My step kids's mom decided to give away one of their dogs (due to her new marriage.) It didn't seem fair for the kids to experience a divorce, two weddings and then the loss of a dog- all in a couple of years...so, I decided we would adopt their dog.
The first day, one of my step daughter's brought Dixie over for a visit. She was a little unsure of herself and stayed close to her little 14 year old master. The second visit- we moved her in: new bed, some toys, and a rawhide.
Did I mention we already have two dogs? (a Westie/Schauzer mix- that's 9 lbs soaking wet, and a 35lb Chow Chow/Golden Retriever that's 13 years old.) In other words- a very hyper tiny dog and an old, peaceful, slow, medium dog. Dixie is a full bred German Shepherd that weighs almost as much as me! She lives outside and her job is to guard the house.
Our first full day, we brought the two dogs outside to meet their new step sister. There was a little growling and some sniffing. The second day was a little less growling and a little more sniffing.
Gradually, over the first month, the three dogs have learned to accept each other into the pack. Wouldn't it be nice if our stepfamilies could accept each other, just as easily, in only a month? Well- it helps that the new dog is only an outside dog and the other two dogs are inside dogs. (I suppose if I made the stepkids sleep outside in the garage I wouldn't be the best stepmom!)
It does take time for everyone to figure out their place in a new stepfamily. Time to figure out that, although things have changed, everyone is still loved and still has an important place in the family.
No comments:
Post a Comment