Give a Dog a Bone

Fortunately the Little and the Hannah Dog have been getting along these days, but it's not always the case.
I remember when the Little started walking, it was really hard on Hannah; this little person was all up in her face, in her space,
and even in her water dish!  Before she got used to the idea, she was definitely a little bit upset about the whole thing.
 So I can't help but worry sometimes, at the end of the day she is an animal...
and considering that she is roughly three times his size, can you really blame me?

However, we lucked into a free seminar this weekend about toddlers and dogs at our little library,
hosted by the highly recommended Tamara of Unleashed Pawsibilities.

We definitely learned a lot, and it's sometimes always good to have some sense scared into you too: )

Did you know that when a dog's upset it's body temp rises and it's mouth gets dry so it starts licking it's lips?
Or that they sort of purse their lips?  Or lay their ears back, pulling back the skin on their head, revealing the whites of the eyes?
Or that dogs don't actually like hugs?  WHAT?!?!  This of course does not apply to our dear Hannah Dog,
as she LOVES all my hugs and kisses and cuddles, right?

Anyways, i learned that i am NOT the amazing dog / baby coordinator that i thought i was,
but rather fail quite miserably at the whole supervision thing, and need to clean up my act.
   Despite all of my jokes, we really do take this seriously, and hope and pray that everyone behaves themselves.
It certainly is a very real issue, with very real (and scary!) consequences.
Does anyone else have difficulty with their kids and pets?

Judging by these photos, as long as Jake keeps playing with her and feeding her they seem to get along just fine!

{ And Then She Snapped }

Upstairs Downstairs, with Dog

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting the Hannah Dog,

she is very much a people dog, in fact I often think she IS a person.

She has a broad range of facial expressions, deep emotions, 

and a curious number of  noises can emanate from the depts of her hairy being.

She is also often desperate to be with you, and it doesn't matter who you are, 

as long as you are human she is there.

So, much to the Hannah Dog's delight Dr. Nails was working on the stairs, 

so she can finally climb up to the second floor. 

( You would not believe the looks we would get when she couldn't come up with us )

It is fortunate that we have reached this stage for me as well,
as navigating ladders is not necessarily in a pregnant girls' best interest.

Nor does it make her feel the least bit graceful either.
And it often sheds any morsel of dignity that she may be clinging to.

Anyways, now that it is easier to get upstairs,
 the newly built deck up there is also much more accessible
to both four legged and two legged creatures.

I can see me spending some time on this deck.
And I do believe Miss Hannah will just be happy to be here with me.