Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Josie

Josie is our very naughty terrier mutt we rescued 3 years ago.  I don’t really write about her much but she is a very big part of our family.  You see, before E came along, Josie was our baby.  Mike and I rescued her the summer after we got married and she ran the household from Day 1.  That was our first mistake!  We would take pictures of her like we do now with E and send them back and forth to each other.  She slept in the bed with us and she always cuddled up on the couch with me.  Mike and I only have ourselves to blame for her naughtiness, we treated her like a princess.  When we found out I was pregnant, I reassuringly told Josie that “She would always be my first baby.”  I knew my relationship with Josie would change once I had the baby, but I didn't think it would change as drastically as it did.  She became more of a nuisance than my little puppy I once adored.  Her naughty behavior got worse and instead of dealing with it I just got more mad and resentful towards her.  In fact, Mike and I considered getting rid of her but neither one of us was willing to make that call.  I kept thinking of all the happiness she has brought me over the years.  When I was on bed rest with E, she knew something was not right.  She stayed with me on the couch and kept me company.  Those memories made it so hard to consider surrendering her.  And through all of this change, she has been so good with E. 

For the past 2 weeks, Josie has been out at Mike’s parents’ house.  They offered to keep her since we've been gone so much.  They live out in the country where she can run free.  She is a different dog out there.  She doesn't bark as much, she will lie nicely on the floor at our feet and she actually listens.  I hadn't seen Josie for a while and I really wasn't missing her too much but as soon as I saw her all those feelings of resentment went out the window.  I didn't realize how much I did miss her until I saw her cute little face with her tongue sticking out ready to give me kisses. 

We brought Josie back home and I’m hoping some of her good behavior sticks.  I need to be a better dog owner too.  I need to make sure she gets the exercise she needs and deserves.  I’m going to get her a permit for the dog park so she can continue to run free.  I’m going to make sure she knows she is loved just as much as before because she is a part of our family and we love her.


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