The evil that is me
I have two beautiful dogs. I loathe them. Before Oscar came, they meant the world to me. Now, they are simply an annoyance at every turn. I have turned into someone I don’t even recognize when it comes to them.
Before Oscar, the boys and I had a lovely little life. We played together, slept on the same bed together, hung out on the sofa together, went to the beach together - you know – all the lazy things people do before they have kids. I knew there would be trouble with one of the dogs, Max, an imperious, narcissistic whippet when I brought Oscar home. What I had not considered was that I myself would be a problem.
My dogs have gone from being the center of attention in my life to ancillary objects. Riley, the retriever, loves to be around Oscar. He’s even quite protective of him, although he has taken to eating his plastic toys and shredding paper in the house. Max, though, has become a monster. He jumps onto the table and counter-tops and eats food – primarily food prepared for Oscar. They each frequently push themselves in front of Oscar in order to get between him and me, at times knocking the baby down. Neither has ever been at all aggressive towards him, but they’re just clumsy, which of course frustrates me.
I think what it comes down to is that the baby and the dogs just seem like too much. I don’t have enough time and attention for all three of them, so obviously I’m going to choose Oscar. At times I feel horrible for the dogs – they must look around and wonder what on earth has happened to them. I mean, they’re still living a great life, but they’re certainly not getting the love and attention they once were. The horrible part is that I don’t really feel the same way about them. Is that typical? I still like hanging out with them when Oscar is asleep, but while he’s awake, I’m likely to ignore them almost completely.
I’m not going to get rid of them (as was suggested by a friend (who is a cat person)). I wouldn’t do that. My vet suggested hiring a behaviorist (you know, a dog psychologist). Got to say, that’s not going to happen. I feel like I’m the one who needs the intervention. Is it possible that I’ll outgrow this post-adoption distaste for dogs?
2 Comments »
Leave a Reply
-
Etta’s Hats
Where I’ve Been
Before I had kids, I had this intense love of animals, especially dogs and cats. And of course, as soon as we moved to the country, we had to get a dog. Now, we have two dogs and a cat, and it’s just not the same for me as it was before I had kids. The cat is really not a problem, because he can take care of himself for the most part, but sometimes I feel like we should just find a new home for the dogs. Taking care of them really is a hassle more times than not, and they also sometimes unintentionally hurt my kids. But, the kids love those dogs and would be crushed if we got rid of them. I’m not at all mean to them, but sometimes it’s just too much, like you said. Maybe there are some super mothers out there who can handle giving both their dogs and kids all the attention they need. Needless to say, that’s not me. And I’ll bet those ladies’ kids are older, and can help out a bit.
My sister felt the same way about her dog and two cats before she had a baby. After the way the dog found a few home and one of the cats went to live with my parents (this is what happens to all banished pets in my sister’s home). She suddenly just couldn’t stand the dog and all his barking and boisterous energy. He never did anything to suggest he would hurt my niece, he just made my sister crazy. I think this is probably normal.
I do worry about my cat. She is self-sufficient, but anyone that visits my cat will tell you that she definitely does not get her box emptied very often. I’m not sure what will happen once I get one of my kids home.