When I was a little girl, my mom used to read me the book called Puppies Are Like That by Jan Pfloog. I loved it every time. It’s one of those selections I asked for frequently, and it never got old. Was it the rhythm of the words? The pictures? My mom’s voice? It was all of those. I loved it when my mom read to me. She read to me and my brother all the time, just because. She also used to read to me when I was sick–even as a teenager. Somehow it always helped me feel better.
But anyways, back to the book about puppies. It’s title is perfect. Have you ever just sat back and watched a puppy’s antics? Yes, they’re adorable. But more than that, they have an uncanny way of making someone smile even if the person is having a challenging day. Puppies are hilarious, too. And their way of figuring out how to get the things they want is ingenious. Our new puppy, Lily, makes us laugh daily with her whirling, excited, happy dances. And she still cracks us up when she barks at her own reflection in the window. She is a chihuahua-terrier-dachshund mix…which maybe makes her a “chiweenie?” Haha…whatever the proper term for her breed distribution is, she is pure love.
It’s been a while since we have had a puppy in the house. We got our first puppy, Ruby the chihuahua, before our kids were born. We lost her to cancer earlier this year. It was so hard. She was our first attempt at parenting, since we didn’t have any human babies yet. We did pretty well first timers…she was also very easy to train, and had a sweet personality, so we really lucked out. Then, we had our two incredible kids. Of course, our parenting skills took flight and we have been learning ever since. As the kids grew a little older, they begged for another dog, so we adopted a cocker spaniel puppy, Penny. That was years ago. (Our kids are teens now, for perspective.) She was definitely challenging to train, but eventually she stopped tearing things apart and eating everything in sight. She is a good girl. And now, we have adopted our little Lily, who Penny {mostly} enjoys being big sister to. If you’d like to read the complete story of Lily’s adoption, please read When Joy Arrives in a Tiny Package.
Just like all older siblings, human or fur, sometimes Penny has had enough of the puppy. It is comical when this happens! If dogs could roll their eyes the way teenagers do, she would do it. Instead, she looks at me for help and jumps up to the highest place she can reach (usually the back of the couch). Lily then proceeds to whine, bark, do a dance, and paw at the couch. This puppy loves her fur-sister, and simply doesn’t understand why she doesn’t want to play ALL the time. Isn’t that kind of like a human toddler?
Lily also loves her feathered friends as well. She thinks our backyard chickens are her BFFs…especially Chickaletta, who has now become a lawn chicken due to the others in the hen enclosure picking on her. Lily likes this just fine! This week, our son is away at Boy Scout camp, so the lawn is extra long (it’s his weekly job to mow it). Lily has been enjoying “play stalking” Chickaletta in the tall grass. It’s hysterical to watch. The patient hen remains unphased by the puppy’s antics.
If you’ve ever raised a puppy, these things probably all sound familiar to you! If you haven’t, I highly recommend doing at some point in your life. Yes, puppies are almost as much work (at first) as human babies, but they are so worth it. The experience, the joy, the belly laughs, the love…they are all worth the effort on your part. In fact, if you’re thinking about getting a puppy and you have kids, I always suggest getting a bunch of books to read with them beforehand. You could even do a little mini school unit of taking care of puppies and dogs. Or a summer unit. Or a weekend study. Or…the possibilities are nearly endless! Before we got puppies each time, we did this. The first time, with Penny, the kids were young so we got books geared toward their age group. This time, the kids are teens, so our dog books are more advanced. I’ve put together a list of my favorite puppy and dog books and resources just for you.
For Younger Kids:
- How to Care For Your Dog: A Color and Learn Guide
- Just Me and My Puppy
- Silly Fluffy Barking Jumping Wet-Nosed Dog Book
For Older Kids:
Puppies are truly joy-givers, and that’s what we’re all about here at PH@H. If you are not able to adopt a puppy for your own home (or maybe it’s just not the right time yet!), a wonderful alternative is volunteering at a local shelter, or even fostering a puppy temporarily. Other ways to get involved with puppies are to donate puppy food, treats, toys, beds, and even old linens you may have hanging around to animal shelters. Kids can even do a summer lemonade stand in your neighborhood to raise money and awareness if you’d like! You might even have a neighbor who would love help (or maybe just company!) walking their dog…it can be a family event! Any way you can, I want to encourage you to help your kids learn about the joys of puppies and dogs. Books and videos are a wonderful way to start, and they also don’t shed, ha! May you experience joy and laugher in all of your adventures!