Happy Birthday Bella!

It’s our dog’s 10^th birthday this month…there will be no cake or parties. Instead she gets her own blog post.   Bella was our first born, our “fur baby” as my wife likes to say.  Was she good preparation for the 2 legged munchkins we now have roaming around the house? Probably, and it’s been an interesting and rewarding 10 years.  If you have seen the movie “Marlie and Me” you may understand our experience. While Bella was never as crazy as Marlie, she has had her moments, and our bond to her is also memorable.

Bella came to us as a 3 month old pup, as the result of a 'friend of friend' looking for a good home. I received a few photos by email of a cute pup asking if we were interested. 

I forwarded the photos to my wife, knowing it was probably a done deal. Her response… “Are Labrador’s affectionate?” We went and picked her up that night and never looked back.

There have been some interesting “highlights” along the way.  Labrador’s are indeed affectionate, and as puppies they also have an affection for chewing things.  As proof of her pedigree she shredded her dog bed, a favourite pair of my wife’s sandals, my leather gloves, and the whicker seat of one of our kitchen chairs…and countless tennis balls. 

A close encounter with a Chevy meant we thought we were going to lose her. It resulted in a bloody & speedy trip to the animal hospital and a hefty vet bill, but she bounced back stronger than ever.

As good dog parents, she went everywhere with us, vacations, trips to the family cottage, etc. We have walked hundreds of miles together and thrown more tennis balls with the 'chuck it' than I care to remember.  We knew we wanted to add kids to our family and we felt we had a dog with the right temperament…but would she be jealous? How would she react to an inevitable demotion? When my son arrived 6 and half years ago; Bella immediately realized her job description had changed, she now had another human to watch over and she took that job to heart. 

She was the first to hear a cry from the nursery, and insisted on being in the nursery to watch during diaper changes etc.  And she has been watching out for him ever since.

Now it may seem like sunshine and lollipops, but if you are considering a dog AND kids, there are things to consider.

It’s easier to take kids too many places than a dog… not everyone is a fan of our 4 legged friends. Dog sitters don’t come cheap, and there is guilt to be paid for leaving Fido behind with strangers. 

If you like to do road trips, open your wallet for a bigger vehicle. Kids will utilize the back seats, the dog needs more room…Our dog has luggage too! If you want to stop along your road trip for lunch…the dog may have issues being locked in a car in the heat of July.

When you are exhausted because the kid(s) have been up half the night, for the 3^rd day running, the dog still needs to be walked and loved. If the dog chewed your shoes before you had the kids…he will afterward, including the babies shoes.

The dog will need protection from the kids and vice versa. Toddlers don’t understand that Fido doesn’t appreciate fingers in the eyes, ear pulls and tail bites. And Fido doesn’t understand that the 18 month old can’t play shake a paw, and a wagging tail is a weapon right at face level.

There is a reason why the Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog in North America.  In our case Bella proved to be a great dog, we have yet to find a mean streak and now she not only loves her 6.5 year old boy but a 13 month old girl. She got a mini van so she can ride to the cottage in comfort. She no longer chews my gloves, but makes up for it with constant shedding of that shiny black pelt EVERYWHERE. But yes dear, Labrador's ARE affectionate…to the extreme. So at the start of year 11, I think she’s a keeper!