An update about our favorite pets has long been overdue, and since we're heading into another holiday week that includes another trip to Kentucky, what better time to wax proud about our boys?
With the cooler weather, the duo have been much happier. Bulldogs, because of their strange anatomy, have trouble in hotter weather. When it hits autumn, look out! Sherman especially is energized by the cooler weather, as evidenced by the fact that he runs around outside like a fool. Custer acts like a fool regardless of the weather, so it's hard to tell if the cooler temperatures have a positive effect on him.
Our days start around 5.30a with the obligatory walk around the block. Although the law says they're supposed to be on a leash, I'm a law-breaker and let them roam free. The truth is that they are both pretty obedient, and if they begin to stray they come back to me in short order, unless an unbelievably attractive nuisance presents itself. We go out when it's dark, so there aren't many other dogs and owners out, but every once in awhile there's one, and I have to keep the boys on a short leash so to speak.
Now that it's autumn, leaves are on the ground. It never fails, but one of them likes to leave his deposit in the leaves, making it one especially smelly Easter egg hunt for me. Usually after one's done dropping his load, he sprints off as if lightened by his burden. The fun really takes off for me if both of them are doing the deed at the same time, just in different directions. That tasks me with keeping an eye on both of them and the locations of their dumps, then reminding them to stay near me while I try to locate the fecal matter without stepping in it. Sherman's added a new twist to this, taking dumps a few minutes and a few yards apart, thus adding another back to the joy of being a good pet owner.
During the summer when we had to leave them at other houses, they picked up this notion of covering their droppings with grass, dirt or debris by brushing it with their back paws. This leads to some unintentionally funny scenes where one is standing behind the other as he finishes and begins pawing the ground, or thatching the lawn as we call it. The trouble is that the dog behind the thatcher gets covered with grass and dirt and can't easily shake it off.
Heaven forbid that it be raining out, which it does quite often in November. I've opened the door only to have the two of them take two steps out and turn right around to go back in the house. You'd think their lives were in danger because of the rain.
We've taken them to farmer's markets where they become the star attraction for about half the crowd. The old routine of explaining bulldogs, Sherman and Custer's paths to us and assorted other trivia stops us about four to five times a trip. The boys eat up the attention and it gets us to meet new people.
They've gotten into several routines, not the least of which is my coming home at lunch to let them out. After they do their business, they curl up in their beds and sleep. Then it's time to put Cus back in the laundry room, where sadly he spends his time because of pooping and peeing issues. I wish we didn't have to do it, but there's just no other alternative.
When we walk them around the place, they investigate every post, every seat, every upright installation in search of smells. Karen heard a comedian who says that those are the dogs' equivalent to Facebook, and that could be. But when we walk, it slows us down just a tad.
We're headed to Kentucky for Thanksgiving and we'll have to leave the boys behind, which we hate to do. They're so well-behaved, but there's simply no room at the inn. Not to mention that carting all their stuff and them limits what we can do and how we travel. It's an added expense to leave them behind, but there's no way around it.
As far as pets go, Sherman and Custer are a dream. I wish everyone who loved dogs had a Sherman and a Custer in their lives.
(c) 2013 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
No comments:
Post a Comment