. . . and then there was pickle.

Of all of the things that concerned me before I brought The Pickle home, the one that has proven to be the least significant is how the dogs would react.

Let me state: I do not think that this fear was without justification, nor do I think that the battle is won - but as a mere analysis of where we stand to date . . . I am amazed.

The reason that there was great apprehension is quite simple. We have horrible dogs, or more appropriately we have one horrible dog and another angel that was put on earth and into our house to make the other one look even worse than he normally would be perceived. . . Harold (the beagle) and Maude (the husky mix).

To say that Harold is rambunctious might be the understatement of the century. True. We just began this century, but I think it may hold up.

Harold came to join our family on Christmas Eve, 2003. He was my present to my wife as she sat wrapping gifts in the home we had just closed and moved into days before. For years we had said . . . “some day we will own a home, and have a puppy – and his name . . . shall be HAROLD!.” I know, it’s . . . one of those - sharing a dream – things. we couples . . . do . . . whatever.

OK. So we got a beautiful baby beagle at Christmas, and he is my wife’s dog – but I picked him out. Are you putting the blame game together yet?

He is an untrainable, hard-headed, occasionally violently defensive member of our family, but damn if he isn’t cute – and we unfortunately love him too much to simply cut our losses.

My wife and I both were both raised with dogs, and we were both bit by them - and they were put to sleep. I am kind of hoping to avoid that.

The thing is . . . Harold is better with the baby than he is with us. I don’t know. I am worried that as she becomes more active, and mobile that their relationship will change, but for right now he has a baby and he couldn’t be happier.

The main problem with Harold is that he is very protective of his resources, and territory. I know that as the baby grows we are going to have to do something to define roles as they change.

Everything has failed so far to get Harold to understand that he is not in charge, but I am hoping that he too will mellow as he gets older – or he could just be like the rest of us and get cranky.

I do not want to wait until he bites her to take action, but so far he has exceeded all of my expectations. What is to say that he won’t continue to?

My gut instinct is to take him out to the country and let him chase a rabbit, but I know I could never do that. I am caught in the middle of my optimism and my paranoia – perhaps the two strongest delusions I have.

The Mom and I have had a dozen conversations about training options, things we can do . . . and the basic truth is that we haven’t done anything.

I have heard a million horror stories, and know Harold is a prime candidate to act out at our daughter to defend his toy, food, or spot on the bed – and yet I am like a deer in the headlights waiting for him to change on his own. I feel helpless because I can’t get rid of the dog, not that I would even want to, - and I don’t know what to do as she grows and ‘invades’ his space and stuff.

Just worried on this one. – yes, I’m looking for advice to help keep from having to hang my dog out to dry.

Sorry, I already had the picture . . .

Pickle's Papa