Toddlers

By Joe Rector

Amy and I are blessed to have had two wonderful children. Lacey and then Dallas filled our young lives with all sorts of joys, and even the woes weren’t so bad when we look at them in hindsight. Our children learned the importance of an education, and both earned college degrees. No, that hasn’t made them better than others; those degrees just assured that they would have a chance, that more doors would open to them.

We completed the first parts of our jobs when Dallas earned his degree. We always planned to be part of their lives, but becoming “empty-nesters” was also exciting, even more so when we retired. Of course, the old adage that “man plans and God laughs” applies here.

Amy wanted another dog after my Jack Russell Snoop died. I wasn’t big on it, but when it came time, I, in fact, picked out the dog from her picture. Sadie was meant to be ours. She’d already been selected by another family, but they gave her back when she had an accident in the house. See, our coming together was meant to be.

This little girl, part Schnauzer and part Border Collie, came for a visit and never left our home. For the last 10-11 years, she’s been our baby. We’ve taken her with us on visits to Nashville, and the dog proved to be the perfect traveler.

After Dallas passed, we had to decide whether to give up his dog, Harvey, for adoption or to keep him. In the end, Harvey stayed with us. He’s some kind of hound that was rescued during the time Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. Now, “Harve the Marve” is a different kind of pup. His hound characteristics are dominant.

In the blink of an eye, our lives have changed. We are the parents of two toddlers, each that weighs somewhere north of seventy pounds. For us who are in our seventies, picking up one of them is a “back-straining-gut-buster!” According to research, a dog usually has the IQ of a three-year-old human. I think both are much smarter.

One reason to marvel at their intelligence is their ability to tell time. Each and every evening, those two mutts rise from their places and begin whining, barking, and looking deep into our eyes to make us aware that 5:00 has arrived and that we are tardy with food. Just like some men who worked hard days back in the ‘50s, our two canines expect supper to be served at 5, and not a minute later.

These two can tell time at other times during the day. Each evening, one or both begin a whine and include a pitiful look at 8:00 p.m. That’s bedtime for them. What they refuse to do is go to the bedroom alone. They expect me to deliver treats to them as they lie on the bed. Most nights, Sadie remains on the bed, but Harvey sneaks back into the family room. There, he hops on the couch and snuggles with me. Eventually, I head to bed and fight for a place to lie down and have at least a portion of the covers. Four of us fill the king-sized bed, and by morning, Harvey has wormed his way from the foot of the bed to some place between Amy and me.

Our travel plans have severely changed. To be honest, we just can’t take two bigger dogs on vacations. A boarding facility is necessary, and that cost sometimes makes vacation a bit pricey. At that same time, both dogs are older, and neither of us wants to leave them for long periods of time. Leaving them at home and having someone drop in doesn’t work too well. Harvey is prone to diving into the trash. He also becomes nervous and marks his territory by raising a back leg.

Even though our later years have turned out differently, Amy and I aren’t complaining. Sadie and Harvey are loving dogs. Their barks are ear-piercing, but we know they’re protecting us. After supper, we all climb onto the couch. Once settled, the furry ones fall fast asleep until their internal clocks ring at 8:00 p.m., at which time they walk down the hall, hop on the bed, and enjoy a treat.

Amy and I admit that we are trained. Our dogs have us on a tight schedule. We don’t mind. Being parents to two toddlers on four legs is a privilege. One thing is for sure: no one can ever love us more than Sadie and Harvey. That’s comforting to us old folks.