10 Things I Learned from the Spoodle in the First Fortnight

1. The early bird catches the worm. (Where the worm is actually a stinky Spoodle poo.)

I'm not a morning person by nature. That's just not where my body finds its natural rhythm, so getting up very early is not normally something I do unless forced to by a Spoodle who simply cannot wait. My mind and spirit, however, love it. Being up earlier gives me a little quiet time and helps set me up for a productive day. I also get to walk around for a couple of hours with that slightly smug little smile that you morning people so often have pasted to your shiny, annoying, condescending faces.... Ahem...

2. Work expands or contracts to fill available time.

I struggled to fit everything into my day when I had one child. If anything I'm a little more organised and efficient with two children, but I still struggle to fit everything into my day. Generally speaking, my level of struggle definitely did not worsen with the addition of a second child. Add a very demanding baby Spoodle, requiring constant supervision, into the equation and what do you get? That's right, no real difference to what I get done in a day. If anything, the house has been much tidier because  of number 3.

I conclude from this that that perpetual state of not quite fitting everything into my day is a fraud I'm perpetrating on myself. It's clearly a psychological barrier. Now I'll have to see what the Spoodle has to offer by way of a solution.

3. Pick up after yourself.

If something is on the floor, I need to pick it up before the Spoodle makes it a chew toy. The Spoodle is helping all of us form healthy habits that we didn't have enough incentive to properly assimilate before.

4. Embrace the transience of all things.

I have decluttered. Oh, how I have decluttered. I decluttered once; then read Kim John Payne's wonderful book, Simplicity Parenting, and then decluttered some more. I am still decluttering. In some areas I've really only just begun. In others, however, we are surrounded almost exclusively by objects that are useful or loved. Everything has a purpose, even if it is to look beautiful or make us happy.

I must admit, while I don't at all consider myself a materialistic person, it has pained me to find some of those remaining objects Spoodle-chomped. In this way, the Spoodle reminds me that all things are transient. It's right and good to value them and care for them, but a time will come to let them go and when it does, it's best just to exhale slowly and calmly send the Spoodle outside for a few minutes while you assess the damage.

5. A little bit of discipline is a good thing.

Whether it's self imposed or external, we all function better with a bit of firm gentle discipline. It helps us feel secure and calm. It helps us get things done. It helps distract us from licking a small child's tasty tasty ear. Even at this early stage, "Come" and "Sit" are proving powerful spoodle-wrangling tools.

Discipline and dried liver treats - a winning combination in any context.

6. Set out to make friends with everyone. - Don't stop wagging your tail even when they hiss in your face.

I think this is a good way to be. I'm not sure I can emulate it, however. I'm a sensitive soul and the hissing I encounter effects me more than it should, but I like that the Spoodle doesn't take Kitty's hissing too personally. A wag of the tail doesn't cost him much and Kitty really does seem to be coming around slowly (or at least her more recent hisses seem to lack their earlier gusto.)

7. You can never predict the path of friendship

Ni loves the Spoodle and the Spoodle loves Ni, let's be clear. He's a family dog, but ultimately, he is her baby. However, everything in Ni's body language and tone just happens to speak boisterous, pointy-toothed play to the Spoodle. From 'Hello' to 'Back off Spoodle, I'm trying to sleep.' the Spoodle hears, 'Let's play in an exuberant manner. Please feel free to jump on me and why not use your teeth for the purposes of mouthing?'

Ni is working to find her inner she-wolf and the Spoodle is being trained and will one day loose his mad puppy ways, so this will sort itself out soon enough.

In the meantime, while Ly still suffers the occasional unsolicited spoodling, for the most part, she and the puppy seem to have something of an understanding. He prances along beside her as she toddles about, demonstrating his ability to heel far better than he does for me and a liver treat. They play in the dirt together, digging side by side. He snuffles about under her highchair during meals; she drops most of her food down to him. She takes lovely, expensive toys down from low shelves and gives them to the Spoodle; he destroys them. At this stage in their respective developments, they seem perfectly matched.

When the Spoodle does get out of hand, Ly tends to either stand still, patiently waiting for rescue (which is always near at hand) or grab him in a firm headlock. Either of these methods seem infinitely more effective than Ni's technique of squeeing loudly while backing away on tiptoes.

8. Don't neglect old friends for the novelty of cute fluffy new ones. 

Old friends can sneak up and claw you when you least expect it... 

...Or they can drift away while you're pre-occupied and when you crave the things that only they can give you (like that warm contented purr), they may well have moved on to be with other friends who always remember that spot behind their ears where they like to be scratched.

9. Sometimes having more friends enhances existing relationships.

Perhaps it's only because she's seen her role as top pet on the food chain under threat, but Kitty has dropped a little of her customary aloofness and become far more affectionate with all of us since the Spoodle arrived. Today she lay tolerantly and allowed Ly to bend over and gently rub her little chest on Kitty's soft fluffy side. It was only when Ly touched her nose and giggled that she decided the whole experience was degrading and ponced off into another room.

Not that we should be aiming to make our friends jealous, of course, but often spending time with others will allow us to bring new perspectives to old friendships.

10. Sometimes it's best to just hand over a problem or challenge or Spoodle to someone better able to deal with it.

Or, if necessary, someone less able to deal with it, but more willing to give you a break from asking every two and a half minutes, "What the hell is he chewing on now?"

And that is why the Spoodle has been having sleepovers in the garage with That Guy.

That Guy is giving the Spoodle the rock-like calm he needs to find peace at bedtime and back in the house we are returning to the peace of our own bedtime rhythms, which after a long day, simply cannot accommodate an excitable Spoodle as well as two excitable children and a grumpy parent.