Tuesday, June 11, 2013

How Did I Know You Were There? The Dog Told Me.

Getting up at stupid o'clock or earlier, also known as 6AM means that I occasionally am up earlier than the other dog walkers.  Those are the quiet days.  No people around, very few cars, and we get back quicker.

Today was one of those days.

Uneventful walk with Mr Dog means that only my right triceps muscle is a little sore from the experience.

Step, Step, Tug, HEEL!
Step, Step, Tug, HEEL!
Step, Step, Tug, HEEL!

And so on.

Making the morning coffee, I have two "nut brown" eyes staring back at me from a jet black face with a white stripe down the middle.   Sure, I'll give you an ice cube.

Leaving the ice cube square in the middle of the kitchen, I turn back to my morning routine when I notice that the dog is gone.

I guess you didn't want that cube.

Curiosity makes me walk out to the living room.  I see the head and shoulders of my neighbor walk by and his dog.  I also see Rack, my dog, sitting square in front of the door.  Tail wagging and a quiet, plaintive squeak of a whine, he wants to go out and visit his friends.

This happens a couple times during the day.   Only certain people will get this reaction.  I'm off doing my own thing and all the sudden he stands up, stretches, walks to the door and wags his tail.  I look out the window and it is one of a few specific dog walkers going by.

Since people like to follow a rigid routine, I can set my watch by when it will happen.

Hi Marc and Pepper.
Hi Jim and the Girls.

And so on.

It is a very big change from the shut down dog that joined us here on our quirky little island a month and a half ago.  This dog who couldn't be bothered to go anywhere now finds extreme joy in meeting other dogs, even if they're just rattling past the house on their own not having a clue that someone inside appreciates their presence on his street.

We are fortunate.  He could be the opposite.  The yappy or overly territorial dog that is lunging at the front door is an all too common site.   Those are the badly trained dogs, overreacting when someone merely has the temerity to walk past THEIR house.  Those are the homes that you walk past and wonder if the glass on the front door or window will hold.

That is not my problem.   Since he's still "in training" we're not going to open the door and let him go sniff.  That would be more like a black and white rocket flying to the street in a blur and getting into mischief.

His personality changes daily.  Subtle shifts in reaction happen from walk to walk.  Since there is a long way to recover from, this is definitely progress.

Progress is always good.  Progress is especially good when you remember to clean up the melted ice cube from the kitchen floor before you slip and fall.

No comments:

Post a Comment