A LOVE OF ALL CREATURES BIG AND SMALL
Anyone who has a dog or cat, or another pet, knows that there is nothing better than having a fur baby. They give love freely and unconditionally, especially dogs, in a way that most humans usually don’t. They become a part of our family. Not surprisingly, many studies have shown they even improve the quality of life. They make their humans happier. And I can attest to that ~ I am a huge animal lover. And my pets make me smile everyday.
Given my love of all creatures big and small, it’s not much of a surprise that as a grown-up, I ended up with a zoo. Bunnies, cats, fish, and I have three dogs now. On some days, three feels like a lot. But ultimately it just means three times the love.
OUR DOG STORY
I always had cats, but I couldn’t wait to adopt a dog too. So as soon as we moved into our first house, we adopted Sadie.
She was a rescue from the Brooklyn, NY dog pound. Slightly crazy, but full of love. She has thanked us every single day for rescuing her.
We had “Sadie Sadie Pretty Lady” for 8 fun years, when the idea of adopting a friend for her crossed my mind. I had my two kids, and wasn’t spending as much time with her, as I had before. I read a lot about how well two dogs do together. Being pack animals, they like being around other dogs. So I began to think that she might like a friend.
We looked on-line at some local shelters, and said we’d take our time and find a dog that would be a good fit with our family. That ended up being the very next day when we attended an adoption event! If your mind is thinking “time to adopt a dog”, the next dog you see that needs a home, becomes the perfect dog. That’s how we got Finn. Our handsome fellow. He fit into our family perfectly. There was no adjustment period. We all love him and most importantly Sadie loves him. She became the pack leader and put him in his place right away. And he is okay with that. He loves her too. We were so happy Sadie had a friend.
Having two dogs was great. For two years. We never thought of having more. Two was more than enough. But like having an unplanned extra kid, accidents sometimes happen! About 6 months ago, I got a call about a dog that had been left tied to a fence and needed rescuing. I couldn’t say no. So I rescued an adorable little cocker spaniel mix – Charlie. I picked him up, fully intending to take him to the local shelter where I volunteer. I said I’d help find him a great home. But as soon as I met him, I fell in love. And he officially joined our family. Charlie is an especially charming dog. So charming that I couldn’t bear to let another family have him. He had me at hello!
So that’s how I ended up with three dogs.
DOGGIE TROUBLE
Having two was manageable… but three is definitely tough. Think of friendships. Two friends work well together. But for some reason, three creates an uneven dynamic.
Two of the three usually play together, leaving one out. Luckily the twosomes vary – sometimes the boys play together, and sometimes Sadie and Finn play together. But Sadie is always the queen of the house. She has established herself as the pack leader. And I’m glad about that since we’ve had her for so long. But the other two often compete for the next spot in the pack. They all love each other, but there are definitely moments of power struggles.
Another issue is that they follow each other like a pack. One dog barks at nothing… they all bark. One decides it’s time to wake up in the morning… they all wake up (and then tackle me to get up).
Also, I’m sure I don’t have to explain that three dogs, means three times the poop! Not to mention three times the cost, and three times the trouble (Sadie is my food thief, Finn likes to mark his territory everywhere, and Charlie chews everything).
DOGGIE LOVE
Some days, it’s tough having three dogs. But on most other days, it’s awesome. I am the recipient of three times the doggie kisses. Three times the unconditional love. Three times the excited greetings when I come home. Even if I go out for 5 minutes… they are thrilled to see me again.
And probably the best part is that my kids are now animal lovers too. They are learning the responsibility of taking care of the dogs and they love them as much as I do.
So even though three dogs aren’t always easy to handle, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Seriously, who would say no to happiness and love TIMES THREE?
~ Cindie ♥