I always tell people that Polly, our Labradoodle, was—and is—our first child.  Looking back, my husband and I realized that, in many ways, adopting an 8 week old puppy was our trial run at parenting:  the sleepless nights; the necessary equipment and expenses in order to prepare the home; trading off on parent duty; finding our parenting/discipline styles (I am definitely the indulgent nurturer, my husband is the one who sets and maintains rules and boundaries); adjusting our work and travel schedules to accommodate another being; eagerly awaiting her arrival with equal parts fear (what do I know about raising a puppy??) and excitement (I can do this!  I’ve read all the books!!); deciding on a name—there are so many parallels between adopting a puppy and having or adopting a child!  I myself realized, in raising a creature from infancy for the first time in my life, how much I liked being a “mom”—how much I loved caring for and lavishing affection on a creature who literally couldn’t live without me (at least at first).  I always knew I was an animal lover, but something about having Polly from the day she turned 8 weeks old has really made her feel like my child.  I know a lot of people who describe their pets the same way, both those who have human children and those who do not.

Polly was a comfortable 3 ½ years old when our daughter was born in August of 2007.  I say “comfortable” because, as an only “child” Polly pretty much had it made.  Since the day we’d gotten her (and before!) I had been in graduate school, first working on my Masters degree and then my PhD, which meant that I was home with her at least half of each day, and my schedule was usually flexible, which meant a couple of visits a day to the local dog park, where I’d sit throwing the tennis ball while reading schoolwork or grading papers.  For all Polly knew, this was just a normal dog’s life; she was pretty much the center of her dad’s and my world.  When we became pregnant with our daughter in 2007, Polly never showed any of the awareness, the increased protectiveness, we’d read many other animals exhibit when their human is pregnant.  That might have been the first clue for me that she had no idea how her life was about to change, nor was she in any way preparing herself to take the back seat for awhile (literally the back seat—she was no longer allowed to ride in the front seat with her tongue hanging out the window once the baby’s car seat was installed, but was relegated to the far back of the Jeep behind a doggie gate).

When we brought our daughter home from the hospital in August and when Polly arrived home from a stay at her best doggie friend’s house, I think reality set in.  I tried to make it to the dog park at least once a day with the newborn baby in tow, but often Polly’s exercise was limited to some ball throwing in our tiny backyard during the baby’s naptime.  She had to learn, too, which toys were baby toys and which were dog toys:  after all, baby toys are often fuzzy or furry or rattley or jingly, they smell interesting and beg to be played with just as much as dog toys.  I mean really, what’s the difference, to a dog (and soon, I was to discover, to a baby!) between a slobbery frisbee and a slobbery teething ring, or a stuffed squeaky squirrel and a stuffed bear?  During those stressful, tiring first few weeks of new parenthood, I even found myself missing—probably as much as Polly—those days when we could just hop in the car and go to the dog park, or snuggle for hours on the couch watching a movie or reading a book.

Polly and I both adjusted, albeit slowly and sometimes reluctantly, to our new lives as members of a larger family.  Just as I found joy in my growing daughter, Polly found joy in all the tasty food dropped (or thrown!) from the high chair; we both learned how to navigate around the stroller without getting our heels clipped, among other things.  These days, my 2 ½ year-old daughter loves nothing more than sharing some cheese crackers or Cheerios with my almost 6-year-old dog, or throwing the ball at the park or in the yard.  Polly’s gentle patience with my daughter has made my daughter into an animal lover, and Polly’s experience with my daughter means that she feels totally comfortable around other children, often running up to greet them with a lick at the dog park.  The two are now pretty good buddies, and I love seeing them play together.  It’s great to see that, even as our “pack” has grown over the years, both Polly and I find we have more love in our hearts (and room in our bellies) than we ever thought possible.

NEXT MONTH:  TIPS AND TRICKS FOR INTRODUCING A NEW BABY TO YOUR DOG OR CAT!

Ashley is completing her PhD in English literature and also works in the Old Town Alexandria office of Doggywalker.com. Doggywalker.com is a professional pet-sitting company providing daily walks and customized in-home pet care. Celebrating 10 years in business, visit Doggywalker.com or email ashley@doggywalker.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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