Six and a half years ago, before my husband and I were married (and before we'd even considered children of course) I desperately wanted a dog. I had grown up with a dog, and I had loved her so much. After lots and lots of nagging, whinging, whining and complaining... my loving partner agreed we could go and see some puppies. "We are just looking though" he said. "Yes of course" I innocently responded.
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My boy the weekend we bought him home
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As we arrived at the breeder’s lovely country home we crept in to see 5 adorable little pug puppies hidden shyly in the corner…with the exception of one little lad away from the pack that caught my eye, he had so much energy and character! As we came to meet the mother this energetic little pup bolted into the room and ran at me full throttle! As I bent down to say hello he managed to climb straight into my arms. It was at that very moment I fell in love, the same moment my husband knew, we were no longer 'just looking'!
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Graduated from puppy class (just!)
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Perhaps I should have considered that the pup 10 times as lively as the rest of the litter might be a handful. We took him to puppy class and he was by far the worst-behaved dog amongst his classmates, and despite his size would happily rough house with all the much bigger gun dogs. Despite our best efforts at training, the naughty pug remained…well…VERY naughty! But we didn't mind, he had so much character, love and affection…we adored him in spite of his naughtiness, perhaps even because of it! He was my baby, I loved him more than I thought possible to love an animal.
Once I became pregnant people said to me - "He'll have his nose put out of joint once the baby arrives" and "Once you have a baby your dog wont be as important to you". I loathed these comments. I loved him so much, why would that change? But as much as I hate to admit it, their comments weren't exactly 'right', but perhaps they weren't 'wrong' either. It's not that I love my dog less now that I am a mother, but I love my daughter more. I love her more than anything else in the world, more than I could ever imagine it was possible to love. Therefore, naturally, doggy gets downgraded slightly. Is that unfair to say?
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A day out whilst waiting for little one to arrive
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So yes, my dog is no longer my baby…since, you know, my baby is! He absolutely HAS had his nose put out of joint slightly; no longer sleeping in our bed (in fact he's not really allowed upstairs anymore) and no longer my top priority. But there are benefits to the changes for our little doggy that came with having a baby. I am home so much more with him now, whereas pre-baby he was left for a longer periods of time. He gets walked far more often these days…and they're longer too, mostly as when I need Little Bear to sleep we just walk and walk until she falls asleep.
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Pups best friend before Little Bear came along, our dear cat whom we lost 2 years ago
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Possibly the greatest benefit for my dog, however, is that he has gained a new best friend: my daughter. Little Bear adores him, perhaps even more than she loves my husband or I! They play together, nap together, and generally cause mischief together. The love between them is mutual too. I’d go so far as to say that he has been her protector since before she was born! When I was pregnant he wouldn't let anyone near my tummy, not even my husband. He is so gentle with her, he doesn't mind when she sits on him, pulls his fur/ears/tail/collar/feet/face, pokes his eyes, steals his toys or try's to eat his food (I have managed to apprehend each attempt so far but there have been a couple of close calls). We couldn’t be any prouder of how this naughty, high-maintenance little pooch has risen to the role of being ‘big doggy brother’ to Little Bear.
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Pups first meeting with Little Bear, 2 days old
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However, looking after a naughty dog and extremely active 1 year old all day every day can be tough. My dog is loud, he scratches at doors, jumps up, climbs furniture etc etc! Sometimes it even feels like they are working together. I'll be stopping the dog doing something naughty and whilst my back is turned the baby is dipping my belongings in his water bowl. Just today I walked in to the kitchen to find my top that had been hung up to dry lying half-in/half-out of the dogs water. Some days I find myself at the end of my tether! I'll be cooking dinner while the dog is going berserk, the baby is screaming, and then the smoke alarm goes off whilst the rice is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Or the dog has had an accident in the house, meaning I have to restrain the baby in the high chair while I clean up the mess and she starts screaming at the top of her lungs, while the dog barks like a maniac.
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First cuddles together 4 days old
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Some days I think how much easier my life would be without a dog and how much cleaner my house would be; rid of the dog hair that covers every inch of my home. Not having to vacuum twice a day and constantly clean the upholstery to avoid dog smell. Not have him barking constantly through meal times. Or to deal with dog poop! Some days I feel so enraged I tell my husband we are getting rid of the dog. But I could never really follow through, he is part of our family and every time I feel annoyed or frustrated at him, I remind myself how good he is with my daughter and how much she loves him. Growing up with a pet is great for children in my opinion. It teaches them about love, loss and responsibility. It teaches them to respect animals and to be nurturing. Having a dog makes our house a home, despite his quirks, we love him, he is so loyal, so loving and so gentle.
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Cuddles with both my babies
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5 occasions when having a dog and a baby was a bit of a disaster!!
1. When my baby had a blooming great leaking poop whilst in her bouncer spilling to the floor and the dog started to lick it up
2. When my husband planned the perfect first mothers day at the beach and the dog ruined it by frantically barking through the whole entire trip (we all basically ended up in tears)
3. When I got distracted during a poo change and the dog dismantled the pooey nappy on the bathroom floor – leaving chunks of chewed up nappy (and worse) everywhere!
4. When we were ready to leave the house and running late and the split second I turned around the baby had dunked her entire arm in the dogs water
5. When baby discovered the dogs penis.
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