dogs Archives – The Pinterested Parent

There is something about poodles. They are so grand and elegant. My daughter has a cute poodle purse that hangs on the door knob in her room. I was looking at it today while we were playing in her bedroom and I felt an overwhelming need to make a poodle.

What you will need:

2 toilet paper rolls

Mini cotton balls

3 cake pop sticks

Construction paper or foam

Acrylic paint

Markers

Glue gun (For adult use)

Directions:

Paint two toilet paper tubes in white or any other color that you would want your poodle to be. Cut one tube for the body & cut a smaller section for the neck. Cut them at a slant on one end.

Poke 4 holes into the larger tube where you would like your legs to be.

Cut 2 cake pop sticks in half & poke all 4 stick pieces into the holes.

Cut a head out of construction paper & draw in the face.

Cut out the ears.

Glue the neck to the top of the body with the slant on top & facing away from the body. Glue the head over the neck hole opening.

Glue cotton balls over the ear pieces & then glue the pieces to the side of the head.

Fill the openings on either end of the body with cotton balls & glue more balls around the edge. Make sure to keep the center of the body bare. Add another half piece of cake pop stick to the rear. Glue a couple of cotton balls around the tip to form the tail.

Stretch out a cotton ball as shown & glue around the bottom of a leg & repeat with the other 3 legs.

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When my husband & I first met, one of the first things that we agreed on was that we did not want to have children. We were always on the go, with parties, sporting events & travel. A child was far too much responsibility for a couple with our life style. We didn’t even have the time for a pet.
One day a good friend of ours asked us if we would be willing to foster a rescue dog. He was an Australian Cattle dog pup from Tennessee & just needed a temporary home until he found a family to adopt him. Why not? It was only short term…or so I thought. As soon as I saw him, it was love at first sight.

Duke became a member of our family.

For a couple that wasn’t having any children, he became like a furry adopted son to us. He slept in our bed, cuddled with us on the couch & even traveled with us.

Then it happened…

The couple, who didn’t want babies, changed their mind. Only a month after deciding that we wanted to extend our family, we found out that we were expecting.

Duke was excited when he found out that he was going to be a big brother. He curled up with his little sister, still inside my belly, every night.

As it got closer to my due date, we began to worry. How he would react when we finally brought her home? Would he be jealous? Would he jump up on her? Could we still have him on our bed, with the baby in the co-sleeper? I did a lot of reading about babies & dogs. I was worried, but I vowed that I would still give my furry little guy just as much love as before. That was easier said than done.

The big day finally arrived. Our baby girl was born. It was time to bring Mai home. Carrying her through the door, Duke reacted with his usual greeting of jumps & licks. Our reaction to him, however, changed a bit. What used to be a hug & a pat on the head was now a firm hand pushing his affection away. We didn’t want him hurting the baby.

That first night I am sure was confusing for him. The lap that was normally reserved for him had a stranger on it. He now took the backseat to this new little girl.

The first few months were difficult for him. He developed anxiety & licked his paws until he gave himself sores. He couldn’t understand why his mommy & daddy would yell at him when he would jump up on the couch or bark at the UPS man. It is what he had always done. The veterinarian told us he was depressed. This made us feel horrible, but at the same time this dog that I once adored, became the recipient of my anger & resentment. “He’s going to wake the baby.” “There is dog hair all over her toys.” “He better not jump up on her.” Life had changed dramatically for all of us. Duke was no longer mommy & daddy’s favorite.

Still he was curious about this little creature that screamed and pooped a lot. What is all the fuss? I’m cute too & I poop outside. It was time for him to investigate.

He sniffed, he licked & he stared. In time he learned not to jump or run around her. He touched her gently and gave his little sister loving puppy kisses.

As time went on, she learned to love him back …

Until one day they became the best of friends.

While most of the love that we used to give to Duke, has been taken away & given to our daughter. She gives him back enough to more than make up for it. Mai has a big brother. He has fur and bad breath & she loves him.

Up Next: It’s a Marshmallow World

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dogs

Toilet Paper Roll Poodle

One of My Babies Has Fur & Bad Breath