He's breaking my heart.

[Random Gemini]

Mugen LOVES the little girl next door. He will try to drag me over to her every single time he sees her. She loves to come say hi to him when we're out front and I've encouraged this because I thought it was great socialization for Mugen... and hey, she lives next door. If my dogs trust her and love her, great. I'm happy about that.

But... I have a problem this morning.

Today, it's a beautiful fall morning. I am still in my PJ's because Lucy woke me up at 7 for her morning potty break, which woke Mugen up. The daughter got up long enough to head outside and put the dogs out for me, and then she went back to bed (who can blame her?).

The little girl from next door is outside playing in her back yard and Mugen... bless my little puppy... can see her from our family room window. He is sitting in front of the window and crying. Lucy is trying to sleep at my feet, but every now and then she looks up at him in annoyance before putting her head back down.

It makes me wish that I had a little girl for him to play with. He loves her so much.

[FoxRedMom]

Originally Posted by Random Gemini

The little girl from next door is outside playing in her back yard and Mugen... bless my little puppy... can see her from our family room window. He is sitting in front of the window and crying.

It makes me wish that I had a little girl for him to play with. He loves her so much.

I kept telling my husband (before I got pregnant) that we *owed* it to the dogs to have a baby And I meant it. They LOVE kids, and also cry when our neighbor's kids are playing in the street. They sit at the fence line and wag their tales and are *so good* in the hopes that they'll come over.

(I often tell Dakota that we're having a baby just for her so she can guard the crib and lick the baby to her hearts content. She has the biggest tongue I've EVER seen. She sat for hours staring at my friend's infant and gently licking her feet).

[Random Gemini]

Congrats Mom to be! I'm so happy for you!

My kids are teenagers, the youngest will be of driving age next year... and we're done having kids... so I'm not even gonna attempt to lie to poor Mugen about it. I think I will talk to the little girl's mom though and see if it would be possible for her and Mugen to have some play dates at the park down the street?

Would it be too creepy to ask? I mean we've lived next door to each other for a decade...

[3Muttsketeers]

I don't think it would be creepy at all! Just tell her your baby loves her daughter!

[FoxRedMom]

Originally Posted by Random Gemini

Congrats Mom to be! I'm so happy for you!

My kids are teenagers, the youngest will be of driving age next year... and we're done having kids... so I'm not even gonna attempt to lie to poor Mugen about it. I think I will talk to the little girl's mom though and see if it would be possible for her and Mugen to have some play dates at the park down the street?

Would it be too creepy to ask? I mean we've lived next door to each other for a decade...

I don't think so at all. Does your neighbor have a dog as well? I know that our friends with the infant (and a 3.5 year old) love coming over to socialize their kids with our dogs. Their oldest was VERY afraid of dogs, and it was really helpful for her to see that big dogs can be nice, albeit excited and seemingly gigantic, and how to handle that

I've had other friends with young children come over when the dogs were puppies to teach them that puppies have sharp teeth and how to keep their little hands safe

Thanks for the well-wishes too!

[lolabell]

What a sweet boy Mugen is! Isn't it amazing how much they love kids.

My DH and I don't have kids. There is a 2 year old little girl next door that LOVES Lola. She calls her LaLa Whenever she comes outside Lola is so happy and runs to the fence and licks her hand. It's so sweet. The little girl can call to Lola and she'll come running every time- 100% recall with a 2 year old. Wish she'd do that for me

[ZoeysMommy]

Zoey adores little kids more than anything and sometimes i feel bad that i have no kids for her. I do have a 6 year old nephew who is her best friend and i try to take her over there a few times a week to see him or he spends the weekend with us

And she has 100% recall with a 6 year old, go figure

[Random Gemini]

I think I'll go next door and see if she will let us do playdates with her two youngest and Mugen. They do have a dog, she has a brittany and he's a sweetie. Her second oldest is the same age as the daughter and they're pretty good friends... so I think I could ask without seeming like a psycho... I just... really hate to ask people that stuff. Feels like I'm intruding on their privacy or something... you know?

Thanks!

[paintedpony]

LOL...you remind me of me. Where I got Tippy from they had young children, and when I have seen her try to dig under a fence to be with the neighbors girls, it hurts me as well because she doesn't have that. I think it is sweet that you are going to the effort to see that the little guy gets to play with her

[LucyTudeOn4Feet]

Not creepy at all - wouldn't it be neighborly? Why not invite the Mom over for coffee while the girls play in your yard with Mugen? Sit out in the yard with mugs o' joe while they play? Do that a couple times and the girls would probably be able to come over sans Mom to play supervised with Mugen. Or you might make a new friend for you too.

[whitejake]

Originally Posted by lolabell

What a sweet boy Mugen is! Isn't it amazing how much they love kids.

My DH and I don't have kids. There is a 2 year old little girl next door that LOVES Lola. She calls her LaLa Whenever she comes outside Lola is so happy and runs to the fence and licks her hand. It's so sweet. The little girl can call to Lola and she'll come running every time- 100% recall with a 2 year old. Wish she'd do that for me

I totally feel your pain with this one. Marriah could get Jake to jump over the moon if she told him to. Seems like our pups understand that we make them do it and the children are entertained by them doing it.

[whitejake]

Seems like our babies all have one thing in common besides being a lab. The NEED to be with children. Isnt it so strange that they can really differentiate them and be so gentle, patient and tolerant towards them but turn around and almost knock us over when theyre excited? I love this about them.

[Christen99]

Originally Posted by whitejake

Seems like our babies all have one thing in common besides being a lab. The NEED to be with children. Isnt it so strange that they can really differentiate them and be so gentle, patient and tolerant towards them but turn around and almost knock us over when theyre excited? I love this about them.

Guinness is a barker, she barks at everyone and she's obnoxious (but the little stinker is wise to the squirt bottle). When we met her, she barked at dh and I but she didn't bark at my youngest ds who had just turned 3 at the time. Our oldest ds wasn't home that weekend, and when he came home I thought she would bark her little head off. She wiggled her way over to him and licked him to death. She isn't sure of adults initially, but she LOVES kids.

[labangel]

Where I take my dogs running is a field next to the community swimming pool,well across the parking lot from it.. So we park my van in the far corner and leash walk the dogs till we are away from the parking lot. One day coming back I did not get donut on her leash and we was almost to the van and this lady and her girl was walking toward thier car and donut started running to the child of course not listening to me.
When I got to Donut after apoligizing to the mom I told Donut do not run up on a child without asking the mom first!!!! Luckily this family had labs at home so the girl was not afraid of donut. The mom laughed and said that is what I tell my girl don't run up on dogs without asking the owners first.