CoCo

April 2015

There are times in life when you just have to stop and laugh.

Walking a dog should be a rather random and normal thing to do.  You walk, he (or she) walks beside you, or at least within hearing distance to you.

Dogs are different today than when I was a kid. When I was a kid, dogs pretty much lived outdoors and had a couple of jobs. Keep strangers away. Watch out for the kids and protect them. Chase away critters.  Kill the snakes.

They also did not have fancy foods. They ate table scraps and for a treat, got a milk bone. (which was probably grain and dried milk hardened together with some binder)  Oh, and soup bones from the butcher.


Dogs are different today. They are considered more like people - and most people are proud that their animals are a "member of the family." As a new dog owner, I am somewhere in-between.  This pup of mine - well, 10 year old Boston, has moments of intense energy, but mostly likes the leather couch, which he has overtaken, as well as his times of snoozing in the sun.    He knew who he had to win over in order to stay, and he is quite attached to me. So attached, that any time I go to the kitchen, day or night, or several times during the night - he is at my feet, no matter how soundly he happened to be sleeping. It is really funny, actually.  I think it is more about the potential of getting food than it is about me though.

And he has his own personal schedule. He likes to eat at 8:30 am and 5:30 pm.  And he has found his 'voice." If he wants something and I am busy, he does not let up with the 'talking' until I do what he wants.  ("Are you listening?")
If I believed in reincarnation, I would swear that this was Roger.

There are also dogs that have unusual talents. Chief is very talented at finding food. He can also play bang-bang-dead-dog. If you have a treat in your hand. He used to eagerly go into his crate if you said "den."  Not so much anymore though. Now he just looks at me like "you're kidding, right?"

Last weekend family came over and someone folded the 'throw' so she could sit on the couch. The look on Chief's face was incredible. "Thanks, but that is MY spot."   It cracks me up. I never knew our dogs to have this much personality when we were growing up. Maybe they did and I did not notice, but they were yard dogs.  I, however, am determined not to give up my position of ALPHA in this household. Watch out, Chief!

Co-Co, however is a totally different story. She lives next door to me. She is an Austrian Vizsla.  Bred in the Slovakian countries - Hungary, Austria, Romania, etc..... how funny that she would live next door - Roger had Romanian blood!  Hunting dogs, I believe they are, and second fastest to a Greyhound.  And boy, can she run! And she hunts lizards and plays with them until they are worn out. Literally- expired, but not dead. Yet.   And squirrels. I have seen few squirrels around here since CoCo came to town.  I'm not sure what she does with them - perhaps just scares them away, but I am a happy camper.

Which leads us to the tree. Yes, a very large camphor tree. the branch where she is standing is far above a tall man's head. (Yes, that is CoCo  IN the tree above. Look again.)
I have no idea how she even gets into the tree....one great leap!  She runs up and down the branches, and even over the branch that holds Roger's swing.

Talk about balance and no fear of heights!  This is SOME DOG!

Roger's Lesson: Enjoy dogs. They are man's best friend.  I'm just not going to have one living in my house and acting like he is a person hanging out on my furniture. 

Oops.  I caved during a weak moment of illness.  Now I am committed.
You should not have left, Roger.

But Chief has things well under control around here, and there is no stress in Heaven, so you'll be fine. Besides, he is so much like you.

And CoCo takes care of the critters!