It's the first Friday of the month, which I have decided is going to be our monthly Mikey day.
For those of you who haven't been following me on social media (or read my artist bio), Mikey is my dog. He came to me from the Blue Cross rescue centre at Tiverton. He is a black and brindle Staffordshire Bull Terrier and although he is small, he's a solid lump of muscle.
Mikey is such a happy little dog. Whenever we go out, people want to fuss him and he never fails to spread smiles. I'm a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (super cool, I know) and I was greatly amused when I found out that Mikey's full name is actually Michelangelo, just like one of the ninja turtles. The name couldn't be more appropriate! Just like his turtle counterpart, dog-Mikey is playful, fun and full of energy. He is happiest when it's playtime and apparently the best game ever is fetch. Mikey loves playing ball so much he would do nothing else all day if he could. He'd rather just play fetch in the garden than go for a walk. In fact, I think he is very much of the opinion that walking is only worthwhile if we get to play fetch at the end of the journey.
In typical staffy style, Mikey is so eager please and he really loves people. His favourite thing to do when we are out and about is to make new human friends. He always manages to do it! I'm not sure how, maybe it's his ridiculous smile? Conversely, he is much less keen on other dogs. I think a combination of not being taught how to socialise and being bullied in his old home by a tiny Chinese crested dog have left him very nervous and socially awkward.
We are a very good match. He's been helping me feel less anxious and socially awkward around people by taking me out and making me interact with people. I'm slowly trying to get him to feel more comfortable around other dogs. I'm sure we'll both get there eventually!
I think that's enough of an introduction for now. I look forward to sharing more of Mikey's exploits with you. If you want more regular Mikey updates and pictures (lets' face it, he's much more exciting than me) you can find him on Instagram as @tiny_mikey_wags.
#dogsofinstagram #staffy #stafforshirebullterrier #dog #dogblog #rescuedog #introducing #anxiety #playtime #bestfriend #tmnt