I never had children. I had puppies.
By Jay Stoeckl, April 28, 2023
I never had children.
I had puppies.
When the Gilligan’s Island Litter was born right after we moved to Washington, I felt much like a first time father. I recall setting up the whelping pen on the living room sofa turned into a bed as if preparing my children for a slumber party. The four-week-olds were especially cute as they were all black with up early up ears.
As I leaned over the pen just before bedtime, I told them all to get into their PJs and brush their teeth. And if they’re good, I’ll read them a bedtime story.
I wish I had photos of their expressions to share. Four-week-olds are the most curious of all creatures. Their eyes were glued to my expression and their tiny ears erect as if learning a foreign language. Jennifer laughed at the scene, because you really thought these little ones were going to follow my instructions to a tee!
This morning reminded me of the child-rearing metaphor, because we were getting the little ones from three litters ready for their big trip.
After the excitement of their parole wore off, they carpeted the ground around the sandy area where Jenn and I sat and dozed off. Well, most of them, anyway. Lock decided to challenge Dreamer who was behind bars knowing she could do nothing about it.
As I gathered up each puppy, Jennifer administered their DNA tests. It was a simple operation. I set the puppy on my lap while Jenn took out the sealed swab and inserted it into each of their mouths. She ran the swab beneath their lip near the back of their jawline like a toothbrush.
“Up and down and all around!” I said. This was the expression my mother used to tell her children when instructing them on how to brush their teeth. “Up and down and all around,” I said again. Jennifer smiled as she took the swab and placed it into the solution vile, ready to be mailed out.
My puppies are like our children. We gather them close. We protect them. And we give them toys when the occasion calls for it. And today, Jennifer took the lion’s share of them on the big road trip back east.
You can follow the Friendly Neighbor Trip on Polarsteps app, just put in Jennifer’s name in the search and click on the trip.
Getting the little ones ready for their big road trip
DNA testing