I'm the Pits as a Dog Mom

I've never forgotten the sweet story of the Metzgers

getting Mabel, their bearded collie.

The seller was to meet them in a parking lot

to let them check her out.

For some reason, Susan couldn't go, so

Rob took Madeline and Susannah.

They didn't want the girls to get overly

excited until Rob had made a decision as to

whether or not she was "right for their family."

So as he was trying to check her out and talk

to the seller, the

girls were hanging out of the car window yelling,

"Is she right for our family, Daddy?"

 

I just realized this morning...

Charleigh-Girl was probably not right for our family.

She is the most hysterical dog I have ever known.

She needs a master who will be her master.

I am a patsy who will be her patsy.

I paid a lot of money to have her trained.

As many of you have probably experienced,

the training involves the owner just as

much as it does the dog. 

It may be easier to teach an old dog new tricks

than to teach an old owner new tricks.

Neither this dog nor this owner learned much.

Don't believe me?

Let me tell you about a day with C-G.

She barks and carries on scarily when I run

water in the bathtub.

She goes crazy over the dispensing of ice from

the icemaker...or the starting of the

dishwasher, which is virtually silent.

Perhaps the worst thing I torment her with is

 opening a canned or liter bottled drink.

Who knows why that is so awful.

She knows I'm going to sneeze before I do,

I think, and reacts, well...hysterically.

I have to sneak around and try to get my

shoes off without her seeing me

She can't be taken in the front yard

because she almost chokes herself on her

leash as she runs at cars.

I love to take her with me in "her" car

(Jack's Navigator) but she

barks at anyone within her "personal space"

which is anyone she can see!

But the deed that did me in was:

She forcefully jumped on Sarah on her last

night here.  It was 

just her usual exuberance, but it was 

quite unacceptable (and painful)!

I realize this is all my fault.

Two people have been firm and consistent 

with her--son Jay and Mary Ellen Jones.

Mary Ellen has trained assistance dogs

and is C-G's sitter when I'm out of town.

She does none of these crazy things around

these two.  She knows they wouldn't tolerate it.

After telling you all this, does it surprise

you that I love this dog ridiculously?

I actually got teary this morning thinking about

the inevitable experience of losing her.

She is good (?) company for me!

Well, she's lots of company, anyway.

She is protection for me.

Here she is one night recently:

I don't know if you can tell, but that's my hand

scratching her chin after I lay down.

(It was hard for me to get a pic!)

 She wrapped her paws around my arm 

and would have let me do that all night!

"Our" training was guaranteed, so

          tomorrow I'm calling the trainer back.            

While I still have some friends left.