Photo by Mary Ellen "Angel Scribe"
Mama Brigette with her two-year-old son, Declan, named after an Irish Saint, and three-year-old Golden Doodle, Abbey, who demonstrates the patience of a Saint with the toddler! 

The family is so focused on “play time” at West Vancouver's Ambleside Bark Park that they don’t see the cruise ship heading to Alaska!

“My husband and I fell in love with Abbey, a Golden Doodle, the minute we laid eyes on her,” said Brigette. “She was over the top cute, and you could already see her breed’s well known traits of intelligence, loyalty and gentle demeanor with children in her sweet little face.

We were planning on having a family so we were also drawn to the fact that she was a non-shedding dog.  Golden Doodles are said to be a hypo-allergenic breed, but it depends on the dog’s dominant genetic traits. Abbey is 50% Golden Retriever - I don't know if any dog is truly allergy proof to everyone.

After Declan was born and for the next few months, Abbey wasn't sure what to make of it all. (Neither were we!) Abbey looked sad and jealous as she watched me holding the baby, instead of cuddling her. My husband and I made a commitment so that Abbey received attention and alone time with us. Having her was a blessing as she encouraged us to go for lots of walks. Soon, she came to love the baby. If the baby was coming for a walk then he was useful to her after all!

Nowadays, Abby is lovely around Declan and has the patience of a saint. She doesn't flinch when Declan yells and grabs her tail, although I'm sure she doesn't like it one bit. It is amazing how gentle she is. When he cries, she comes over to check on him and gives him a little kiss - truly a heart warming moment that happens regularly.

Our son thinks that Abbey is a celebrity. Whenever she walks by, he laughs and yells her name with glee, pronouncing it 'Abba'. In fact, besides mama and dada, Abba is one of the only words he uses. He repeats her name about a hundred times a day, always with sheer delight! He absolutely adores ‘his’ dog.

It is wonderful for our son to grow up with a dog as a family member. Dogs nurture and demonstrate a pure unconditional love, not to mention responsibility and empathy in its two legged family. The love bond between a human and a dog is a very deep and special connection. It's important for our son to feel that Abbey is an important part of our family, and that she deserves as much respect, nurture, and love as any of us.

Abbey is a great teacher.  She will teach us about love, life, and when the time comes ... even death. Every day she helps us realize that it's the small, simple things in life that sometimes have the most importance and give us the most joy; a quiet walk in the rain, splashing in the puddles, the warmth and softness of her head as she lays it on our lap, the unbridled happiness that a wagging tail can show, as we are greeted eagerly at the door. Yes, simply wonderful moments of joy.

Abbey towers above Declan in height and she weighs more than him. She has a tendency to get overly playful, and our son has received some scratches, but he is learning about dog boundaries at the same time. Occasionally, when he's trying to throw a stick for her, she’ll enthusiastically bump him and knock him right down. Declan loves it though, and whenever he sees a stick on the ground, he points at them and yells 'Abba'.

Almost everything Abbey does makes our son smile and he breaks into spontaneous laughter when she walks into the room. His favorite thing in the world is playing with ‘his’ dog. And Abbey’s is playing with her little buddy, Declan.”

“I would not recommend having a puppy and a baby together,” advises Brigette. “It is a  challenge! We adopted Abbey at eight-weeks-old, four months before I became pregnant. It would've been even more difficult having two newborns at the same time! Make sure, first of all, that your heart is into it, and that you love and understand the needs of young dogs. They require a lot of attention!

My best advice is simply to admit that it is an extremely demanding time, but also a rewarding one. I have Abbey to thank for countless walks in the rain that always lifted my spirits, walks that I would never have taken without her. Also, keep your eye on the prize: a newborn and a puppy is a difficult combination; however, a child and his dog are a wonderful pair. They truly are best friends. It just takes a time to get there.

Also, while I was in the hospital with Declan, Abbey was well taken care of by a family member, in her own home, and sent a blanket with our son's smell on it, so that she could 'meet' him beforehand. When we arrived home, we met her outside, and did our introductions on neutral territory. We also made sure to give her just as much attention, and exercise, as we did before the baby’s birth.”

Hair Raising information!
Have you found hair in your pet’s kibble?
Http://truthaboutpetfood.com/hair-for-the-dog-and-cat/

Mary Ellen's Silver Persians swam their way into readers and viewer's hearts! They have appeared in International magazines and newspapers around the world. (France, England, Canada, China, Germany, USA, etc.)

Also, several National and International TV shows featured the swimming felines teaching pet-water-safety. And their furry faces appeared on a line of shirts.