The Surprise Puppy
When my oldest child was 3, she started asking for a dog.
I was not against the idea of having a dog. I grew up with dogs, and being a pet owner was something I envisioned for myself as an adult.
But not when I had a 3-year-old and a baby.
So we told her that when she was 7, we would get a dog. I figured by then, she would be able to help with feeding and some walking, and she could learn to pick up poop.
When she was 6, she became a big sister again. When she was 7, she asked, “Where’s my puppy?”
I had some explaining to do.
At this point, as the mother to three (live) children, working full-time outside of the home, I no longer wanted a dog. My husband wanted to get the children a dog, and it was something we talked about. Often.
I held the line. No dog until the basement was refinished. Certainly, if we got a dog NO PUPPY.
As our daughter got older, the specter of her growing up and leaving the house at 18 started to haunt my husband Dan. He worried she would resent him (us) for never keeping our promise about getting her a dog.
At a show at Jergel’s one night, he and his buddy started a conversation with a dog owner. The guy raved about his sheltie, and the breeder from whom he had gotten it.
My husband gave him his contact info, and a couple weeks later, he got a call. “Hey, that breeder has a new litter. You should go check them out.”
And, thus, my husband decided to get a puppy. He went the “ask forgiveness, not permission” route (and yes, dear reader, I’ve forgiven him).
First he told Flora, who was now 14. He swore her to secrecy, but took her to meet the puppy.
Then over New Year’s break, he stopped at the breeder’s with Flora and Kayden, our then 12-year-old. And that’s how puppy got the name Saoirse (pronounced SEAR-sha). He swore Kayden to secrecy as well.
In January, I started noticing some whispers going on. Dan was kibitzing with the kiddos more, or we would be out socializing, and when I would walk into a room, my husband would suddenly hide his phone. Since my birthday is at the end of January, I started to suspect he had a surprise cooked up for me.
Boy, did he.
A week before my birthday, we were in a local coffee shop with our children and a couple of friends. I was texting with another friend of ours. We were trying to make plans to see her and her family, and she kept getting ill. It was also her birthday, so I wished her a happy birthday and told her I hoped she felt better soon. She thanked me then, texted, “Did you get your new puppy yet?”
I looked at my phone. I texted her back and said, “I honestly have no idea what you are talking about.” Part of me thought, “Maybe she’s texting with another person at the same time, and got her streams crossed.” And other part of me thought, “Oh no he didn’t.”
I held the phone out to my husband. “What is Irene talking about?”
The color dropped from his face. He confessed to everything.
Meeting Saoirse
A week later, when we went to pick up the puppy, I was explicit: I was going in first, and holding it first. I knew, despite my children’s protestations, that I would be taking on the bulk of doggie care. And I wanted the pup to bond with me. (Believe me, if I had put my foot down, the outcome would have been different. My husband took a risk, and it paid off. He told me later that no fewer than three of my relatives offered to take him in if I kicked him out.)
We taught the children about taking the puppy outside, house training, crate training, picking up poop (my children are champs are cleaning up after the pupper), and feeding and watering. Yes, I still do quite a bit, but I am Saoirse’s person, and she is my dog. So that’s okay.
Almost a year later, Saoirse is a part of the family. My children are still learning about training and playing with her. She can be an insistent barker (we’re working on it); she still herds my youngest, Michael (also working on this); and vet visits are expensive! Turns out Saoirse is a picky eater with a delicate stomach. I don’t think my children were as picky! But we’ve figured out what works and prevents vomiting.
My children are still incredulous (and happy) that we have a dog. I sure enjoy her more than I thought I would. We’ve still a ways to go to all getting along, but my husband never had to go sleep on anyone else’s couch.
