A Boy's Best Friend

A Boy's Best Friend

• 3.02.2018

There is no better dog than Tyke for kids.  He puts up with so much!  Tyke remains patient and calm as Conrad steps on his tail, pulls on his paws, and gets in his face.  Tyke's only defenses are getting up to move across the room or licking the baby's face.  But Conrad genuinely loves him and I think the dog secretly appreciates the attention.

We all love our quiet good-natured black lab mix.  Tyke is just as much a part of the family as one of the boys.  In fact, Levi and Conrad have never known a day in their lives without Tyke!  It's been so fun to watch the boys' attachment to their dog.  However, I think Conrad shows it the most right now.  I caught Conrad feeding Tyke scraps from his dinner plate the other night.  Tyke knows the best spot in the house to get lucky is near the baby's seat in the kitchen and Conrad just thinks it's an entertaining hoot.  Then, on more than one occasion, Bron has brought the dog into the house with him after a day at work.  I watched as Conrad ran across the house.  I thought he was going to greet his dad.  No, he went straight to love on his dog!  Haha.  It was funny.  (All kidding aside, Conrad does love his dad.  Conrad wraps his tiny arms around Bron's neck for some of the most meaningful hugs.)  But the scene above, the one where Conrad plays with Tyke on the living room floor, happens so often that I just had to grab the camera the other day.  I think I caught some gems!   

I couldn't image a better dog for our family.  Tyke is a perfect relaxing fit to our loud chaos.  And he's more obedient than all three kids combined!  I did the math the other day.  Tyke will be seven years old soon.  That's 49 years old in dog years.  He probably won't be able to keep up on Bron's long and grueling training rides much longer, though I'm sure he'll continue to be a great trail dog for years to come.  He's a fast runner and always takes up the rear.  He's a natural protector and I love that about Tyke.  He's also happiest with us when we're outside.  It's a joy to watch our dog excitedly explore.  As a mother, I also don't know what I'd do without him!  Every time Conrad is finished with a meal, I call Tyke over to lick up the leftovers.  It feels less wasteful that way and makes cleaning up a hundred times easier.  (Yes, I still wipe everything down afterwards.)

Life with a family dog is good.  We love you, Tyke!