Puppy Love

Poppy amongst the roses!

Is there any greater love than between a boy and his dog? Think Old Yeller! Think Marley & Me! I think you’ll find the answer is, “No.”

There is a bond between our two youngest – Conor (2), our biological baby, and Poppy (soon to be 1), our rescue puppy. The bond developed the day they met at Animal Shelter, Inc in Sterling, MA and has grown with each passing day. I discussed adopting Poppy in an earlier post. They are like two peas in a pod.

Their first day together.

Conor loves to help with Poppy. He enjoys taking her for walks up to the beach or in the woods. He loves to prepare her food and place it next to her water. No small feet for a boy his size. He takes pleasure in rewarding Poppy with treats and knows the command signs. He likes to quench Poppy’s thirst, as in the photo below:

A nice thought even though it was from his dirty paddling pool water. He loves to stroke her feathery-soft hair and play chase with her in the yard. She, of course, always wins. Conor finds it so funny when Poppy chases her tail or runs after the seagulls on the beach.

Two peas…

Some people thought we were crazy to get a 12-week-old puppy when Conor was only 15 months. They said that it was like having another baby, but with sharp teeth. Poppy was great from the very beginning. Yes, she did chew on some furniture and yes, she had a few accidents, but they were usually our fault. We were learning and she was getting settled, it was very similar to bringing home a baby minus the diapers and breast feeding.

Room for 2 in Poppy’s crate.

Both Luke and I grew up with dogs and we wanted our sons to grow up with one, too. I kept saying that I didn’t mind what our dog looked like, I just wanted to find the perfect dog for our family. One that would be gentle and loving. Poppy is both. Conor and Poppy are growing up together. They are out of the teething stage and now toddling. She really did find us and we all love her, but I think Conor loves her most of all (and vice versa).