My Tay-Boy

Quite a few of my friends have children now, and some of them have multiple children. I love kids and I am looking forward to having some of my own... some day. Until that time comes, I have Taylor. He is my adorable, momma's-boy, silly, cuddly, too-smart-for-his-own-good... puppy.

I can't help but compare my experiences with Taylor thus far with having an actual human-child. I usually try to keep my comparisons to myself for fear of offending my parent-friends.

Part of it may be that I try to find something in my own life that I can relate to their experiences as parents... and the closest thing I have is Taylor. People say (and warn) that getting a dog/pet (although I think it is more true for dogs) is like having a practice-baby. Kind of like the computerized dolls they give to kids in high school to simulate parenting... but not.

Taylor is not my first dog. My family has had at least one dog throughout most of my life. I got "my" first dog, Misty, when I was about 10 years old. She was a golden retriever... who didn't "retrieve" until she was 10 years old, and then only if you threw it no more than 6 feet away. More often than not she would go get the ball, then get distracted by something shiny/something she thought might be edible/roll on the ball and fight with her tail. She might have been a bit ditzy, but she was smart and the sweetest dog ever. She passed away last summer at 14 years old.

I wasn't planning on getting a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever for at least a couple of years but then my mom and I met an amazing breeder and got to see the 1 week old litter she just had in January of 08. Then we went back and saw the puppies again at 5 weeks. Taylor, then "Chianti," made his way to lay between my feet and rested his head on my foot. I was hooked. Three weeks later we brought home two Toller puppies... Taylor and his brother, Sunny (then "Bruno").


Taylor knows that he is mine... and in his mind, I am his.
He's a momma's-boy. He hides behind me when he is trying to keep the other dog's from taking his tennis ball, or when he is frightened. (He's kind of a wuss, too...)
He cries for attention.
He has a bed time (9:30pm).
When he gets tired but doesn't want to admit it, he goes crazy and gets super playful (like a toddler).
I have to keep him in mind when I make plans... I can't really do whatever I want.
He goes to "daycare." (I drop him off at my mom's during work because I don't have a place to stay for longer periods of time while I'm not at home.)
He sits and stares at me when he wants something. (I tell him to "use your words" but he just tilts his head and continues staring.)
"The boys" pick on my sister. They squabble like siblings.

Obviously there are many, MANY differences between having a puppy and having a child. For now, I am content with my puppy.