New dog Merlin brings out the best in my kids

The tired-old story goes like this: Kids beg their mom for a dog. The kids swear up and down that they will take care of the dog. The mom buys the kids a dog. The kids love Mom! Six months later Mom has to incessantly remind the kids to fill the dog’s water dish. The mom feels screwed over.

This is not that story.

Saturday morning I wake up and stumble downstairs to make coffee. I look around the kitchen for the water-filter and see it on the floor next to the dog dish. My son woke up at dawn, let our poodle Merlin out, gave Merlin leftover steak and some filtered water, and then they both climbed back into bed.

Later that afternoon I pull my car into the garage after an epic trip to Fred Meyer. I barely turn off the ignition before I hear the muffled sound of both kids shrieking “Grab Merlin!” from inside the house. When I open the door one of them holds Merlin while the other leaps up to help me with groceries. They are terrified that Merlin will escape through the open garage door.

The long Saturday winds down and I’m about to put everyone to bed when I notice that Merlin has peed on the playroom floor. Grumbling, I search for the carpet spray. I come back to discover my son soaking up the spot with paper towels. “This is the second time today,” he says — without complaining. I didn’t know about Merlin’s first accident because my son had already cleaned it up.

Merlin has taught me that my children can be incredibly responsible when they want to be, and that they each have an endless capacity for unconditional love.

Merlin loves them back, usually adoringly, but sometimes in a grouchy old-man sort of way. If it’s 8:30 p.m. and he’s curled up on the couch, he’ll growl and try to bite whoever moves him. Since Merlin barely has any teeth, it’s more of a gumming. We stand firm and Merlin submits, but he never learns, probably because he is so old.

The rescue group from Texas that arranged his adoption last fall said Merlin was 2 years old. Our vet later removed seven of Merlin’s teeth and said Merlin was at least 5. Then one morning Merlin started walking like he was drunk. We immediately brought him back to the vet.

“I’m sorry,” the vet said. “Merlin has a slipped disc. He’ll either recover after crate-rest and medicine, or else he’ll need back surgery.”

Surgery that would cost around $6,000. With this new information, the vet said Merlin was 10 years old or more.

Thankfully, Merlin’s disc slipped back into place after several weeks of rest, but not without a lot of stress and sadness.

Merlin is our sweet, fluffy, broken-down dog who seems too old to learn anything, even after a session of dog school. My kids love him anyway.

That’s an old story, too.

Jennifer Bardsley lives in Edmonds. Her book “Genesis Girl” comes out June 14. Find her online on Instagram @the_ya_gal, Twitter @jennbardsley or at teachingmybabytoread.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.