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We have a new addition to our family. She's about 15 inches tall and 17 pounds. She's black and white, and loves people. We have added a dog to our family. Gus-Gus is an English Springer Spaniel and has quickly become a family member.
For three years, Jasmine has wanted a puppy. She has been calling this puppy, Gus-Gus. My husband and I have never owned a dog. We put it off as long as possible. Our excuses were fairly good. At first, we lived in an apartment, then we moved into a house in the fall. No way was I house training a dog in the winter. Then the fence in the back needed to be fixed (the fence is still not fixed.)
Gus-Gus is a fairly good puppy. She's not house broken yet, but she is getting there. She loves people, and the kids love her. She has lots of energy, which is a good match for the children with lots of energy. She also has some amazing abilities.
Jafar has never woken up because a child is crying or yelling. Jane, who has the habit of yelling at us in the middle of the night because she wants to get up, is unable to wake up Jafar. A crying child with an ear infection has never made Jafar stir from his sleep. A puppy whining several feet from Jafar's head will wake him up. Frequently, Jafar calms the dog during the night. Gus-Gus awakens Jafar up at about six a.m. so she can go out. Jafar actually gets up instead of yelling over to me to take out the dog.
I think Gus-Gus will probably be the source of many of Jasmine's experiments. She's always telling me that she is going to teach Gus-Gus to do this trick and that. I am waiting for her to tell me that she will teach Gus-Gus to use the toilet. While I expected that Jasmine would behave as many children and not really help with the daily responsibilities of puppy care, she has pleasantly surprised me. She has fed and walked the dog, and even attempted to clean up its elimination. She goes to the vet with the dog, and keeps the dog company when everyone else is busy.
Gus-Gus and Jane have some problems. They basically occupy the same ground. They are about the same height and believe that all the area below everyone's knee level is their property. So since they both think they are the master, they have little skirmishes. So far, it's a tie. Gus-Gus steals Jane's blanket, and Jane will go up and rap Gus-Gus on the nose for no apparent reason. Then sometimes, both are lying next to each other on the ground, peacefully coexisting.
I view the dog as another child. I am still trying to assert my authority with the dog, as well as with my children. The dog jumps on the furniture, I yell "Down," and she gives me that "okay, but as soon as you aren't looking, I'm back up there" attitude. A kid jumps on the couch, I yell, "Quit jumping on the couch!" and as soon as I leave the room, the kid jumps on the couch.
So, in a month's time, this puppy has made herself a part of our life. Even though some of those weird puppy habits such as mouthing, and running around the house at high speeds, annoy me, I would not get of the dog. She is family.
September 27, 2000 |
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