Of Babies & Puppies
June 24, 2009 
Long, long ago, a curse was placed upon my family. The wicked queen of Norsland, furious that my father's father's father had dared leave the home country of Norway for the far away land of America, cast a spell upon us... That bestowed upon us all, for all of eternity, would be two things: babies.... and.... dogs.
I am the youngest of ten children. I have 36 (going on 37.... I think... there may be more about to come out of the woodwork at any moment... you just never know) nieces and nephews. Oh yes, there are babies.
Of just the ten siblings, we own some 20+ dogs. Some of my nieces and nephews have dogs too, of which I cannot keep track. I know that my nephew is about to add one more German Shepherd puppy to the mix. The dog situation is ever evolving. Oh yes, there are dogs.
I felt the pull of the curse this afternoon when I found myself looking at pictures of puppies. They're like the apple in the Garden of Eden, those things. They look all sweet and innocent, but secretly they hold the key to your undoing.
We were at a parade the other day and the local animal shelter just casually sauntered down the street, weilding these dangerous creatures. Don't think they don't know what they're doing.
Shelter dogs. They're my weakness.
This one was my favorite, even though he ended up being a bit out of focus...
This poor cat ended up being part of the entourage too...
I don't think that cats particularly like being wheeled down the street in a stroller. Or being in a parade. That's just my observation. I could be wrong.
Somehow we ended up with four shelter dogs at one point. I think this was to quiet the little voice in my head that was whispering to me to have a baby. Now that I have two small children, the puppy urge has subsided. We are down to two dogs and I have been perfectly happy that way.
Until today.
Just google the word 'puppies'. I dare you.
I double dog dare you.
No, I triple dog dare you.
Because that is exactly what you'll end up with... Three dogs.
This is what Burley looked like when he was a puppy...
Even as a puppy, he was very burley. The thing is, he was a VERY good puppy. He wasn't one of those puppies that would traumatize anyone into not getting another puppy because they're a lot of work. He only had one accident in the house, which really wasn't his fault because he asked to go out. He never chewed on our stuff. He slept all night in his kennel without a peep.
This is not helping me convince myself that I don't need another puppy at all.
Maybe I need to put a different spin on it.
How about this... Besides all of the logical reasons I don't need a puppy (because there are plenty of those, trust me), maybe I just shouldn't get another puppy because I know it will never measure up to Burley. I mean, what are the chances that we would have two puppies in a row that were really well behaved? It's got to be slim. So I have to be almost certain that I will just end up with a naughty little dog that will only further complicate our already complicated life and it will be the little paw that pushes the accelorator on the station wagon that's driving me closer to the edge of insanity.
Big dogs. Yeah, our big, trained, easy-to-care-for, sweet dog. That's all I need. No puppies.
If you have a puppy and feel compelled to send me a picture of it or something, I beg of you to refrain. I'm in a very fragile state, puppy-wise. All it would take is one whiff of puppy breath and it would all be over.
Reader Comments (4)
You are so funny! Yes, puppies are adorable! Maybe you should go play with the 20 something dogs that the nieces and nephews own. That might help. Have them bring them over all at once.
Don't look at anymore puppy pictures or how sweet their little faces are or how they snort when they snuggle against your neck. Don't even think about that.
I love the kitty stroller! :)
Wow, you have a lot of siblings, and an unheard of # of nieces and nephews! Might have to call Guiness on that one! Puppies are hard to resist! I go on kicks where I want one, but luckily my landlord won't let me! That keeps me out of trouble. Besides, with the horse, no extra fundage for feed or vet bills.
Yup...been there, have that...dog that is. I went to "just look at the puppies" and after that 10 day old puppy "suffled" her sweet little puppy breath against my neck, I was smitten....and today, she is 80 pounds of big dog love. The best dog ever. But I am a sucker for a puppy....and one dog is enough for us....for now. :-)
I know what you mean! I just love dogs. I am more of a dog person than a cat person. Funny how people are one or the other. When I see those "free puppy" signs out in front of the shopping centers...I have to look the other way! Can't bring home anymore. Two is enough for now. Burley is so cute!