Feb 12th, 2007
My Fourth Child is Hairy
I don’t know how many of you try to mix children with pets. It’s a difficult and tedious balance. We have a dog, her name is Doheny, Dodo for short, and we love her…at least that’s what I say when my husband’s around.
Don’t get me wrong, I really do love her, and I cried many tears during our moving process, when I had to ship her off on a plane, many months ahead of us, to live with my sister. But honestly, she bugs!
I guess it’s the way she constantly follows me from room to room, begging for affection, or the way the she pushes a book out of my hands, or tries to nuzzle onto my lap when I’m typing. She’s an 85 pound dog! She thinks she’s a lap dog. And when I’m doing the dishes, she’s there hovering, trying to lick any extra morsel off the plate. I ask her if she has any dignity at all.
Which, in many ways, she doesn’t. When she goes out to poo we’re always there, watching. The kids, well, they do torture her, and she puts up with it with sighs and blinks. Buster is the worst offender, Missy is quickly catching on to the games, and Bubba…well Bubba treats everyone the same. He squishes all of our noses and pokes us all in the eyes. He doesn’t discriminate. And the beautiful thing about Doheny is when I’m tired of the constant begging and whining from ALL 4 OF THEM… I can put her in her kennel in the laundry room. It’s a beautiful thing.
And as much as she behaves like one of my children, sometimes I wish I could just kennel up them for a few hours. 
Good Enough
Wait, are you saying you can’t put them all in the kennel? My husband and I agree that we will never have pets. Especially hairy ones. I grew up with lizards, snakes and frogs, but if you don’t clean the cages, they smell too. And my 3 bipeds are the only pets I can handle.
P.S., I just clicked on the link to your name on my blog and it went to goodenough.wordpress.com, which is an awesome banana smoothie recipe in some asian language I cannot identify. Hee, hee.
Did you design your page? I can’t figure out how to design a new one, I just picked from the available option.
I have 2 hairy children, and that’s fine with me! I just love having them around and receiving/giving unconditional love!
Life would not be as fulfilling without our Dodo! I grew up with big dogs and have many fond memories, so I want that for my kids. She’s an American Bulldog, she looks like spanky from “Our Gang” and when I get my act together I’ll post a picture of the cutey.
Yes, I’d love to see a picture!!
I’m totally technologically challenged too. I just figured out (read; my genius engineer husband showed me) how to post the pictures. Still working on the centering.
I’m so jealous that you live near DYM. She and I worked at the BYU library, our husbands were best friends since 4th grade, and I claim all responsibility for her having met him. Just kidding.
I can totally relate!!! I too have a dog and even though I made my kids sign and date a contract saying they’ll walk her, feed her, etc. I can’t just walk by her bowl at 10am when the kids are at school and say, Oh well, you have no food or water wait til the kids get home in 5 hours! I think dogs are for people who need to feel needed and loved and frankly with 4 kids of my own and an affectionate husband I AM NOT IN NEED OF AFFECTION. But the dog still loves me best inspite of my gruntings and complaining about her following me around —maybe that’s why they are called “Man’s Best Friend” I have enough friends.
Red, why were you up so early in the morning?
Crazy girl!
Oh yes. We use Tom’s crib for time out, and more than once I’ve told him - “If you don’t stop, you’re going to have to kennel up.”
The dog kennel (for dogs only, of course) is the best invention ever. Period.