I don’t think that I was ever really a dog person. Growing up in Iowa, everyone seemed to have a dog and apparently I was quite timid around most furry friends. That is until I had one for my own. My husband is a cat person and even though I really wanted to add a puppy to our already full household, we started with a one year old tabby called Ginger. (More on that later.) Meanwhile, now that we have two teenagers, a tweeny and one tween wannabe, I figured our kids could use a little Lab love.
Most of the responsibility of being a dog owner lies in my hands. However, each child has been involved with walking, feeding and grooming whenever I ask for help. Child number two is greeted with a lip smacking Laila as soon as he walks in the door from school. Laila eagerly waits her turn as #2 feeds Ginger the cat first and then proceeds downstairs to take care of the pup. Each child has their own relationship with our pets who in return show so much love and affection to our family.
Surprisingly, Laila seems to have figured out how to transcend canine status, making herself a very credible fifth child. She craves attention, expects extra snacks, in between meals and doesn’t always listen when called. She does however, accept her regular, daily feedings without the usual familiar family whine, “What are we having for dinner?” “Ugh…not that again!” Thank goodness she doesn’t have the human “back talk” feature.
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