dogs and decide from there. Well, of course - we completely fell in love and ended up taking home Bill (as we named him) the very next day!
From day one, Bill has been a superstar. Because he was "leftover," he was 13 weeks old when we brought him home, and his maturity showed plainly from the start. He never whined, he was basically already housebroken (with a few minor mishaps) and he never, never nipped! We definitely benefited from Bill staying with his mama and pack a few weeks longer than average, and we are so grateful for this because it made our transition to "puppy time" so much easier. Bill is now close to 9 months old, and he spends every day at the studio with us, much to the delight of our clients, who constantly comment upon how calm he is. Our old dog Bu had always been too skittish of our floors to bring him to the studio, so we feel over the moon that we can finally have a dog with us every day.
Bill is already over 70 pounds and will certainly be a big boy by the time he stops growing. He absolutely loves going to the cabin on the weekends, and our son, Nolan, is completely devoted to him. Unfortunately, we did have to say goodbye to Bu just a few weeks ago, but we feel so grateful that he was able to pass on his gentle demeanor (and excellent swimming skills) to Bill during the months they overlapped. Bu was a special dog to us, and we feel like he lives on just a bit in Bill's personality.
So, next time you make an appointment with us, don't be surprised to see Bill wander in. Of course, if you aren't comfortable with dogs, we are more than happy to tuck him away for you! Just let us know.
