Learning To Live With A Princess
Posted: Wednesday, March 11, 2009
by Laura Trahan
It has been four days since the princess entered our house. It has been a very trying time on our family as we do not deal well with meeting every need of the princess.
We often times dream of leaving her in the bathroom.
Now this isn't a human princess, but a Shit Zu who thinks she is a human princess. My husband innocently came home a few weeks ago to announce he had great news. Men tend to be a little delusional at times.
"Yea!" they screamed.
Somehow, I knew this was not going to be the visit they always hoped for despite the endless when is Maddie coming questions.
Maddie is short for Madeline. She is the prima diva of my mother in law. The problem is that she knows it.
Enter Cougar. Cougar is our free off the streets dog. He is a lab mix. The owners were unsure of what he was. He is used to having his own structure, his own house and his own toys. His only care is going outside and playing with chew toys. He is clueless to the kind of life a princess dog lives.
Maddie has taunted him since she first stepped foot in this house. Cougar sleeps in a kennel at night. Maddie runs free. Cougar is up in his kennel when we are gone during the day. Maddie runs free. You get the picture.
The kids are slowly realizing the perfect angelic Maddie has some drawbacks. We kept Maddie one time before when we had not gotten Cougar. She was the perfect dog according to the kids. They asked to keep her.
Of course, they go to bed and it was the parents dealing with watching her. Not to mention it was only three minutes before my carpet was marked with her pee!
One thing is for certain she has lived the life. You would think walking into our house, she would get knocked down a few notches. Just not so.
Maddie weighs seven pounds at most. Cougar is going on 35 pounds. He could take his paw and step on her head. I know because this week he finally had enough and tried to do so. Maddie, being clueless, still antagonizes him.
She will tease him while he is in the kennel. She will try to steal his toys from him despite having a bed full of her own toys. She will come stand right in front of him and push back against him. She also decided last night that she would just jump on him and attack him, hence the paw on the head issue.
Through it all, Maddie still remains the princess and keeps them all fooled. The kids run to give kisses forgetting their own Cougar crying in the corner. Maddie runs to play with them and even gets extra treats along the way.
She has been held, loved, kissed and played with continuously. She has been the center of their world. She has even snuck a few kisses from the hubby and I.
Cougar on the other hand is getting lots of time outside, lost a tooth and punished for fighting back and barking at her.
The lesson in all of this? I guess it pays to be a princess. Or at least clueless to your surroundings!
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Hi Laura.How sad for Cougar. Poor boy! Lucky for him, she's not permanent.My mom and step-dad had a Lhasa Apso (similar in appearance and temperament to Shi Tzus) that Bernd and I would care for in our home, from time to time, when Mom and Lew would go on a business trip. She was demanding of attention, but knew when to back down. Mom had taught her some boundaries even though she was Mom's "baby."Excuse me for getting up on my soap box, but one never does an animal that lives with people any favors by not teaching it polite behavior.It seems to me that you wanted to write about this in a lighthearted manner, but (I think) a little pain has come through. I hope you weather this well.Dianne
Laura, poor Cougar!!!!! How could you let "princess" take over his domain? lol....this was a great write....Cougar is probably thinking how good of a meal "Princess" would be, I know I would. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. As far as the toys, letgo of my eggo......hee..hee...hee.....There would be one Princess due for a great butt kicking, by Cougar!!! haahahahhaha This was a great write, and I had smiles all the way through this.......Your fan, and friend in pen..........Gary
I wonder how animals see us. Great story, amen to poor Cougar. Thanks for the article.Linda D
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