Our Dog is a Wimp

This is Granby and he is our dog. But don't tell him that, Granby truly believes he is our first born child.

He demonstrates behaviour similar to what I've seen in older children when a new baby comes along: he is needy, attention starved and has separation anxiety. We left him alone on Halloween night for 20 minutes and he ate half a baguette and pooped on Eloise's train set, right on the tracks. Clearly some sibling angst.

Granby is clever and good at getting what he wants. He likes to sit shotgun in the car, sleep on beds and rest his head on a pillow. He is a wimp and hates going outside when it is wet. The only way he will do his business in the rain or cold is if you stand outside with him. He watches tv with Eloise and growls protectively at dog-like animals onscreen (real, cartoon, or puppet). Like Eloise, it's not enough for Granby to be with you, he needs to be on you. Unlike Eloise, he is 60 pounds and quite bony.

Granby is also the best dog I know. He is gentle and even more patient; he lets Eloise ride him, chase him, pull his hair and never gets upset when she takes away his ball. He cleans up after Eloise's meals, taking the place of a mid-day vacuum in our kitchen. His constant yearn for attention is certainly annoying, but our loving Granby is the reason Eloise's first word was 'dog' and why her face lights up when she sees him every morning. 

He is definitely my girl's best friend.