I am a mom and I have run a doggie day care business; how hard could it be to raise 2 puppies with my 2 toddlers?
If I could have stepped outside of myself and seen the situation from a different perspective, I would have taken a step back, laughed at the idea and firmly slapped some sense into myself.
Unfortunately I had the brilliant idea that 2 puppies would grow up together, have a friend to play with, and take some of the pressure for constant exercise off of me.
WRONG!
Let me explain how the situation began. In June 2007 my beloved Chow Tasha passed away at 16 1/2. She was wonderful, well trained and sorely missed by Sidney, the kids, and most of all me.
AJ cried and wanted her back. For months he would ask when she would be getting better and come back to us. It broke my heart to hear him, I kept pushing for a new puppy and finally in February Joe gave in and said that we could get another dog.
I started to look for a Miniature Australian Shepard but did not find one in a shelter near my home. I knew Lorraine at the Misha May Foundation and called her to inquire about a new dog. She invited us to come at look at the litter of puppies that would be available soon. We took the kids and went to find our new dog. When we got there we were met at the door by a 5 month old Border Collie/Lab mix named Duke. AJ never got past him and fell in love, he wanted Duke.
Joe and I talked about it and a 5 month old potty trained dog seemed like a good idea, so we applied to rescue him and got him a week later. He was wonderful, crate trained, potty trained and respectful of the kids. Wow, what a great find but in my heart I still wanted a Mini Aussie.
AJ had his dog but I did not have mine. With the excuse that Duke needed a friend, I selfishly continued to look for a Mini Aussie. Joe just threw up his hands and said "if you can find one for $250 that is a blue merle with blue eyes, exactly what you are looking for, you can buy it, if not we are not buying another dog."
No problem, I could live within that framework and accept the terms of his agreement. Joe was not too worried about it since the Mini Aussies that we had found were all between $500 and $1500, his $250 limit made my quest a challenge.
It took a little time, but I found him in April. Joe just laughed and we got our second puppy. He’s convinced that I always get what I want if I want it bad enough and I agree with him. Sometimes it takes a little time and effort, but usually I get exactly what I set my mind out to get.
As I look back on that moment, I wonder what I was thinking to want a second puppy so badly; he is adorable but quite a handful. Both dogs are herding dogs and, not having a herding dog before, I only had a base understanding of them, their requirements and energy level. I am not sure that a base understanding of anything permanent is ever enough.
Both dogs love it outside and spend most of their time in the yard. Sounds great except for the fact that they love to chew on trees, dig in the grass and chew up stray toys that get left in the yard. In their minds, if it is in the yard it is theirs, no exception.
I have taken them to training and spoken with various trainers about the isues. They are good dogs, they are totally potty trained they know how to sit and stay but when left alone they are doggie destructive. The answer is never leave them unsupervised and control the situation.
Ha! I have a 19 month old to chase around and make sure that he doesn’t eat small objects and a 4 year old who wants my undivided attention. Now I have 2 puppies who need constant supervision whenever they go outside?
How am I possibly going to accomplish that?
Basically, I am not; I am going to choose my battles and care for my 4 toddlers, 2 furry and 2 human. All that I can do is laugh at me, apologize to Joe, and try to create a toy free environment in the yard.
AJ and Boo have learned basic training commands and play fetch with the dogs in the yard. Joe pitches to AJ, he hits the ball and the dogs retrieve it. It is a lot of fun as long as we are all together. I have been able to stop the tree chewing but the digging still eludes me. They are so fast and they dig in inconspicuous places, it is hard to catch them and so far impossible to stop them.
I guess that digging is a small price to pay for otherwise great dogs. AJ and Boo love Duke and Blue and vice versa, I would not trade that for anything. Blue has satisfied my need for a smaller dog and I will not be thinking about another puppy anytime soon. When I do I will remind myself that I am crazy and take a look at the holes in the yard.
Having kids and puppies is far more time consuming and encompassing than I thought that it would be. I now have four little mouths to feed, hair to brush and manner to teach; it keeps me busy and more than satisfies my random thoughts of having another baby, for now.
Off to make another Mommy Milestone.
