America, May 14, 2008
A Whole Other Kind of Taxi Time
A cute, furry,a nd fun Taxi, that is
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"Taxi! Come here Taxi!" This is what I shout on a daily basis now. I'm calling a Taxi in the morning, during the day, and even late into the night. But it's not the taxi your thinking of.
This is not a New York Taxi story, nor a taxi experience in Macedonia, Russia, or even Bangkok, and its much better than the San Juan Taxi Mafia. This is a story even better than Portland taxi driver perfection, this is a whole other kind of "taxi". I'm calling out "Taxi" to get the attention of a damn-cute 1-year-old Shepard mix that Amy and I adopted from the Washington Animal Rescue League last week. A Taxi that has quickly entered our home and our hearts with a crooked head and wagging tail, looking for adventure. And an adventure she sure does bring. The morning features "Get the Ball" where hapless tennis balls are tossed and fetched before either being overthrown into another yard or ripped open and eaten mid-run. Mid-day is the walk around the neighbourhood where Taxi is still overwhelmed with sights, sounds, and reasons to bark. The afternoons have her playing Tug-of-War, which she'll not loose even if it means being dragged across slick hardwood floors till she can find a grip on carpet. The evenings are chill time, when she gets to snuggle with Mom, but not in our bed. Sadly, there are frustrating times for her, mainly when Amy and I leave the house. After wrecking blinds and trashing doors, she's on basement patrol when we prepare to leave, so she'll not see us go and flip out with separation anxiety. All three of us are learning how to get along, and if you have any tips or tricks, we'd love to hear them - in English or dog. |
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Hi Wayan,
We have a rescue dog originally named Sprocket, who we have renamed Dillon, after C. Douglas Dillon, because we thought it would work better when we were calling him.
He looks like Taxi, and we think he is a golden retriever, yellow lab, shepherd mix. Actually, we got about 5 breeds for the price of one -- we ended up bringing home an improbable beagle Pekingese little sister at the same time we adopted him.
Anyway, you asked for tips to control the homewrecker aspects of dog ownership that you are now experiencing, courtesy of your beloved but overly enthusiastic dog.
1. Get a companion dog.
2. Engage in a minimum of 30 minutes per day of aerobic exercise with your dog to work off the excess energy.
3. Have someone walk your dog while you are at work.
4. Put your dog in "doggie day care".
5. Give the dog healthy bones to chew on so he won't chew your things.
6. Put up fences to keep him out of most of the house, and inside most of the yard.
7. Get a dog crate and put him in it, at least at night.
8. Find a local dog park and visit it every day. With your dog, of course.
9. For a large sum of money, we engaged a trainer who taught the humans how to growl properly at the dogs, and confirmed the need to spray bitter apple potion on anything we cared about. Too late for the garden hoses, the hot tub cable and cover, and all wooden window ledges inside and outside of the house that they can reach. The growling is supposed to reassure them that you are top dog, and that they don't need to worry that you can't take care of yourself without their protection while you are out (the dog meaning of separation anxiety).
I am here to tell you that most of the above does not work.
Well, maybe #2, exercise, but we don't quite get around to doing that. #4 would definitely work, doggie day care, because the dog is not at your house to chew anything, but that requires more organization and / or money than most people want to devote to a non-human mammal. #8, the dog park might help the dogs, at least, fulfill tip #2, but it has to be close enough for you to get there every day before dusk, which we cannot. #7, a two crate combo, does work to reduce the puddles produced by the little one in the morning. We keep it open during the day. They sometimes choose to nap inside, and feel safe there.
One dog is 1 1/2, the other is about 1. I hope there is some time between puppyhood and old age in which we can enjoy them in peace. In the meantime, the love quotient that the eager faces and wagging tails and excited squeals and happy licks bring to the household is incalculable.
WOW. I'm so far behind. SO FAR BEHIND.
You adopted a dog ... a DOG? The fuzzy thing that runs around, ruins things and prevents you from long nights away from home bellying up to a bar?