Welcome Oliver-Boots [to VanLife]

Hello Beautiful Friends,

While my website truly displays my big man Tucker Bear, we both thought it was necessary to formally introduce our newest member of the pack, Oliver-Boots [with a twisty tail].

Steve and I had always talked about getting another Dachshund, but if we did while I was still on the road I wasn’t happy that I’d miss most of the puppy years and those are oftentimes cutest moments and I wanted the new puppy to know who I was. We mentioned too, that I would experience Vanlife with Tucker and make those memories with him first and that’s kind of where the conversation ended.

On June 8th 2022, the thought came to my mind to message the same breeder we got Tucker just to see if they were having another litter anytime soon. And it just so happened on that particular day mama had a litter of long-haired baby dapples.. I sent it to Steve and that reopened the conversation but again, the conversation still lied with the fact that I would miss the puppy years and I didn’t want to miss that. We did talk about me having two dogs on the road which is possible, and I was open to it but also wasn’t sure about it.

Little did I know on that same day, Steve had already messaged the breeder and put down a deposit for a male silver dapple, who would be ready to take home in August. Fast forward to Steve coming to visit me in Halifax Nova Scotia, which turned out to be the best day of my life with a proposal, a beautiful ring and a puppy who we agreed to name Oliver or Oliver-Boots.

He fits perfectly into van life and into our family, it’s crazy to think that Tucker knows what house life and van life look like, whereas Oliver only knows what Vanlife looks like. Tucker wasn’t sure at first but overtime they have become closer and closer, still have a ways to go but each day is an improvement. Having a four-month-old puppy in this moment, during our travels has been a shift in the fact that our every day schedule was no longer around mine or Tucker‘s, it was around Oliver-Boots potty breaks and feeding times, in addition to navigating an unknown allergy which required frequent bathing and the hunt for an animal protein I didn’t cause a reaction.

All of this to say, I always wanted another Tucker in dapple form, long hair dapples are so rare these days and he is the perfect colouring with the perfect personality. He’s the greatest addition to our family, and he will fit perfectly into our family as a whole once we return back to Alberta for a few months.