Thank goodness, longer days and sunshine …flowers are popping up and I am itching to get my hands in the dirt…Ok well if I can keep my eleven helpful dogs out of the picture!! We are lucky to have many guests at a time at the Farm BUT they are not always in the right place at the right time. Digging up the dahlias and removing the carefully applied mulch from one area to another, eating some on the way. Pausing to grab a daffodil snack and then make a deposit in the rosebush section. Gardening with canines can be SO interesting, not to mention creative. I have designed my garden to include dog areas (under the Pine Tree) and dog NO GO areas.(my newly transplanted peonies). But I seem to continually miss something until it becomes evident-Oh that hole…and so this is a work in progress…

Having these wonderful animals in our lives is sometimes inconvenient, messy and irritating but the warmth and companionship cannot be measured and so we make accommodations or do we? I am meeting people every day who have made the decision to bring a dog into their home…puppies, strays, shelter dogs and the chidrens’ leftovers. It is so easy to say “yes” to a new member of the family without always understanding, I mean really understanding how much our lives are going to change!
A new dog is going to make ripples. Your space will become smaller, feelings will get ruffled and mess will be made.

Time will be taken that we would rather spend on other things. Money will be spent and miscommunications will happen… Why did we do this again? Well, just look at that sweet face…He is so cute when he is playing and a major cuddle bug!! He is delighted to see us when we get home and NEVER judgmental about our attire!! The Honeymoon period is great and then the real day to day life begins… Which, don’t get me wrong, can be pretty amazing with a best dogfriend but does, like most longterm investments, take a little planning…practical planning.

Try to imagine the next few years with your new friend and remember that the guidance you give him at the beginning of his relationship with you, will carry forward into his future. If he is on your lap and getting scraps from the table when he is teeny, why shouldn’t he do that when he is 110 lbs? If he never learned how to walk beside you when he is young or at least new, what’s to stop him pulling you down the street like a freight train when he is two years old? If he doesn’t get a daily walk, he is going to blow off that steam somewhere…maybe in your bedroom?? And yes, you may need to put a FENCE AROUND THE FLOWERS!!!

For further helpful dog suggestions and support, tune in here next month and good luck getting that garden in!!

– Janine Lazarus. Learn more about Janine at GoodLadd.net LBSPY #76. April 2016.