"So this is your last test for a long time? You'll have to take care of a baby, so the dogs will probably be neglected a lot." came the questioning (or rather, stating) while I stood there fumbling with the zipper over my big, heavily pregnant belly. With only 3 weeks to go, I was off to the rally test with Dumle, and it was therefore a question I had answered many times by now.
But although I always used to reject the idea that my dogs would be neglected, it was clear that not everyone felt convinced.
I therefore often got the classic " yes-yes-that's what you're saying, but let's see " look back - even today.
And no matter how long you're pregnant (and I think most of us can agree that 9 months is plenty!), you can never fully prepare for what's going to happen and what everyday life will be like when you have a child. At least not your first child.
The doubts slowly crept in as I became more and more pregnant. Were they right? Was this the end of my dog training? Would I only return to the competition field when my child was old enough to be home alone, or what?
Today my daughter is almost 7 months old, and yes, I must admit, it hasn't always been easy to combine child and dogs. The peaceful and harmonious ideal of a stroller and a dog on each side is anything but peaceful, with two very different dogs who therefore also insist on keeping very different paces and directions.
If you combine that with having to maneuver a stroller at the same time, which should bounce just enough to keep the child asleep, but not so much that the pacifier falls out of the mouth – well, it's a bit of a circus.
The spontaneous "I-want-to-go-for-a-walk-to-a-new-place-and-wop-and-we're-sitting-in-the-car-and-we're-on-the-way" has also instead turned into advanced and long-term planning of our walks, which includes detailed statistics about the baby's sleep, bowel movements and food intake.
But despite the hassle, it's always worth it. The immense joy in the dogs' eyes and wagging tails when we get to go is contagious, and gives both renewed peace and energy, after even the most rough and sleepless night.
Or every morning when the dogs come into my daughter's room to say good morning, and she squeals with excitement at the sight of them, eagerly reaching down towards them, hoping they will lick her hands. It's amazing to see how aware and happy she already is about the dogs.
I don't think anyone ever said that being a mother is easy, with or without dogs. Luckily, I have a fantastic amount of support from my boyfriend, family and friends, and Dumle and I are therefore slowly getting back on the competitive track.
You'll hear more about how it went next time 😊
About today's blogger:
My name is Line, I am 23 years old and I have two beautiful dogs - Saga: a 5-year-old Tibetan Spaniel, and Dumle: a 4-year-old Labrador.
I love collaborating and developing with my dogs, and we therefore regularly try out all sorts of different disciplines within dog sports. Our biggest passion, however, is rally, where we can often be found on the competition track. 
🙂
Now as a mother - of three?
"So this is your last test for a long time? You'll have to take care of a baby, so the dogs will probably be neglected a lot." came the questioning (or rather, stating) while I stood there fumbling with the zipper over my big, heavily pregnant belly. With only 3 weeks to go, I was off to the rally test with Dumle, and it was therefore a question I had answered many times by now.
But although I always used to reject the idea that my dogs would be neglected, it was clear that not everyone felt convinced.
I therefore often got the classic " yes-yes-that's what you're saying, but let's see " look back - even today.
And no matter how long you're pregnant (and I think most of us can agree that 9 months is plenty!), you can never fully prepare for what's going to happen and what everyday life will be like when you have a child. At least not your first child.
The doubts slowly crept in as I became more and more pregnant. Were they right? Was this the end of my dog training? Would I only return to the competition field when my child was old enough to be home alone, or what?
Today my daughter is almost 7 months old, and yes, I must admit, it hasn't always been easy to combine child and dogs. The peaceful and harmonious ideal of a stroller and a dog on each side is anything but peaceful, with two very different dogs who therefore also insist on keeping very different paces and directions.
If you combine that with having to maneuver a stroller at the same time, which should bounce just enough to keep the child asleep, but not so much that the pacifier falls out of the mouth – well, it's a bit of a circus.
The spontaneous "I-want-to-go-for-a-walk-to-a-new-place-and-wop-and-we're-sitting-in-the-car-and-we're-on-the-way" has also instead turned into advanced and long-term planning of our walks, which includes detailed statistics about the baby's sleep, bowel movements and food intake.
But despite the hassle, it's always worth it. The immense joy in the dogs' eyes and wagging tails when we get to go is contagious, and gives both renewed peace and energy, after even the most rough and sleepless night.
Or every morning when the dogs come into my daughter's room to say good morning, and she squeals with excitement at the sight of them, eagerly reaching down towards them, hoping they will lick her hands. It's amazing to see how aware and happy she already is about the dogs.
I don't think anyone ever said that being a mother is easy, with or without dogs. Luckily, I have a fantastic amount of support from my boyfriend, family and friends, and Dumle and I are therefore slowly getting back on the competitive track.
You'll hear more about how it went next time 😊
About today's blogger:
My name is Line, I am 23 years old and I have two beautiful dogs - Saga: a 5-year-old Tibetan Spaniel, and Dumle: a 4-year-old Labrador.
🙂
I love collaborating and developing with my dogs, and we therefore regularly try out all sorts of different disciplines within dog sports. Our biggest passion, however, is rally, where we can often be found on the competition track.