Tales from the trenches. kids, dogs and a husband.

Before I say anything here, let me just say that I am married to the most wonderful, bright and loving man. He is a great father and has an amazing job and I just adore him....so when on a saturday morning he decides to bring Quentin upstairs to say good morning to me....as he knows Q is my baby and he was meaning well. But here is what happened.

I am laying in bed savoring the moments before i NEEDED to get up.  This is a luxory for any mom and just not having to rush was fantastic.  I was listening to my ipod and really relaxing when......All of a sudden 2 frantic black cats fly over me ...one using my body to launch across the room to get away from the crazy Puppy who normally is NEVER upstairs.  I went from calm and peaceful to BLEEP! as I inspect my cat scratched arm and wait for the blood to surface from the reaction of a frantic cat.  Then I see the cute panting wagging pup racing into our bedroom.  He zooms around the room and puts both paws on the bed looking at me with crazed puppy antic aura!  Ahhh...NOW .it is clear to me what has happened.  My well meaning husband who sheepishly looks at me saying enters the room.   "Don't say it...I know." he says  As I try to control myself I say "what honey, know what?"  He says...."I should have had him on his leash."  I say as nicely as i can...Yes a leash would have been a GREAT idea.  The cats and my arm would have loved a leash AND Quentin would not have practiced the game of "chase kitty."  Yes, a leash would have been Awesome..you are right.  

So, yes, my hubby is great and he has proven trainable to some degree and I love him for it.  He has been supportive of all the animal chaos I have brought to our home.  The next morning Quentin came upstairs on leash and got to experience a morning cuddle like all the other dogs do.  It was a wonderful calm moment for myself, Joe, Quentin, Bailey, Windsor and Duke.  Amazing how a little management can create magic!

But these are the times when I ask myself....how can I expect other families to get it right when even in my own home we have these moments.  It is then that I realize and am so grateful that dogs really do learn to be successful even when we don't always get it right.  They are amazing and forgiving and so so trainable!  So, if you are doing your best and have these oops moments...please know that even those of us who "know" what we are doing are also having these moments.  It is what you do after these happen and how you look at preventing them from continuing.  Evaluating what would work better next time to prevent the chaos is the key.  So, another tale from the trenches in our crazy but fun fur filled home!