Le Miserable

By popular demand, today's blog is all about Jersey, our fur child, and how he's coping with all of the changes. For those who don't know Jersey, he is our spoiled little Frenchman; a four year old Bichon Frise. His name is Jersey, but he also responds to Jerz, Little Man, Mister and Bichon Valjean.

All during the pregnancy we knew that Jerz was going to have a difficult time with Greta's arrival. After all, he has been the recipient of our parental energies for the past four years. After Greta was born I brought home a swaddling blanket from the hospital and let Jerz smell it. He was only mildly interested, but things got better. When we brought her home he was more curious, smelling her and even giving her a lick or two on the head. Whenever Greta cries, Jersey is right there by her side. It's hard to tell if he wants to help stop the crying or if he's just, as 'Bama Gramps would say, "tow up" (tore up - for you Yankees out there). Last night I had to run over to church around 9:00. I came back about ten minutes later and everyone had gone upstairs to bed. As I was shuffling around downstairs I heard Jerz at the top of the stairs growling at me. Clearly he was protecting his new little friend from whoever had come in the back door. I was proud of him.

Jersey is still struggling a bit though. His breed has been bred to be lap dogs. Now that Greta is the main lap attraction, he's a little put out. He also really, really wants Greta's squeaky dragonfly toy. We put it up on the table yesterday and he stared at it and cried for thirty minutes until we put it out of sight. Jersey is a dog that likes to be "in the mix." He's always shadowing and snuggling us whatever we do. Things are changing for him, but he'll adapt. We're all confident that someday soon Greta will become Jersey's favorite playmate. Until then he'll just be another one of les miserables.