Sometimes I catch myself speaking to Piper as I do to the dogs. I know, not good. Here's how I found this out: I'm sitting on the couch watching Piper play on the floor. The dogs are, of course, nearby. As Piper reaches for the Christmas tree to pull it down on top of her I say "NO!". Piper, Lucy (the lab) and Jojo (the Shitzu) all pause mid-action and look at me.
Then Piper turns back to the tree and pulls, Lucy goes back to licking Piper and Jojo returns to licking herself. Again, I say "NO!". This time Piper smiles and comes towards me for a hug, Lucy wags her tail and sheepishly stops licking, and Jojo, well she keeps licking (we all know who's the alpha dog).
As Piper comes to me I say "Good Girl" (which she now says back to me) and she giggles. Lucy then comes up to thank me for calling her a good girl. Jojo keeps licking.
"Get down!"
"Sit down!"
"Come!"
"Don't eat THAT!"
"Let's clean your poopy bum!"
These are all things that have come out of my mouth that I may have generated initially for the dogs...
Well I guess it's only natural. The dogs were kind of our first go-round at a responsibility similar to having kids right? I remember the days when that maternal protectiveness almost got me in trouble at the dog park, on walks on urban trails in Flagstaff, or in doggie obedience training. I remember thinking how much worse it would be with an actual child.
In some ways I was right. I would DIE for my child. Absolutely. I would throw myself in front of an on-coming train without a thought if it would protect her. (Not completely sure I would've done it for the dogs - sorry girls.) But in some ways I've mellowed a bit. I think I can thank the dogs for that. They were good practice for me. I've learned to hold back the maternal fangs until thinking things through. And Piper's "attackers" are usually other little kids who just don't know better yet, or are the unfortunate product of parents who don't know better yet. I just can't bring myself to "Fang - out" on another little kid. Although I'm not promising it will never happen. It's easier to go nuts on a mangy hound attacking your dog then a poor child who doesn't know better. Now sic that mangy hound on Piper and you have a different story on your hands.
Well anyway. We still love the dogs, dearly. They are now our dingy second-fiddle step children. But they take it in stride. And the truth is, we'd do almost anything but risk our own lives to save them. After all, we now have an actual child to take care of. And she doesn't shed as much.
Then Piper turns back to the tree and pulls, Lucy goes back to licking Piper and Jojo returns to licking herself. Again, I say "NO!". This time Piper smiles and comes towards me for a hug, Lucy wags her tail and sheepishly stops licking, and Jojo, well she keeps licking (we all know who's the alpha dog).
As Piper comes to me I say "Good Girl" (which she now says back to me) and she giggles. Lucy then comes up to thank me for calling her a good girl. Jojo keeps licking.
"Get down!"
"Sit down!"
"Come!"
"Don't eat THAT!"
"Let's clean your poopy bum!"
These are all things that have come out of my mouth that I may have generated initially for the dogs...
Well I guess it's only natural. The dogs were kind of our first go-round at a responsibility similar to having kids right? I remember the days when that maternal protectiveness almost got me in trouble at the dog park, on walks on urban trails in Flagstaff, or in doggie obedience training. I remember thinking how much worse it would be with an actual child.
In some ways I was right. I would DIE for my child. Absolutely. I would throw myself in front of an on-coming train without a thought if it would protect her. (Not completely sure I would've done it for the dogs - sorry girls.) But in some ways I've mellowed a bit. I think I can thank the dogs for that. They were good practice for me. I've learned to hold back the maternal fangs until thinking things through. And Piper's "attackers" are usually other little kids who just don't know better yet, or are the unfortunate product of parents who don't know better yet. I just can't bring myself to "Fang - out" on another little kid. Although I'm not promising it will never happen. It's easier to go nuts on a mangy hound attacking your dog then a poor child who doesn't know better. Now sic that mangy hound on Piper and you have a different story on your hands.
Well anyway. We still love the dogs, dearly. They are now our dingy second-fiddle step children. But they take it in stride. And the truth is, we'd do almost anything but risk our own lives to save them. After all, we now have an actual child to take care of. And she doesn't shed as much.
1 comment:
Huh - that's funny. I think I talk to Rudy as I used to talk to you.."knock it off, your really bugging me today.." or "who did you think you would be fooling with THAT one?" or " Aww...I'm so glad that I have you to hug when I'm in a bummed out mood..."
=)
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