Training for Parenthood

While nothing can really prepare you for being a parent, I do believe that having pets can give you a basic understanding of caring for something that relies solely on you for their livelihood. However, if the way we have raised are dogs is any indication as to how we will raise our children, Social Services will be up in our business all day long. Ok, ok, so perhaps I exaggerate just a bit. But bless their puppy dog hearts they have had a rough life. From being struck by lightening, to eating rat poison, to getting locked in the bathroom for hours, to wondering off and getting lost, these dogs have been through it all.

We do everything we can to keep our dogs safe. They go to the vet on a regular basis, we give them heart worm pills, we have a fenced-in back yard so they can't get out. We don't let them out in the front yard unless we are with them (ok, so maybe we have left the front door open a couple of times hence the wondering off and getting lost part above - but they have digital ID chips in them for just that reason). Bottom line, we do what we can to make sure they are safe and happy. Just like any parent of a child would do.

Now I know that as children get older, they tend to get into more trouble. And that leads to the ever popular parental "talks". Parents have talks with their kids about everything from the birds and the bees to school grades to drugs. But who would have thought that one day, we would be having one of these "talks" with Caesar and Cleo.

You see, the other day we had to have the "Smoking is bad for you" talk with the dogs. I know, I know. You probably think we've lost our minds. Why would we need to have a talk about smoking with a couple of dogs? It's not like a dog can light one up any time they please. But on Monday, when I got home from work, I walked into the bedroom and saw this. A pack of cigarettes lying on the doggie bed just as pretty as you please.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the pack of cigarettes lying there. Neither one of us smokes so where did the cigarettes come from? Did they run down the street to the store and purchase a pack?

Then, I remembered, the box! The box is a decorative cigar box that Chip picked up at a cigar shop. It contains old RJR memorabilia, including, you guessed it, cigarettes! Chip and I believe that Caesar and Cleo scope out the house for things they can get in to when we leave the house. They act all sad when we leave but as soon as that door shuts and the car backs out of the drive way they are into what ever they can find. This time, it happened to be the cigarette box.

So, after I made this little discovery, I did what every other mother would do in this situation. I looked into those brown puppy dog eyes and said "Wait until your father gets home!"

Chip gets home and I show him the cigarettes. He thinks it's quite funny. But we form a united front, look both of them in the eye, hold the pack of cigarettes up to their faces and say "Bad doggies!" "No, no!" That was the extent of our talk. I mean seriously, they are dogs. Do you think they understood and learned their lesson? I would like to think so. But just in case they didn't the box is now on the top shelf of the bookcase, out of reach of curious doggie paws.