Pets in the Family

We love our sweet little pup very much.  My hubby still fondly remembers our old golden retriever we welcomed apart of the family for 15 years, and still refers to when we had a "real dog."  Pup has grown on him too after three years.  Our problem is that pup really thinks he is more than a pet, that he has a distinct role in the family pecking order, and that he should dictate how the flow of the day goes.  If we break routine, we get a thorough tongue lashing. When he is ready to retire for the night, he gets cranky, doing that odd snorty-sneezy thing dogs do, until we all go to bed, or a least I go to bed. Every morning, he hops up in my daughters bed for a morning snuggle, just enough to make sure she is awake, then he hops down to be let outside. When I come home from work, usually trying to make a bee line for the bathroom after an hour commute, he waits, whining outside the bathroom door, for his pet and snuggle from me. He believes I should be the designated "poo" walker, and if someone else takes him, but I am home, I get bawled out by him once he is back. He demands about 30 minute of rough play time with my hubby each night, and will snub others trying to play, until he feels he's gotten enough of his masters attention.

We have an interesting dynamic right now with pup and "pig".  In the five years between the golden passing away, and bringing pup home, DD#2 had a guinea pig, a sweet little guy that was almost puppy like in his character, but gentile, and social, and a nice companion for her.  He would walk around on a towel while she did home work, or read, or watched TV.  When we brought pup home, the little dog just became acclimated right away to the guinea pig-the pet that was here first.  Sadly, we lost that little guy right after Christmas.  He was about the age they are expected to live, but it was a sad loss for all of us, pup included.  He would sit in the empty cage spot, and looked very forlorn.  Months went by, and pup seemed to move on. 

In August, DD#2 got a new pet guinea pig. We just refer to him as "pig".  Pig is not like the last guy.  This one is anxious, wiry, and even more social, calling for attention when he hears us up in the morning, and wants to run when he is out of his habitat.  He likes to run at pup.  He likes to try and climb on pup. It is very funny to watch.  Pup is very gentle, but he gives us all looks like, "who let this thing in here?"  When we feed the guinea pig, we get a little bark from pup to ensure we don't forget him.  If we give pig a piece of celery, or other veggie treat, pup immediately runs to the cupboard his treats are in. This is behavior he never did with the old guinea pig. 

There is some big time pet jealousy going on. However, we have little signs pig might be gaining acceptance.  Tonight, pup got a treat first, then ran over to the guinea pig cage perhaps to remind us to get something for pig too.  Maybe it was just to gloat.