By Contributing Author Beth Sanborn of Far From Camelot
I had my Westie, Casper, for 12 years. He was my buddy and my protector. However, when my son came into the picture, that all changed. Old dog Casper became crotchety and snippy. The first time he lunged at Riley, who was only trying to play, was the last time. We adopted him out to a family on a farm when we moved to South Carolina.
My desire for companionship and a friend for Riley ended when we adopted Molly, a three year old Collie mix. She and Riley are literally weeks apart in birthdays! It has been slow going, getting used to her and her getting used to us. She was an abused dog, the only canine survivor in a deserted home. Being moved from rescue to rescue, she immediately became my second shadow, following me more closely than Riley! Her nose has bumped my backside when I decided to put on the brakes and I have stepped on her paws numerous times when making u-turns.
Now with a dog that we will be keeping for a very long time, Riley has to adjust to a new “sibling”. Adding a dog to a family can certainly be a learning experience for an only child. Keeping consistency with Riley works well teaching him how to live with Molly as well as in every day toddler training. This requires more supervision though, and I am glad we did not opt for a puppy!
Riley is learning to share. Maybe not toys, but space and time, like on the playground with other children. If Molly is resting somewhere Riley decides he wants to play, he needs to find another suitable spot. She was there first and he needs to wait his turn.
Mommy and daddy might be giving Molly more attention than Riley. As time goes on, he will see that she is not taking any love away from his parents that originally went to him. Another heart has been added to the family to love and there is still enough for everyone to have what they need. Attention and playtime does not diminish, it is added upon!
Children are never too young to begin learning about personal responsibility. Giving your child some duties to take care of a dog is a good place to start. Riley scoops out two cups of dog food every morning for Molly. He is also coming to the sad conclusion that she needs to be walked every day regardless of how we feel or what we want to do. He learned the other day that if he leaves his toys out on his floor unattended for too long, they might become dog food!
Over time, I know that Riley and Molly will become the best of friends. Along the way, he will learn how to take care of himself and animals. As an only child, Riley can find out what it would be like to have a brother or sister. That knowledge he can bring to the playground with him!
Beth Sanborn: I am a daughter, wife and stay-at-home mother to a 2 year old little boy. In my 3rd decade, balance and happiness have finally come into my life with a little help from my parents and a lot of help from my faith. I have been writing all my life but new to publishing. My first gig was contributing to a weekly mom’s advice column in a local online paper. I’m finding that blogging and all that the online community entails is where I need to be. Life has changed me but my passions have stayed the same; The South is my conditioning, history is what keeps my attention and Spring Training is what gets me through the winter. Visit her blog Far From Camelot
