According to my social media feeds, this past Wednesday was National Dog Day. I am late to celebrate and have been pondering how my relationship with my very own dear pups has changed since my son was born.
Our two dogs were me and my husband's first babies. We spoiled them. We spent hours at the dog park on weekends--in fact, for a while we were regulars, and Sierra and Stella had their own circle of canine companions. We took them wherever we went that dogs were allowed...to the hardware store, out to dine on restaurant patios, the beach, the mountains and on every single run or hike. We shopped with them at the fancy dog store (and spent way too much money on dog treats that looked like cookies and special Himalayan chews).
Our cameras were filled with photos and videos of our furry friends and we sent each other texts of adorably hilarious images of our pups (imagine a pit bull in a tee shirt or a wig!). Each night you would find our pups curled up at the foot of our bed as we drifted off to sleep.
Now, the reality is that the dogs sleep downstairs on the couches. We often keep them gated in a smaller space when we are gone because they like to mark their territory on our rug (jealously?). Their leashes are no longer an everyday item. I struggle juggling a toddler who wants to ditch the stroller a mile into our walk and a dog who thinks every other dog is her worst enemy. If the dogs are going on an outing with us it is often to the vet.
I realized the full scope of the issue when my son started scolding the dogs ("No Sierra, get back or "bad dog"!) as he had so often watched us do when the pups tried to climb on my lap during a nursing session or attempted to steal snacks from his little hand.
This makes me sad, a bit guilty and it is hard to admit. I know that I can do better to include ALL members of our family. My sweet pups have given me wonderful unconditional love, sloppy kisses, warm cuddles and the best pit-faced grins I have ever seen. They are ecstatic to see us when we get home each day even if all they get is a pat on the head as we start to settle into our evening routines. We are all they've got. I have spent the past few days reconnecting with the pups and even pulled out a few pictures from our early adventures with them.
I try not to take anything or anyone for granted, and this has to include the pups. They are a blessing to our family and Jasper is lucky to grow up with loyal companions who will guard him fiercely. So it's time for me to remember that the dog days are not over, they are just different. And as our son grows up we hope for many more pup-filled adventures ahead!
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