The Dogs

Everyone asks me how the dogs behave with the baby. For as big as the dogs are, it is so cute how gentle they are with Turkey. When we first came home from the hospital, we let them sniff a blanket first like the books tell you to do. They were oblivious to the baby in the car seat on the kitchen table and just thought mommy smelled funny. Mostly they were glad to have everyone home again and not to be in their room. Then Turkey made a little squawk. Suddenly their ears perked up and they had to find out what was in their house. The dogs have such individual personalities, and so they had very individual reactions. When I showed the baby to them, Gimli seemed annoyed. If a dog could roll his eyes, Gimli would have. He had this look that said, "Great! Another one to protect. I have to protect mom and dad and the puppy and now this funny smelling thing?!" But he has been vigilant in his protection; never letting the baby get too far out of sight. One day I moved the baby onto the bed with me. Along came Gimli on his patrol. He looked in the cradle next to our bed to check on the baby--no baby. I've never seen a dog panic like that. He couldn't see the baby sleeping on the bed. I listened to him run across the hall to the nursery, through the kitchen, down the stairs...but no baby. Finally, a very frantic dog dashed back into the bedroom. I moved some blankets so that Gimli could see the baby. If looks could kill! Gimli glared at me and seemed to say, "Do not move the baby without reporting to me!"
Gus, on the other hand, has decided that we got a boy just for him. He is so excited to play with the baby. He keeps bringing his toys for Turkey to play with. I just know one day I'm going to reach into the cradle for the baby and find a crusty, slobbery stuffed animal! I think Turkey and Gus picked each other out in heaven because it was within the same week that we got Gus that I got pregnant and it was divine intervention that Hubs let me get another Mastiff in the first place!
I also realized the other day that I'm in trouble. A friend was visiting along with his 6 year old grandson and 3 year old grand-daughter. They were full of energy and Gus was having a hay-day chasing them around and playing hide-and-go-seek with them. Well, at some point, Gimli decided that they were getting a little too rambunctious. The girl was on the love sac and Gus was licking her face when Gimli lunged at them. I was freaked out what Gimli was going to do. But he was very careful not to step on the girl while he head butted Gus away from her and then checked to see if she was okay. A little later, our friend was getting after the little girl for something. He raised his voice a little and was trying to talk to her, but Gus revealed his own protective nature and got in between our friend and his grand-daughter. Gus wouldn't get out of the way for anything! Suddenly I had this picture in my head of one day in the future when Turkey does something naughty (probably with Gus as his sidekick) and I won't be able to do anything about it as long as Gus is around!
Our neighbors have sometimes have to call us because Gimli likes to escape and go gallavanting through the neighborhood. It usually goes like this, "Hey! Your dog is in our yard, peeing on our garden..." And even though the neighbors know Gimli is a big softie, no one really wants to go tell a 130 lb. dog what to do. Hubs and I joke now that someday we'll get the call, "Uh...hey! Your kid is in our yard wearing nothing but cowboy boots and a hat, and he's peeing on our garden. We would send him home but the dogs won't let us get near him..."
Life with a little boy and two big dogs is definitely an adventure!

Click here for a great article on the benefits of having pets in the family.