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Puppy Love

We adopted our giant fur ball when he was only 8 months old.  Weighing in at just under 60 pounds and full of energy...he was the best addition to our little home.  At the time, Jordan and I weren't even married.  Getting a dog seemed like the perfect next step in our relationship...however, adopting Cody also seemed to get the ball rolling on other things!  Within days we were engaged and three weeks later we found out I was pregnant - life was about to get really exciting!  But through it all, Cody was given the best life we could give him.  Fast forward 5 years, we now have 3 kids, a happy marriage and a 90 pound goldendoodle who really is the greatest dog I've ever met.  Sure, I'm a little biased, but what dog owner isn't? 
 
Looking back he was my number one running buddy, best friend to our oldest son, my husband's favourite sidekick - and he had the best spot on our bed! ...right in the middle!  I find it so hard to say and even harder to write...but things changed - for me that is.  I definitely got caught up trying to be the best mom to three kids.  In the process, I forgot what it meant to be Cody's mom too.  It's ironic, because I think part of being a good parent means teaching your children to appreciate all living things.  Having a pet gives you that perfect opportunity...but in recent months I wasn't living up to the task.
 
Last month I watched my two year old daughter Georgia, yell at our dog Cody because he came into her bedroom.  I was speechless...I couldn't even talk to her about it.  Instead, I grabbed the first book I could find and went on with our usual bedtime routine.  I went to bed that night feeling as though I had completely failed as a parent - at least in the area of raising pets.  I knew Georgia's actions were a learned behaviour and even worse...I was the teacher.  Life at home with 3 little kids had become hectic, crazy at times, tiring and sometimes stressful.  I think in my efforts to maintain a certain level of balance - I had forgotten to pay attention to our dog Cody.  Even worse, I had learned to take out my frustrations on him - now my children were modeling this same behaviour.  Cody came into our lives 5 years ago and gave us some of the best moments we've had together as a family...it was time I made some positive changes and reminded my family how much I really cared for him.

Here are some of the things my hubby and I have started doing in order to remind Cody (and our kids) how important he is to our family:
  • Cody broke his back leg last spring just weeks before baby Jack was born.  After months of rehabilitation, and several setbacks, he finally started to show signs of a full recovery.  While he may never run long distances again, he loves to get outside and chase his tennis ball up and down our court.  We now try to get him out as often as we can.  When I'm on my own with kids...we often play in the backyard so that I can keep an eye on all 4 of them!
  • Every weekend we now plan a long family walk to one of the local parks or trails and Cody joins us every time!  He even came tobogganing with us last month!
    Yup - they went down the hill together!
  • Every couple of weeks Georgia and I bake dog biscuits for Cody.  We started this at Christmas and he loves all the new flavours we've come up with!
  • We've started giving Hudson and Georgia simple responsibilities when it comes to Cody...Hudson always helps with letting Cody in and out and does his best to wipe his paws.  Georgia loves helping daddy clean up the yard.  She walks around out back with her shovel and bag, pointing to everything she sees - she makes daddy pick it up though!
  • We never leave the house now without giving Cody a big hug!  I always used to tell him where I was going and when I would be back...I've recently started doing this again.
  • We now encourage Cody to join us for story time - which means he gets to jump up on all the beds!
Since we've started implementing these positive changes and re-introducing activities we used to do with Cody - we've witnessed some of the best moments between Cody and all three of our kids.  I always knew in my heart what a wonderful dog I had...but seeing him happily interact with our family and love every minute of it brings such a smile to my face.  Seeing them together acts as a constant reminder of the kind of dog owner I want to be.  Moving forward, I know our lives will continue to be hectic...but Cody will always be an important part of our family - and we'll continue to remind him of that - every chance we get!
 
Photos from our family walk last weekend! ...It was sooooo cold!
 
Taking the lead!
 
The Whole Gang!
 
Mommy and baby Jack.
 
I got the ball dad!
 
Probably his favourite human.
 
Selfie!
 
Besties!
 
Break Time...on the neighbours front lawn!
 
Walking himself home!
 
Home at last!


Have a wonderful weekend!

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