On training a child and raising a dog, I mean....

training a dog and raising a child.  Really, it sometimes feels like it's all the same.  (At least, it does for right now).

When we decided to sell our house at the end of March, our realtor strongly suggested finding a place for Ollie for while it was on the market.  Her reasoning made a lot of sense - it's hard enough to keep a house show-ready with a baby, much less a 75lb dog, plus, not everyone is a dog lover, and some people have it made up in their minds that they don't want to live in a house after a dog has.

So, Ollie went and stayed with my parents, on their 110 acres.  He and their dog, a german shepherd named Athena, were able to run freely through open fields, explore in the woods, and take a dip in the creek, all at their leisure.  They slept in the garage and were, basically, outdoor dogs by day.

Ollie loved it.  He ended up being there from the very end of March, until September 5th, when we moved into our apartment, since the whole Mays clan was there after the house sold.  Now, he's gone from having free reign of 110 acres, to having less than 1000 square feet.

I have to be honest, I was not excited to be transitioning back to apartment life after owning our own townhouse and then living at my parents.  I also have to be honest about saying a few times that the apartment is "too small for a married couple, a child and a 75lb dog".  My wonderful husband lovingly reminded me that people all over the world, with bigger families, live in much smaller spaces.  He also reminded me of some dear friends we have that live in a small 2 bedroom 1 bathroom house with their THREE children and dog about the size of Ollie.  We DO NOT need more space.  That is the great American lie.  We can do just fine with far less than we think.

Anyhow, it's been fine being back in a smaller space (even with my folks coming and staying with us for a few days), but it's still a challenge living with a dog and baby who aren't so used to interacting.  It's not that they want to hurt each other, but they don't realize that they have sharp claws, or that they shouldn't pull tails.  I feel like a constant referee, Ollie, "don't lick Eli", "Eli don't lick Ollie" (sadly, that isn't a joke).  I have to be sure Ollie doesn't go to scratch his nose and puncture Eli in the process, or that Eli doesn't pounce on Ollie and decide to pull out a bit of hair for an afternoon snack.  It can certainly be exhausting.

However, we've learned little things to help make the adjustment better.  Ollie isn't allowed in Eli's room, which makes it easier for E to play on the floor without me having to interfere as much.  When I have to go into the kitchen or bathroom, into the pack n play Eli goes.  We're getting there...

But today, I found myself using a dog trick on Eli.  He was headed to the shoes, which are his favorite chew toy (see why I get them confused??) and I wanted him to keep away from the shoes and come back to where I was, without my having to get up from my food.  So, what'd I do?  I called him "Eli, come get this" and I threw a gourd from my table arrangement on the floor.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I resorted to throwing things (gourds, no less) for Eli (yes, the child, not the dog) to come fetch.  Then, when Ollie came running after it, I said "not you Ollijah".  Oh dear.

Really and truly though, Ollie is a wonderful dog, who lets Eli play with him and never seems to mind being crawled over.  Eli LOVES Ollie and enjoys chasing him around the apartment.  They are ridiculously cute together, and are sure to become the best of pals.  Even if they end up driving their mama a little nuts in the process :)