50 Little Things #39--That Dumb Dog

Two years ago we adopted a dog from a rescue place.  She was replacing the world's greatest dog--a seven year old golden retriever male who was a gentle giant and died when he was only seven.  I waited approximately two years before getting a new dog.  I needed to get something different so I wouldn't compare to the wonder dog before.  For the first time in my life I got a female dog who is 3/4 golden retriever and 1/4 lab.  She's got golden fur, but it's black (think shedding on light carpet).  She can be a little vixen.  She has the world's worst dog breath (and that's saying a lot).  Often times she doesn't even greet me at the door--depends on her mood.  She's messy, a little demanding, and more high-strung than I anticipated.  But . . .

Every morning I'm the first one up and sit at the computer seeing what I missed when I slept.  This "dumb dog" sits by my side and just wants to be pet.  There is something calming about a crappy day and a dog with long, soft fur.  I am thankful for her.

World's Dumbest Dog

So I get rid of the husband and kids, but I still have the dog.  She HATES to travel, and my husband claims not to be fond of her.  It made sense to leave her at home because most of the time she is low maintainence.  I took her on what was supposed to be a "quick walk" before supper.  On our way home, I cut through the back of our yard which I rarely do.  She stopped while I picked up a toy, then she started to roll . . . on something . . . very . . . gross.

I'll save the graphics (and I couldn't go back to see WHAT specificially it was because I had a gag relex working against me), but she rolled in something white that gooed all over her black fur and reaked to high heaven.  Did I mention this dog, though a retriever, HATES water?  I had to hose her down.  Since noone was home, I couldn't run in and get shampoo--I just had to spray this poor cowering, slimy, stinking thing.  I swear I can smell her now--and that was five hours ago.

Wag More -- Bark Less

Tough morning at our house--I was crabbing at two of the three children.  I was driving home from work when I read the following bumper sticker:  Wag More  --  Bark Less.

Wow!  How funny!  The statement made sense, at least until I read the license plates.  The plate read, "ROVER."  Ok--clearly this was a person who had pets vs. children.  Pets are much less maintainence.  Of course they would wag more.  (Ha! Ha!)

Poor Dog

Regardless what people say, being a dog can be tough.  There is a quarter inch of ice on everything here in Ohio.  Schools anywhere near here are closed; many businesses are, too. 

But this ice is taking its hardest toll on our family dog.  She has fallen numerous times when I took her outside to relieve herself.  I only took her to the front yard--it really is too dangerous to walk on this ice.  Poor thing cannot get enough traction to . . . uh . . . well . . . take care of business.  If only all my friends could see me in my pj's, standing in my icy front yard grass for fear of falling, laughing at the poor dog who cannot handle changes in her routine. 

Busted!

Technically, I am employed five mornings; however, I've worked and/or volunteered almost full-time since school started.  It has been an adjustment for the family to pick up the slack a little.  No one has been hit harder by this adjustment--or so I thought--than the dog.  She was accustomed to everyone home 24/7 during the summer, and now she's home alone from 7 to 4 every day. I felt sorry for her . . . until today.

I was able to venture home for two hours this afternoon.  I pulled in the driveway around one in the afternoon.  Upon entering the house, I heard a "Thud!" upstairs.  I knew immediately the sound was the dog jumping off the bed.  She is NEVER allowed on our bed.  That smart dog sleeps on our bed all day and knows when to hop down to keep out of trouble.  The best part of it was the guilty look on her face knowing her "gig" has been busted.  And to think we all felt sorry for her!

Even the Dog's a Social Misfit

We joke that our children are just like us--a little bit socially challenged.  They tend to be loners like us.  A few close friends make us happy; we don't need 1,000 social network "friends" to prove our self-worth.  The trade off is that they are fairly confident in who they are.  They don't feel the need to do strange things just to impress others.  As parents (who also share these traits)--we are thrilled.  However, we sometimes are social misfits.

Our poor dog is the same way.  My daughter and I took her to the dog park for the first time in a long time.  She was the odd-dog-out.  At one point five dogs were tackling her.  She hid under benches.  The best part for her was running up to her new friends--humans, not canine.  I guess even the family pet should be included in the saying that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Dog Ate My Homework

When my son came home from the first day of school, he proudly put all his work on our coffee table.  The dog was going crazy.  She has been used to 24/7 attention this summer, and now with us all gone all day--she's nuts when we arrive home.  Suddenly, she began furiously licking one of my son's papers. 

Note the Cheerios.  That is the only "snack" we give her besides a raw hide bone.  I guess she thought my son brought her a peace offering.  The dog literally tried to eat his homework.

More on Love

My oldest daughter is thirteen--and has all the "typical" teenage characteristics.  They seem major to me, but then I witness exchanges with other teens and their parents--she is a milder version of normal.  (Thank goodness!).  The "good night" rituals at our house used to include me tucking the children into bed and saying prayers goodnight.  Now, I get a mumbled "good night" and a 1/2 hug. 

Last night we all retired early since we are recovering from vacation.  My daughter did the mumble and 1/2 hug, then proceded over to the dog and loved on her and gave her a kiss on the head.  "Wait a minute!" I hollered at her.  "I'm your mom and I barely got a hug!  The dog gets affection and a kiss!?!?!"  Of course this brought laughter, but I did get a REAL goodnight hug.  She does still love us . . . almost as much as the dog.

Unconditional Love

Lady with dog stroller.  Yes--this picture was taken from my front door.

I guess my love for my dog (who truly is a member of the family) is conditional.  I would never humiliate myself to push her around in a stroller.  (Not to mention that I am too cheap to purchase a stroller for a dog).  This woman has unconditional love for her pets.

How Did I Do It?

Last night my husband went to bed around 9:30.  I wasn't tired; however, I try to keep a similar schedule.  I went to bed at 10:00.  Watched television until about 11:30 (which is really late for me).  Then around midnight the dog started bugging me.  Basically she kept me up the entire night needing to go out.  I didn't sleep any longer than 60 minute stints.  Good thing I set the alarm on my phone when I ended up on the living room couch--the children didn't set their alarms and dad doesn't get up until later.

My "baby" is now six and a half years old.  How did I make it through those nights with a newborn?  I am totally dragging today--and I don't have that baby at home to take care of.  It is a humbling reminder of what it is like to have a new baby.  Hum?!?!  Probably should volunteer to make more meals for new mommies.

Snack Time for Family Dog

My husband was gone for two weeks, home for two days, and gone for another week.  At the beginning of this travel stint, I purchased a 1,000 pc. puzzle for us to do at night (vs. watching television).  Normally, I find jigsaw puzzles relaxing.  I was getting close to done, and moved to the final stage of puzzle assemby.  I turned all of the pieces facing up, sorted, and organized these pieces in small rows.  See photo below.  After my husband got home, I noticed several of a particular kind of piece were missing.  I initially thought my husband took a small handful just to stir things up a little.

 

Much to my surprise, my dog has been snacking on pieces--presumably one at a time since she did not mess up my lines.  The kids and I have caught her holding these pieces in her mouth about a half dozen times in the past 24 hours.  The picture on the right is the "completed" puzzle.  Obviously she had been snacking much more than I suspected--about fifty pieces worth.  Wonder about the calories?