Perseus (or We Had a Dog)

I started this post nearly six months ago, and the very sad news is that this little dog which was part of our family for almost a year is no longer with us. No, he's not dead. He's with another family.

But before I get into all that, I will start from the beginning, which is that Eliza, especially, has wanted a dog for a long time, and both of the kids were at an age when having a dog is just...from my perspective...an ideal part of growing up. Kids relate to animals in ways adults don't. They learn from the relationship. I felt it was important to the family dynamic. And I had some time. It's not like I have a job or another baby to take care of...

Now, I've never dreamed of getting a Jack Russell, but that's what we got. Why? First of all, they are well loved in Zimbabwe and prolific. A friend of mine got one for her son, and I saw my chance... I have always imagined getting a beagle, and this breed was really like a smaller beagle...in a way.

Also, important to the decision-making was transportability. We move. We don't know where. The bigger the dog, the more of a fortune to move him. The bigger the dog, the more space in and around the house you need. For all we knew, we would be living in a flat in a high-rise in Jakarta in a year.

I thought seriously about getting a "local dog." Like all mutts, they are usually the best, most loyal, most appreciative and well-tempered. But I was worried about going with a dog of unknown parentage, and let's face it, Perseus may have been a Jack Russell, but he was the cutest dog EVER.

We (read: I) started reading The Puppy Primer, which was pretty good at getting us through the early training. He learned not to pee in the house (sort of), how to sleep in the kitchen (we moved from crate to basket), how to not chew on furniture, how to play with his own toys, how to come, sit, down, roll-over, stay...

With his beloved otter that he would find when we said: Where's your toy?

Otter, Perseus, and Eliza

He sort of learned how to not get on the furniture?...

...how to play without hurting others?...

There was a change around the time we had a new house guest. We were fostering Dante while his owner was away for an indefinite time (October to present). Perseus was getting bigger and stronger. Mambo, the cat, had long left the scene...only to return in the middle of the night when Perseus was in the kitchen.

At Eliza's birthday party, I was persuaded against my better judgement to let Perseus out of the utility room. He chased and pretty much attacked a kid who then fell down and had Perseus all over him: bites with blood up a leg. Then there were the occasional times with Panache and our kids when he would get too excited and bite them.

David pointed out to me once how I had succeeded in getting a dog just like our kids: intense, energetic, adorable in their fine features, but not so great at self-control or anger management. David is also a self-proclaimed Cat Person. He indulged me when I bought Perseus, but he was not free of complaint after I got him. He did not indulge Perseus. Only the cat was allowed on the furniture.

In no way did I ever accept that I would be the kind of person to give up on a dog. But then he bit Miles in the face when Miles lay down beside Perseus. It wasn't the first time Perseus had been annoyed at being woken up from a nap. Apparently, we had moved beyond...this is a puppy being too mouthy...to this is a dog with a bad habit. It wasn't as bad a bite on the face as Sara got when she was a kid, but it was close to M's eye, on the nose and lips and was bleeding.

David was clear, albeit sympathetic. I discussed it with my dog-avocate parents. Perhaps we could seek professional training help? But they were all on the side of finding Perseus a home without kids.

It was harder on me than anyone else. The kids are already talking about what they want for their next dog. The fact, though, is that Perseus has been adopted by our veterinarian who is great with dogs (obviously), and our house is a lot less stressful. Dante runs and plays without fear of being run over, and Mambo has come back to seeing us all day.

But we still miss Perseus. His last day with us: