Allie and Kyle: Oh Bailey, I Love Your Way

Kyle and I got Bailey on Valentine's 2009. She was six weeks old when we brought her home. As 22 and 23 year olds, we didn't quite think over how much work it takes to care for a puppy. Not to mention, Bailey was going to be living at the apartment with Kyle, so he was really left to train and care for the dog on his own.

We were under the impression that by buying a bulldog we were buying a lazy dog. Boy were we wrong. All puppies are active, and Bailey was no different. When she was only months old, Kyle kept her in the bathroom when he went to work. He thought she would have room to play and stretch out, and by knowing that she wasn't technically locked up in a small cage, he felt okay about leaving her while he was at work. This was all until the apartment complex called in the middle of the work day asking why water was leaking all into the hallway. Our precious little girl had chewed her way through the pipes on the toilet. Kyle hurried home only to find a soaking wet dog and a flooded bathroom. Bailey, welcome to your cage.

For the next year, Bailey stayed in the cage any time Kyle wasn't home. Surprisingly, she liked the cage. All Kyle would have to say was "Bailey, go to your cage," and into the cage she would go. However, the wild child would emerge once Kyle got home. We loved how happy and active she was, but where was this lazy dog and would she ever come?

Well, she definitely has calmed down in some regards. She loves sleeping in the bathroom on her Aggie blanket or under the kitchen table while we are at work (no longer confined to the cage). When we get home, she is ready to play. She loves watching t.v. (seriously, she does), and Kyle and I have perfected picking out "Baily-proof" toys... the girl's got the strongest jaws so most toys don't stand a chance. When it's time to rest, she is the sweetest cuddle bug.