Sometimes a Little Knowledge is Not a Good Thing

Anna and Molly have a dream.  They dream that one day, Anna will own a black pug and Molly will own a vanilla pug and they will dress them up and pamper them and carry them around in little doggy snuglis.   They've assured me that any dog at all will actually suffice, but this is the pie in the sky wish.  

Aunt Kristy has been let in on this dream.  Aunty Kristy shared with them a tidbit.  Apparently, pugs have a disturbing defect she felt we should know: if children squeeze pugs too hard around the neck the dog's eyes can pop out of socket.  Not surprising given the anatomy of a pug, but gross, and enough to make me say no pugs for us.   

Kristy and Mike have a puggle ( beagle pug mix) named Howie that the kids adore. After dispensing her pug knowledge, Kristy saw Anna gazing into Howie's eyes and simultaneously pressing down on the rolls of skin above his eyes, making Howie look even more worried than he already looks when Anna is near him.  "Anna!"  Kristy exclaimed, "Are you trying to pop his eyes out?" Guilty.  In defense of Anna, she's really not mean, just four and curious.  Again, no pugs for us.  

Anna loves to play with Violet, the basset hound puppy next door who loves everyone, and desperately wants to play with Foxy, the miniature daschund on the other side of us who loves no one except perhaps her owner.  Foxy's owner, Sarah, is a young woman who is very nice to Anna and tries to have Foxy play with Anna with little success.  Yesterday I came outside to rescue her from Anna, apologizing by saying, "Anna really wants a dog, can you tell?"  Sarah laughed and said, "Oh I know.  She told me that she wants a pug but that if you squeeze pugs too hard their eyes will pop out." 

In this case, ignorance may have been a better option.