If I could read my dog’s mind, she would probably complain about how we don’t take her out on walks as much as we used to, how she feels like we give her less attention now that we have two kids, and maybe there would be a confession in there as well, such as, “I definitely go on the bed when you’re not home.”
Before we had kids, there was Jada, our 5-year-old pit bull terrier. I always say that we became a family almost immediately because of her. My husband and I got Jada as soon as we were married, and we soon discovered what a huge responsibility having a dog really is. It turns out, getting a dog together really does prepare you, somewhat, for having a child. Those first few months were difficult. Our sweet little puppy chewed everything in sight. My Bulgari eyeglasses that I had spent a small fortune on? Gone. My brand-new patent leather pumps that I had saved weeks for? Destroyed. It seemed she wanted to get us where it hurt the most. Or, she had good taste.
At our wit’s end, we took the advice of other dog owners and crated her. Every morning, before heading off to work, we’d put her in the crate. We made sure to make it as comfortable as possible for her; she had a plush blanket, some toys, treats, and of course food and water. We felt terrible, but over the next few weeks, she was much more disciplined. After awhile, she didn’t need to be crated any more. She’s grown to be a very well-behaved adult dog, if you don’t mind being licked to death, that is.
Even though neither one of us had owned a dog before, we quickly became dog people. Evenings were spent running Jada on a nearby trail, weekends were for taking her to the park to socialize with other dogs, and every day we would try to teach her a new trick. She had her spot on the couch, usually nestled in between my husband and me, and if she had it her way, she’d be right between us on the bed, too, but she settled (sometimes) for the foot of the bed.
Nowadays, things are much different, and I can’t help but feel like a bad dog mom. It’s funny, when all we had was Jada, I couldn’t imagine loving a human baby as much as I loved her.
Naturally, now that she shares our home with two small children, Jada has experienced a bit of a demotion in her position. Children need to be taken care of, a home needs to be maintained, and everything else in between has whittled away the amount of time we can devote to her. But we still love her as much as we did when we were newlyweds. It’s great that my kids get to grow up with a loving pet. I’m pretty sure our pit bull is more affectionate and needy than my daughters will ever be. Jada is as much a part of our family as the girls are, and I hope that she has a special a place in their hearts, too.
