Mothering
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 12:37PM 
Before Eve was retired and came to live with us, she produced several litters of puppies for our breeders, Jim and Linda Busch. She even had one last litter after she came to live with us. Jim and Linda loved Eve and she was one of their 'house dogs'. It was a great honor for us to be able to adopt her when she retired from motherhood.
When she first came to live with us, she had just weaned a litter of puppies so she transfered her motherly instincts to Ivy. She groomed her and disciplined her and basically 'ruled the roost' even though Ivy definitely has the more dominate personality. Over the years, they have taken on a more equal status in the family.
For the past week, however, I've been seeing the old mothering behaviors again in Eve. She's been washing Ivy's face and snuggling up against her while sunning on the porch. Just in the time it's taken for me to type this post, she came and laid down on the floor beside the couch where Ivy is sleeping. I wonder if, in her old age, her mind is reverting to a time when her job was to mother puppies.
My great-great grandmother died just before her 105th birthday. She spent her last few years in the nursing home and although she didn't really recognize her family anymore she had a doll that she loved and took care of until she died.
Mothering leaves a deep impression on the soul of a woman. Perhaps it is the same for dogs.
Reader Comments (3)
Sweet and sad, in a nostalgic sort of way. The Father/Mother image is so strong Scripture and myth- a quality that God shares with his creation.
Hmm- food for some thought.
Ahhh....that's so sweet. How long have you had Eve, then? I always assumed she was the one you'd had the longest.
Taffy mothers the new pup, even though she's never been a mother. He recently had his tail shut in the screen door, and she spent a lot of time washing his wounded tail.
What a sweet dog!! She looks so precious curled up there in your photo. I think dogs just like having someone close to snuggle with - especially in the fall when the weather turns colder. :) Give her a scratch and a cuddle from me and Tanner!!