Dog's, kids, and food...

Some of you may know that we are the proud owners of an American Water Spaniel called Teddy Roosevelt. For most of the last year I've adjusted to having my first ever dog. Our girls love him and have bonded much more than I expected to this sweet pile of curly brown fur. Originally I wanted to have a small but hearty hunting dog and the AWS fit the bill. Now I'm glad that we got a pet who's very good with the kids and seems to just fit in as part of the family. Everyone (except the cat) is most delighted that Teddy lives with us.

I am an active owner. I get the pup out every morning for at least 30 minutes on the run. Its been good for my health and his. I am a few pounds lighter and the pup and I have really bonded over exercise. On the whole Teddy is pretty adventurous. He's brought in a few pheasants and has really taken to the whole retrieving regimen that happens at noon time 5 or 6 times a week. Teddy gets out 3 times a week for long runs off leash in a nearby park that's great for cross country skiing and running. He just seems to love being out in the open

The one challenge right now is that Teddy moves in fast to sneak a snack from our table. He's sneaky and he's fast. We'll often catch him in the corner of our eyes just as his floppy spaniel ears are gliding back across our table in search of a seemingly ignored piece of bread or scrap of meat. When I'm eating alone at the table this is never an issue, but with kids who get up and down over and over each meal he has plenty of chances to sneak up and grab fast for a little extra grub.

In our house the most logical room for our puppy was the kitchen/dining room. It has a nice easy to clean hard (but not wood) floor. It has easy access to the front and back door and gives the puppy a place for his toys, water, and food bowl. The one illogical thing about having a dog in the kitchen is his access to the food.

Its tempting to exclude the dog, banishing him to run in the living room during meals; but Teddy's very social and our family is more likely to be together at the table 2 or 3 times a day than in any other space in the house.

When Teddy does jump up on the table he either gets a strong talking to while I'm holding his snout, or, as happened tonight, he gets trotted quickly into the kennel which sits conveniently next to our table.