Things you never thought you'd have to say to your children.

As the Momma of several fur babies over the years, I used to keep a running list of the things you have to say to your dogs or cats that you wouldn't have to say to your children.  Now in full fur momma mode we addressed our dogs as if they were siblings.

Let's just say several things have been struck from that list since having children. With three children, now I have a shrinking list folks, a shrinking list.  Sometimes we play "child or dog" around here with the aim being to determine who did it or who you had to say it to.

For example:

"Don't lick your sister."
Seems like an easy one?  Child.  Yep, my son who is now seven and will probably be angry that I posted this had a habit of licking people.  We even have a photo of it somewhere. I figure it was because of the response he got when he did it.

"Don't pee on your sister."
Both actually. I had a Rottweiler named Koeby who used to drive me crazy because he followed my female dogs around and tried to urinate where they did. Except he wouldn't wait for them to move. He just peed on them. And then there is my son, who got distracted one day in the bathroom and turned around mid stream to spray his little sister.

"Don't play with the stove." 
Dog. We had a Brittany named George who learned that food was cooked on a stove and sometimes was left on it to cool.  George began jumping up to see if there was anything good. Twice he turned on a burner. When he nearly burned the house down, we got the child proof locks on the burner knobs...because of the dog.

"Don't growl at your brother."

Shiloh with her tough girl biker hat. Terrifying isn't she.

Again, both. For 15 years we had a cocker spaniel that was certifiably psycho. She was medicated for separation anxiety when she was young, and as time went on she became grouchy and cranky. Any time one of the other dogs got near her she'd growl at them to leave her alone. She was old, grouchy and crazy.  Now to my daughter. One of my three year-olds has taken to baring her teeth and growling at her brother and sister when she is angry at them.

Required calling poison control?
Both.  Child for eating small red berries off tree in front yard (why you put a toxin bearing tree in a front yard is another rant) and dog for eating a skink's tail. One got a big glass of milk the other got a psychedelic trip from the hallucinogenic property of the lizard tail.

I'm sure the list will continue to shrink.

I'm currently reading Boji Stones by Sandra Cox and loving it. It's a great story and Sandra is an awesome writer.

We've been recovering from the holidays. We're trying to find a rocking recliner to put in Z's room. The wood rocker we have is lovely, but it's not as practical as a rocking recliner would be. Z's like the SO, he has a good deal of trouble settling into sleep. I know normal baby sleeping patterns, but he has a problem staying asleep once he goes to sleep. A recliner would mean more sleep for us.

We were at the mall today and walked past the pet store, one of those less reputable ones. We've actually personally contacted Animal Control on them because of an older Irish Setter puppy we saw there once that was grossly underweight. They ended up closed down a couple of weeks later because of a "virus" but reopened to continue to peddle over prices puppies to people who can't really afford them.

I was quite upset the week before Christmas when we were in the mall to see Santa. We paused to look at the bunnies. I overheard a salesperson doing a hard sale to a young couple. I was disgusted. She (the saleslady) was going on and on about the payment plan and no money down for a 7 month old puppy that was selling for almost two thousand dollars with interest, but hey, it was only $25 a week.

She said nothing to them about taking care of this animal. She said nothing to them about the responsibility or the problems a puppy who has spent 7 months in a cage that is less than two by two feet. A puppy who spends 7 months doing what instinct tell it is wrong, urinating and deficating in it's "den", will be nearly impossible for the average person to potty train. The dog is likely to have numerous other behaviors such as destruction, aggressive eating behaviors, etc. This saleslady wasn't even cowed when the young man revealed that the girl had no place to keep the dog and it would have to stay at his house.

I did not stay to see if the woman made her sale. If she did, that puppy is headed for an almost certain trip to the animal shelter. The woman's behavior was not only irresponsible but down right repugnant.

I applaud shelters and the rescues that close down adoptions in the weeks before Christmas. No impulse buys for the kids. Parents who want to give a puppy or kitten for Christmas (the worst possible time to add a new pet to your home) can arrange the adoption and pick up before hand in most cases.

Pet ownership is an important committment you make to another living creature, one who will rely on you for protection, food, shelter, medical care and training. It is not one to enter into lightly and it isn't one we should discard lightly either.

This came to mind because as I passed this same pet store today, most of the cages were empty. I was looking at a Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and was approached by the sales clerk. Even after I told her several times I was not interested in purchasing a dog and was attempting to leave the story, she kept pushing the dog. Pet sales is not the place to behave like a disreputable used car salesman.