Puppies Are Toddlers in Disguise!
Those of you that know me know that I have five dogs. I love my pups very much, but I have to admit that I would do this differently if I could.
First of all, I think that three dogs would have probably been enough for our household. We have other animals – three cats, two miniature donkeys, and a pig at home. We also have two horses that live elsewhere. You could say we are “animal poor?” That’s ok because they are worth it but back the dog thing.
We had Eli, our big black Lab mix, for some time before thinking about another dog. One summer, when our granddaughter Madi was visiting, the two of us went to volunteer at a pet rescue. Guess what we came home with? Yep, Sammy. He was supposed to be a Lab mix, but it turns out he’s a true mutt, and he’s incredible.
Sammy should have completed our household as far as dogs go.
However, this beautiful white dog showed up and a friend’s house, and after no
one claimed her, I did. Her name is Anna, she is gorgeous and quite the
handful! So now we are one dog over our quota for this time of our lives.
A few months later, someone from down the hill came to our house with an infant in one arm and a tiny puppy in the other. He said this puppy appeared from out of the woods, and he couldn’t keep her because he had two dogs and a baby. I said I would take her to the Humane Society the next day. I brought her in, cleaned her up, gave her some food, and put her in one of our guest rooms. The following day, I told my husband, Steve, to tell her goodbye. He held her, and she laid her head on his shoulder. I saw the look on his face and felt the ache in my heart, and when the Humane Society said they were only taking in dogs from kill shelters at that time, I knew she was staying here.
Having tiny Faith got me thinking that I might actually
like a small dog. She wasn’t staying small; she would be a big girl. But that
head on my shoulder was the best feeling ever. So, a few months later, I
decided that I had to have a Malshi (Maltese/Shih Tzu mix). I never met one in
person, but I read a lot about them and knew I “needed” one. So, along comes
Darcie.
We now have Eli, who was about nine years old at the
time, and four puppies, all about six months apart in age from each other. This
means four dogs under the age of two! I’m telling you, this was insanity to the
max. Trying to obtain any soundness in the house on a daily basis was
impossible. I was exhausted! Puppies are like toddlers, and a home with four
toddlers is one that is full of calamity.
Suddenly, our house was full of baby gates, four to be exact. We have three crates to juggle them when they eat or when taking them out; to contain those that aren’t going out, so they don’t bolt out the door. We have six dog beds and at least one dog and one cat sleeping in bed with us.
We now make a total of between eighteen and twenty potty trips outside each day! Steve takes them out one at a time, and I do two. (When they were younger, we had double that number) We can’t let them loose because hundreds of acres of woods surround us, and they all like to run. Oh, they’ll come home, but you don’t want to know what they are covered in! Plus, it’s too dangerous with the wildlife out there. We have a fenced area, but two are escape artists.
And just like with toddlers, the house is only quiet when they are napping.
I think my reason for this blog post is to remind myself,
and you, that while puppies are adorable and so much fun, it’s probably a good
idea to only have one or two at a time. I have learned that “puppies are
toddlers in disguise!”