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Our dog, a 90 lbs moose of a black lab/German shepherd mix, took to the boys immediately. He often barked when the boys cried, almost as though he were telling us to attend to them faster. He would “stand guard” by their cribs when they napped, and he seemed especially weary of strangers in or near our home. Even though he was “our baby” prior to their birth, and even though he ended up far down in the household pecking order, he was protective, attentive, and generally happy to have the “pink puppies” around. Once they began crawling, he seemed a little off put by them but still seemed content with their presence.
Then they started walking... And climbing... And seeing him as a fun playmate that goes crazier the more he is played with. I’m pretty sure he anxiously awaits death some days now. Nothing drew this to a head more than the boys discovering…the dog’s butt. Thomas holds his tail up high most of the time, and they seemed to consider that an enticement to poke the poor old guy right in the pooper, whether with fingers or toys. I’ve heard more than one yelp followed by peals of laughter. We take the offending object away and scold them, but the allure of the dog’s butt is too strong.
Actually, the allure of anything that is dangerous, harmful, just plain gross or could possibly kill them seems too great to resist. The draw is directly proportional to the degree of danger, grossness, etc.
Electrical sockets? Best things ever.
Knives? DO WANT!
Heavy glass shelves? Yes, please!
Do these things somehow emit a greater gravitational pull on children than do, say, toys or pillows or the dog’s ears? Does this stop at some point? Is this merely the start of the "Trying (though far from terrible) Twos"? More importantly, will my dog suffer from AAPD (Anal Assault Paranoia Disorder)?
