Kids and Dogs

Let's talk about having both. I posted some pictures on Instagram and FB last night, that I have to admit, were pretty darn cute of them both. But it made me think...maybe I should blog about the reality of it.

It's not all fun and cute. I really love my dogs, especially Henry. But it's HARD after you have kid(s)! On a almost daily basis, when Jesse gets home from work, I threaten to give them away (mostly joking).

They can get very overwhelming! Lucy is still in the crazy puppy stage. She takes food out of Hunter's hand, table, counter, etc. It's not uncommon for me to have to make Hunter's lunch again after Lucy has gotten ahold of the first. Henry is very territorial and barks in the backyard whenever he hears people close by. Jesse puts them outside when he leaves for work and most days I am running outside to go being them in because Henry is barking to early, in my opinion, to be courteous of our neighbors.
And the dog hair! Ugh, it's everywhere! A day doesn't usually go by without me sweeping, vacuuming, or wiping down surfaces because of it.
But...to us, it's all worth it. I am so thankful to have such good pups. Henry has learned to adore Hunter. He hated kids before Hunter was born. So we were pleasantly surprised to see such a change in him as Hunter has gotten older. Henry often walks by Hunter and gives him one lick on the cheek. Henry is the dog that Jesse and I both claim is "my" dog. He curls up on the bed with me for a few minutes every morning and night and promptly leaves with a easy "get down".
Lucy is a true kids dog. She is the one that any child could sit on, pull her tail, squirt her with water guns, or do anything to, and her tail would be wagging and loving every minute. She has a very different place in our heart. Henry is individually all or our favorites (I know, it's not fair!) but Lucy is our family dog. She's the one we would take take camping or to the park. She comes when told to, doesn't ever run off, and can be trusted with all kids and strangers.
So, yeah, I understand why people rehome their dogs after having kids! I dream about it often ;) But, in the end, we love having both and it's worth every bit of stress and extra work.