Tippy Tips

In the great amount of time I spent with Abby while my mom was in Great Britain, I discovered how clingy or needy Abby was. It was understandable, after all she was still a puppy and normally she had, up to that point, always had someone around to keep her company. I honestly don’t know if she was this clingy before, but it really came to light in my time alone with her. I guess my time away at school leaving her all by her baby girl self made her miss me more so than she otherwise would have if my mom were home. I know Father was there, but I’m not sure if he was a good companion for her. Father’s emotional development was still stunted at that point, and he often looked to Abby for guidance on how to behave in the house. Instead of Father being a stabilizing force for Abby, it was the other way around.

I still haven’t said what “Tippy Tips” is. Tippy Tips was one of many nicknames I had for Abby. What made this nickname so memorable is the fact that I can remember about the time and circumstance under which I gave her a particular nickname. During the Great Britain trip, I had a lot of time alone with Abby. She stuck to my side wherever I went while I was at home. I mean everywhere. It got the point where Abby would accompany me when I had to use the bathroom or take a shower. I wasn’t thrilled about it at first, but I got used to it. A couple of times, she even poked her head through the shower curtains while I was bathing, but once she realized what I was doing she immediately backed out not wanting anything to do with a shower.

If I was watching TV and popped into the kitchen real quick, Abby would hop up the moment I left my chair. For those thinking she was doing it for the food, I considered that at the time and did a little experiment. As I was heading towards the kitchen, I would take a detour to the den, and sure enough, Abby would be right behind me in tow. I would even walk around in circles from the living room to the dining room then breakfast room, den, foyer and back to the living room. Abby was right behind me hanging around me like a shadow. Sometimes I’d go in this circle 10 times, and Abby stayed with me the whole time.

My mom has nice hardwood floors in several rooms. When the dogs walk on them, it makes a characteristic sound as their nails hit the wood, a tip tip tip sound. I came to associate that sound with Abby’s companionship and attention. Soon I began calling her “Tippy Tips”. It wasn’t my most endearing nickname for her, but it stuck. I rarely called her that when others were around. I didn’t want people to think I was weird or anything.