Today is Tate’s birthday. (Or so we’re told.)

I don't think it’s an exact birthday but this is when we celebrate it. (We also celebrate her Gotcha Day in late June.)

Sometimes it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that this little puppy was born in Tennessee and brought to a shelter in Massachusetts and then lived with a foster family before she came to us.

Any time she gets a little short with someone (she’s never attacked anyone, to be clear, but she’s gotten growly around people who aren’t the five people she lives with), I think about that history and I excuse her behavior.

She’s a little anxious sometimes, and I think that’s totally appropriate.

She’s really the sweetest dog….at least to the 5 of us.

And when she’s comfortable around other people she’s sweet to them too.

She was super-super friendly very early on and then the pandemic hit and that lack of socialization really affected her. We had to have her watched for the day at PetSmart once and I don’t think they were great and I think that affected her behavior too. And she had a couple of bad interactions instigated by other dogs that changed the way she acted around other dogs.

But she’s gentle around older folks. She’s sweet with the girls’ friends.

If a man comes to visit for whatever reason - I’ve had cousins and friends visit - she gets a little apprehensive…but she trusts me when I tell her they’re OK.

(The exception to this male anxiety is my brother - for some reason she loves him even more than me.)

We called her Tate because she was the color of a tater tot and we thought it was a cute name. We should have called her Couch Cushion because she is the same color as our upstairs couch and blends right into it.

Today Tate turns 6.

My day revolves around her but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We all do our best to love her and make her feel special every day.

But today is a day everyone can share in that love.

Happy Birthday Tate.