Dudley isn’t just any dog, he’s our dog!
We got Dudley when he was 8 weeks old and I was 5 weeks pregnant! I’d grown up with dogs and always wanted one for my own family.
We chose the name Dudley because when me and my husband met in Madeira there was a stray dog who had been nicknamed Dudley and he followed us everywhere. Our Dudley does the same! He is my shadow!
When I was signed off sick during pregnancy he was there. He’s follow me to the toilet and cuddle up to me on the sofa and lie on my bump. When I went to the hospital and was told they were going to induce me straight away I cried! Not for any other reason than I hadn’t said goodbye to Dudley and when we returned nothing would be the same for him.
Many people told me I was nuts for having a dog and a baby! These were mainly mothers also having their 1st borns with money to burn and cleaners for their own houses. “How do you cope with both of them?” Yes I admit at times it was hard, going to the park in the freezing cold with a newborn and a dog getting muddy but we went out every day without fail.
I now have a 2 year old dog and a very nearly 2 year old child who’s relationship grows more and more everyday. Alana (my daughter) loves him so much. She asks for him as soon as she wakes up. She throws the ball for him feeds him biscuits and also her own food from her high chair. She pulls his ears, his tail, climbs all over him (obviously we tell her off for this) but Dudley does not care. I have never heard him growl or run away, to him she is someone else to love and someone else to love him. Dudley loves children, at the park he will run to any child to drop the ball for them so we had to buy him a “friendly collar” so the parents would know he was ok.
I can’t wait to see Alana & dudleys relationship grow even more and I don’t look forward to 10-15 years time. Yes my dog can be annoying but so can most people. I wouldn’t change it for the world and for those who are very against children and dogs together, trust me it’s the way they are brought up!
