Apparently, they say working with animals and children is very difficult. None of them listen or do what you want them to.... but what if you let the children and animals loose on each other, and work together. BLISS.
So we got a puppy a few weeks ago. He is a 13 week old Cockerpoo and we brought him home after letting the girls meet him where he was with his mummy and siblings.
We were pretty nervous, because our initial thoughts were of the puppy biting and scratching the girls, the girls treading on him and hurting him and him eating all their toys. However, things could not be going easier.
To start with, as we were potty training Lucy anyway, it was easy to manage toilet training of the dogs, and without too many errors of putting Lucy in the garden and Ben on the potty, we've mastered both of them going in the right place. Titbits all round. Lots and lots of toilet praise in our house at the moment.
Toys. There cannot be a better excuse than to say to Molly, our 6 year old. If you leave toys on the floor, I won't be able to stop the dog from eating them. Then they will have to go in the bin. Double result. Molly has kept the floor free of toys, and nearly always manages to put them back in the playroom, and on the odd occasion where she has missed a few (mostly annoying plastic McDonalds toys), I have had the luxury of putting them guilt free into the recycling bin.
Biting, scratching and pulling tails/legs. This was admittedly my biggest genuine worry, as you can't really blame puppies or children for stumbling, teething and not looking where they are going. But as they are all as bad as each other, the girls are forever apologising to Ben for nearly treading on him, and he gets lots of cuddles out of them in their own guilt-ridden way. Might I add, that not once has Ben actually been hurt by them. On the flipside, he is a teething puppy and when he gets itchy teeth he will have a go at my or James' hands, but I'm pleased to say not once has he actually tried to eat a child. Scratching happens all the time though, but then children fall over, get bruised, tread on MY feet and pinch my fat bits in their playing anyway, so a little revenge by a tiny puppy makes it all better.
Playing. One of the best bits about having a puppy, especially one who isn't allowed out yet, so has quite a bit of energy to burn off, is having a two year old with an equal amount of energy. I can sit back and watch Lucy chase Ben around the garden, whilst Molly is in fits of giggles. The game only takes about 5-10 minutes before the smaller two are exhausted and come in for a rest. My Mummy role of getting the children/dog active is complete.
Love. Finally, watching the girls build their love and adoration for this gorgeous little puppy is fantastic. I especially love watching them when they don't know, and Molly will get down on the floor and have a little cuddle with Ben, declaring her love for him. He knows he has the best family, who love him more than anything and we can see that he loves us back.
Best decision we have made in a long time.
A very blurry picture, but thats the only problem with children and animals, trying to get them all to sit still for just two seconds!
And massive apologies, there is no cake this week. That is because I'm building up to two weeks of mammoth cake baking, so will post some pictures of that soon.
x
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