So then we became three - Part 2

In the Summer of 2009 we moved into a parish for my husband's first curacy. We returned to the Diocese we had left two years before but to a totally different area. We were also very different to the people who had left back then. We were now parents, the Curate had a ministry to which he had just been ordained and we were shortly to be joined by Monty the labradoodle.

Monty is one of the best things that has happened to us as a family but the early days were tough! I had grown up with dogs and my parents had bought their first labrador puppy when I was three years old and so I was viewing the combination of dog and three year old through rose tinted spectacles.

I had conveniently forgotten that puppies are bouncy, nippy crazy little beings and view anyone smaller than adult as another puppy or at least as a play thing. Pups play rough together and bite and wrestle each other and Monty would attempt that with Little Bear and consequently Little Bear would be upset by him.

However as Monty has grown up and matured so his relationship with Little Bear has grown. Little Bear has more control and demands more respect and despite their equal size and weight now, Monty is far more gentle and reasonable in his behaviour with him.

Monty's presence has also given our family a new dimension. Monty is a member of our family and his status as such causes Little Bear to reflect empathetically in his dealings with Monty.

One of the best places to see Little Bear and Monty at play together happily is on our walks in our local park. Little Bear throws the ball, Monty chases it and returns it to Little Bear and so the cycle continues. They are equally excited about their trips to the park!

As he grows Little Bear shares in the responsiblities of dog ownership and this is boosting his fragile self esteem enormously.