Having a dog "brother" is great

Stickers. Teodor loves sticking them.

I think it's great for a child to grow up with a pet brother/sister. I would probably not call Charlie my son like ever, but Teodor and him feel quite like brothers, you know, they like similar stuff (e.g. running after a ball, cuddling with me, begging for food when I'm eating,..) and they seem to be connected on a totally different level than me and Charlie. 

I believe having a dog brother teaches Teodor about shared attention (even though he gets much more of it than poor Charlie, he still learns that he is not the only one with needs) and also to care about others (no, he cannot pull Charlie's hair because it's painful for the dog)

It must be great to have a companion to play/cuddle with who is not twice bigger than you. Somebody who is fluffy, warm and loving. Somebody who will always eat your food. Somebody to share your secretest secrets...

Of course, having a dog sometimes annoys me (it seems like it would be easier just to have a baby), for example when he decides to bark while I try to make the toddler sleep, or when Teodor sees him in the morning at 6am, he is all ready to cuddle and play with the dog, which I am not. On the other hand, it is so sweet when Charlie runs to crying Teodor and licks his face to comfort him.

This is Teodor trying to cuddle with Charlie who is trying to play with his duck...I'm trying to teach Teodor to leave Charlie alone when he is in his bed...not very successfully, though.