We adopted Riley Bear about 1 year ago this week, and we have loved this furry guy from the moment we laid eyes on him.
Getting a dog has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Of course, life circumstances prevented me from having a dog, but in some ways I think we had to wait until we could meet Riley Bear.
Forgive this sappy post, but while I always thought that having a dog would be a fun experience, I realized that not only is it fun, it is rewarding and I have seen the kids learn a great deal of empathy from owning a pet.
Something, I didn't really plan on.
Sure, you think of kids learning responsibility, and enjoyment from a pet, but Riley has taught us much more.
He has taught us (count myself in this) to be unselfish. The kids know that we can go out and have fun, only after we exercise and play with our dog. At first this was hard. They thought that having a dog was like having a toy. You can put it away, when going somewhere! Well, they quickly found out that's not the case. The dog needs love, food, exercise, attention etc. Fast fw to 1 year, and now, they don't seem to mind! They know that doing this for their pet, not only makes him healthy, but it also brings happiness to him, which they understand to be as important as their own happiness.
Riley has taught us empathy... This is something you see in Parenting books; how to teach your kids empathy. And to be honest, if you want a kid to be empathetic, take him to volunteer at the dog shelter. The kids learned so much just from the visit we took when adopting Riley. They know that Riley was abandoned, and that he was alone at an early age. This knowledge, has taught them to not only be thankful for what they have, but also to understand and be sensitive to others and their situations. They love Riley, and are patient with him. They love on Riley and help him when he can't figure things out (like getting a ball that gets stuck under the couch) which brings me to the next lesson..
He has taught us to be patient.. I needed to be reminded of this. Riley is stubborn. He likes what he likes, and lets you know, with no problems. When we brought Riley home we needed to be patient. Between the potty training, the chewing, the whining.... yeah... I remember having a 'moment' with him one night, after he kept whining at night, when I just took him out to to potty (and I had an attitude about it), and after he was done, I scooped the little booger up, and he looked up at me, and with his paw held my hand. It was weird, but it reminded me of when my kids were babies. That look of helplessness, and full trust in me. It reminded me of the love I had for my family, and now for him. I re-grouped, and decided to slow down, and continue to be patient. That those special moments of (babies and puppies) go by WAY too fast, and are fleeting. I learned to take it and just go with it, and here we are 1 year later.. doing a photoshoot!
Riley Bear, is not only a dog, he is our family dog.
And we love him.
Jazmin
xoxo
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