Just A Kid With My Dog!
In the immortal words of W.C Fields, “Any man who hates kids and dogs can’t be all bad!”… well it’s obvious he never saw them together !…it’s Bad!…in the good way Bad! To some extent we all think that the responsibilities of caring for a dog will engender responsibility in our children but hold on folks, don’t expect that! When you get a dog the daily regimen of feed,eat,walk,clean up, sleep will not be taken on by your kids! Don’t get the dog so it can “teach the kids responsibility”! It just doesn’t happen that way.
Once the novelty wears off the pup will most likely be managed by Mom and/or Dad and the routine sets in. Unlike the kids who have probably grown past the running-to-the-door-to-greet-you phase of their youth the dog might still express joy at seeing you and stage a home coming meet and greet barking that Daddyyyyyy’s home!
Then unfortunately, Dad, and/or Mom drag in exhausted from a long day and the poor pooch goes unnoticed except for a passing pat on the head as the chores of the household are undertaken. As the evening of running here and there takes over the dog, disheartened, curls up by the closet. Poor pup goes back into that down in the mouth, loud sighs and waiting for the next activity syndrome wishing someone in the family pays attention…or remembers at least to let it out. So much for the responsibility training …should have been sensitivity training. That is until the daughter’s boy friend comes to visit (like he does every night!).
He is new blood. The dog can’t wait, it hears his car and when the daughter shouts “Brian’s here…go get him Sailor…Brian’s here”… he runs. The fur flies tail wagging joy from the back of the yard, up the back steps, across the deck and sure enough there he is “Lord Brian of the Treat Bin”. He (and his halo) are framed by the front door waiting for me…just me…Sailor the dog…Brian, in the flesh. In he comes with a big rub of my back and a scratch behind the ear walking as he does every night towards the kitchen and I follow…a quick right turn and into the treat drawer …I sit cookie nosed with a biscuit between my eyes… I am still sitting cookie on nose…got the balance… looking up at him eagerly over the cookie I hear the words… “Sailor Go” and I flip it in the air as high as I can then catch it. When I look again… he is gone (Brian not the dog).
“Find Brian, Find Brian” commands the daughter and the dog goes wild running about the house…into the bathroom, over behind the couch…Brian keeps moving so I doesn’t find him…into the kitchen, then the couch again, in the TV room and bang…got him!!!. Just like an episode of “Man Tracker” and I have won again!!!!
My dog is all over him like a long lost best friend found again…and for my dog it has found him again. Brian too has found his buddy and they wrestle….once again. What a thing to watch….kids and dogs…a sight that even brings a tear to good old W.C.
Maybe something of that idea behind owning a dog “so your kids learn responsibility” has rubbed off on Brian… took some time, Brian is 32.
He has done well, and Sailor is pushing 9 and has it all figured out.
It is a wondrous thing watching the Norman Rockwell circus of a boy and his dog (well my dog and my daughter’s boy) running about the house
and not bumping into things… all I can think of is that any man who loves my dog can’t be all bad!
In hindsight I guess Brian has learned some responsibilities from Sailor. He looks after my daughter pretty well too and they want their own puppy.
Somehow it all seems to work out. Thanks Sailor! Thanks Brian!
Be responsible, your dog will love you for it!
‘till next post, yours in dogs…
D.B.G
