Ivy Wrigglebottom, the Maltipoo

Our new maltipoo, Ivy Wrigglebottom, is six months old now and eight pounds these pictures. She was only supposed to grow to eight or nine pounds, but I’m guessing she’ll be more like ten or twelve since toy poodles seem to continue growing for nearly a year. (Ivy is is 3/4 poodle and 1/4 maltese. ) Ivy is potty-trained now. Or rather, she has US trained take her out. We are trying to figure a way to have her tell us instead, which she just can’t seem to do. A reader gave me an idea, so I’ll give it a try. If you have an idea, feel free to let me know below!

Smart?

I know most people brag about how smart their dogs are, and well, Ivy . . . she just isn’t. While very loving and endearing, she is the dumbest dog I have ever met. She loves to eat paint chips, horse poop, and weeds. She loves to fetch, but she can’t get it in her head that she actually needs to bring the ball back to us if she wants us to throw it again.

But she’s only six months after all, so there is hope.

She is my youngest daughter’s dog, but she sees Lisbon more as a sibling. My husband is definitely the father figure who takes her outside most often. I am the mean one who bathes, combs, and cuts her hair.

Ivy’s Name

Lisbon chose Ivy’s first name just because she like it, but our neighbor Rosemary, an elderly lady from England, gave her Ivy her last name. Ivy absolutely adores and goes wild for Rosemary, probably because she has a dog named Millie (featured in my novella, Royal Kiss), who plays with Ivy. Whenever Ivy sees Rosemary, she wriggles like crazy, so much so that Rosemary can barely hang onto her. Ivy will also take any opportunity to slip through a certain opening in our fence and go through Rosemary’s magnetic closure in her screen door to grab one of Millie’s treats. Like the perfect hostess, Miss Millie likes to take a bunch of treats out of the box and drag them around, as if she’s waiting for visitors. It’s hilarious. Millie is a white, rather elegant bichon who is four years old, and sometimes Ivy’s enthusiasm is a little much for her, but the two get along great for the most part. 

On a side note, “wriggle” isn’t a word you hear a lot here in America, but it is one of my favorite words. Wiggle and wriggle just aren’t the same. (I feel the same about “started” and “startled,” but that’s another discussion.)

So thank you, Rosemary for the perfect name. I wonder if someday we will ever look back and laugh at the name when Ivy is an old lady and might not wriggle as much as she does now. Hope that doesn’t happen for a long time! 

Ivy with Rosemary

Pictures of trying to get Ivy to hold still for a picture with Rosemary (and Millie).

Ivy wriggling!

 

Ivy wriggling some more!

 

Oops, almost lost her!

 

Paw to the face!

 

Finally holding still.

 

Hilarious, isn’t she?

 

Hope you enjoyed this little peek into our new family addition!

Copyright 2023 Teyla Rachel Branton

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