A Boy and His Dog

Each morning, Jack wakes up at the crack of dawn, sometimes before the crack of dawn and always before the rest of the family.

Since he's the first one up, Jack has made it his job to take Alex, our new puppy, outside in the backyard each morning, so that Alex may "do his business." This job was not imposed on Jack. It was something he eagerly volunteered to do. To him, this is like winning a prize, because he gets Alex's undivided attention.

I think it also thrills him to have Alex so excited to see him in the morning. As soon as Jack walks into the room, Alex immediately jumps up in his crate, begins to pant, wiggles his body and wags his tail. He does the doggie happy dance.

When Jack releases him from his crate, Alex usually first jumps into Jack's lap and gives him a lick or two. He then springs into action, jumping up, hopping on his hind legs and running circles around Jack all the while whipping his tail back and forth in a frenzy. Seriously, that puppy's tail could not wag any faster.

I know all of this, because Alex's crate sits in our bedroom at night (so that we can hear him, if he needs to go outside in the middle of the night), and the past several mornings, I've woken up upon hearing Jack tip-toe into our bedroom or upon hearing him whisper with enthusiasm, "Good morning, Alex!"

I love watching their morning exchange. They are both so happy to see each other.

Jack then takes Alex outside, and from inside, I can hear him talking to the dog. His chatter goes something like this: "Go potty, Alex. Go potty. Come on, Alex. You can do it. Go potty. ... Good boy! You went potty! You are such a good boy! Here's your treat! Good job! I'm so proud of you, Alex! I love you, Alex! What a good boy you are!"

Jack will then clean up after Alex and come back inside to play.

A couple of mornings ago, I got out of bed, grabbed my camera and went outside with the boys. As much as Jack loves taking care of Alex and playing with Alex, I love watching the two of them together, and I wanted a few keepsake photos.

All three of our kids adore the dog, but Jack seems to be the one, who has taken the most ownership and responsibility. 

For Madeline, Alex is a baby to carry around the house and have snooze in her lap. For Max, he's a game of fetch. Madeline and Max do shower Alex with lots of attention, and they do help with his care. They fill his water bowl, take him outside and even clean his little puddles and piles. But they haven't displayed the same degree of responsibility.

I can't help but wonder the impact of Jack's diabetes on his relationship with the dog.

Jack's diabetes has forced him to grow up a little faster than he should have. While we try to shoulder as much responsibility for his disease as possible, we wouldn't be good parents if we were doing it all and weren't teaching him to take care of himself. We do the same with Madeline and Max, but instead of having them check their blood sugar levels, for example, we're prompting them to brush their teeth and do their homework.

Still, Jack has to be more mindful than his sister and brother. He has to check his sugar and count the carbs, before eating a bowl of grapes. His siblings can just pop them into their mouths with wild abandonment.

I can't help but wonder whether Jack's more mature approach to the dog is because he's not carefree, because he has to be thoughtful, vigilant and accountable, because he has routines he must follow, and because he knows all too well that all actions have consequences.

Would Jack be so good with Alex, if he didn't have diabetes? Is this just Jack? Just his personality? Just who he is? Or is this a result of his life's experiences?

Jack was diagnosed with diabetes at age four, so I can't say that he's always been like this. He was too young to be responsible and mature before diabetes struck.

I suppose we'll never know the answer, and I suppose it doesn't really matter. Still, I can't help but wonder...