Can This Old Dog Learn New Tricks?

Our granddaughter bought a puppy. It feels weird to us, but we love that she made the decision and is taking on extra responsibilities.

Pet-Free Beginnings

Neither my husband nor I grew up with pets. My father was allergic to animals, so other than being around horses and chickens, we had no pets. John, my husband, grew up the same way. His father worked on the railroad and was absent much of the time. His mother was raising three kids and didn’t want the added burden.

When our girls were young, we thought about having a pet, but John’s allergies prohibited that from happening. We were also busy with taking advanced degrees and working full-time. Our girls never experienced pets and they never complained or felt slighted by this decision.

When Pets Join the Family

After our daughters were married, their husbands felt differently. It was not an immediate decision, but once both girls had children, the husbands made their wishes known. Pets needed to be part of their growing family. They made the decision to get dogs. One family had a little dog, the other had a lab. The grandkids loved the dogs and they were now a complete family. I always thought our family was complete, but little did I know what complete meant.

John and I enjoyed visiting the dogs in their homes and even offered to take them for walks when they were out of town. Because of John’s allergic reactions, we couldn’t take care of them at our house. They were good dogs and the grandkids really enjoyed their company. Yes, there were times when I wondered if we should have had pets while our daughters were growing up, but I quickly put that thought aside.

Indy’s Arrival

Now, our granddaughter has a dog, Indy. She’s just a puppy, but won’t grow much bigger than she is now. She’s such a cutie with so much enthusiasm and energy. I can understand how our granddaughter loves her new pet and enjoys her company. I’m sure Indy keeps her very busy. Fortunately, the apartment she lives in is on the first floor and has a small patio—just perfect for a pet!

They live in Kansas City, so I had only seen pictures until their visit to Lincoln for Christmas, when my granddaughter brought the dog along as her companion. And companions they are! They play together, wrestle together and think the other is their best friend in the world.

A Sign of My Grandkids Growing Up

I asked my other three grandkids if they were going to get a pet. The two granddaughters said they were too busy with their work schedules and couldn’t handle the extra time needed for pets. Our grandson said maybe, but that it would probably be a cat. He went on to explain cats were more self sufficient and not as needy as dogs. Since I’ve had neither, I just nodded my head in agreement. I don’t know if he’s actually been around cats, but I could not question his response, only act like I knew what he was talking about.

I think this is another sign of my grandkids growing up and taking on new responsibilities. We are enjoying each and every moment with them, unless we have to clean up after Indy. We’re more accustomed to diapers—hopefully John and I don’t have to change each other’s soon!