Dog Days

I’ve always had a pet in my life. My first childhood pet was a squeaky albino guinea pig named Pinky. Then came two cats, various fish, a family of hamsters, blue-bellied lizards my brother and I caught in our backyard, a rat, bearded dragons and a tragically short-lived parakeet.

Pets can be a valuable addition to a family, offering lessons in responsibility, lessons in discipline, lessons in citizenship and, of course, love. But they also take a lot of time, energy and, if you have little ones around, supervision.

I briefly had a dog when I was a kid. Our black Labrador, Snoopy, was sent to a new home when he repeatedly escaped and wreaked havoc in our neighbor’s yard. Over the years I had always wanted another dog, never realizing that the responsibility of raising a puppy was almost as difficult as bringing home a newborn.

We may have chosen to bring our beagle, Charlie, into our family a little prematurely. He came home with us when Kaila was 2 years old.  He’s now two, and his puppy antics are still in full force. The cuteness of a puppy soon wears off when you have to take him outside multiple times during the night at the sound of constant crying. Thankfully my husband, Cory, woke up most of the time. We were essentially potty training two children simultaneously.

Charlie is not the perfect dog I had envisioned. He gets carsick. He has anxiety. Yet, Charlie is very gentle and sweet-tempered, and wouldn’t hurt a fly. Ironically he does love to chase gnats. I totally trust him around Kaila, and finding a dog with a tolerant personality is very important when choosing a dog for a family with small children. Certain breeds are better companions for children, but each dog is an individual and therefore should be evaluated independently.

Of course, the best prevention for dog bites is supervision. You should never leave a small child alone with a dog, regardless of how easygoing the pooch is. Teaching children good doggy-play manner is also vital. The pulling of ears or tail, hitting, hugging or kissing and teasing a dog is not allowed. Leaving a dog alone when he is eating, sleeping and chewing on a toy or bone is also important. Kaila likes to throw his ball and give him his toys, but we stressed the importance of not pulling the toy or bone out of his mouth and instead to let him drop it before reaching for it.

When Kaila begins to get excited, Charlie feels her energy and, in turn, he becomes wild. The two become a whirlwind of frenetic energy that becomes intense quickly. Teaching children to be calm around dogs is important because canines react instinctively. The boundless energy of both a 4-year-old child and 2-year-old beagle is quite astonishing.

Now with a new baby coming, we must prepare Charlie as well. I often wonder if he knows I am pregnant? After all beagles have been known to sniff out bed bugs and the infamous Beagle Brigade is utilized to smell out contraband and even explosives. I’ve heard that letting the dog smell the baby’s blanket before the homecoming can help with the transition. Hopefully it will be a seamless integration, and Charlie will be excited to have another future playmate.