I try very hard to stick to a rigid schedule of updating the blog once a week, but over the holidays I allowed myself to drift away a little.
I apologize.
Back on track in 2006.
We had a busy, boisterous holiday. I had to work straight through with the exception of the two Mondays which were company holidays. I am grateful for those, but would have liked to have had off a chunk of time when my family was home.
Alas, my foot and the Ump's heart KOed my PTO. (That's knocked out my paid time off for those of you who hate acronyms.
The latest addition to our family showed up here the day after Christmas.
Olivia and her boyfriend, Webb, adopted a 3-year-old Golden Retriever from the Floyd County animal shelter. Seems Cooper (I like his name - though I wondered it if was a misspelling, because I know a lot of Goldens named Copper) was turned into the animal shelter because he was caught with his paws in a neighbor's chicken house. This is a crime often punishable by buckshot if the dog is caught red-handed, so he's probably lucky to have made it to the shelter.
Olivia and Webb had talked to us about their desire for a dog. My advice to them was to adopt an older dog instead of getting a puppy. Bringing a dog into your life is often a bigger responsibility than you realize.
It's not like Olivia is not familiar with animals - she has been around dogs and cats her whole life. But she was never the primary caregiver.
There a big difference between filling up the water bowl and pulling ticks off. Dogs provide a lot of fun and love, but they are also dirty, smelly, hairy and prone to sitting precisely where you do not want them to sit.
Multiply that by 10 and you understand what it is like to live with a puppy.
Puppies always go where you don't want them to go. Literally. When you are housebreaking a dog, it seems they always find your favorite carpet or rug when they have to go to the bathroom. Then, when you pick them up, slip on the collar and leash, and take them outside, they just sit on your foot and look up at you like: "How come we're out here at midnight?"
So I was quite happy to hear that they had adopted a nice dog who was already neutered and had his shots and was from a relatively happy home. Hopefully no chickens live within in roaming distance.
When Cooper arrived at the house, we kept the three big dogs in the kitchen and Peanut in the bedroom. The barking was phenomenal. A regular din of inequity as our dogs loudly protested being jailed in the kitchen. Cooper, on the other hand, spoke not a word.
As things started to calm down a little, we introduced one dog at a time to Cooper.
Eventually the barking stopped, but the dogs paced around as they got to know each other.
I'm afraid Cooper might have thought he was back in the shelter. He stuck close to Olivia most of the time.
At one point Olivia noticed a puddle of water on the floor - on one of three rugs in the house, of course. We cleaned it up and threw the rug in the washing machine. No one actually saw Cooper commit the crime, but we put two-and-two together.
I became convinced our deduction was correct when Cooper wandered into the den where I was working on the computer. When I looked over top the screen to see what Cooper was doing, all I could see was a large, shaggy golden leg arched toward the Christmas tree.
"COOPER!" I shouted, but to no avail. He completed his action before dropping the leg, leaving a large puddle behind.
Again Olivia and I cleaned up the mess and I threw the tree skirt in the washing machine.
Before he returned to Radford, Cooper peed again on that tree and then on the one in the dining room. That tree skirt went in the wash too.
I've always wondered why my dogs never did that. I mean if you think about it, why wouldn't a tree in the house seem like indoor plumbing to a dog?
Poor Cooper had to meet several other dogs and at least three cats during his visit to Woodstock and West Virginia. I think he was probably very grateful to get back to his new home.
It was a lesson for Olivia. She wanted to bring the dog home so everyone could see it and, I imagine, she didn't want to leave him behind for a couple of days since she had just taken ownership. It's an exciting time. But it probably was not the best thing for Cooper.
At one point during her visit she decided to cancel plans to go to the movies with a friend because she was concerned about Cooper. That's when I knew that it was really starting to sink in.
Before I got my first dog, I imagined how he would look, beautifully groomed and lying in front of the fireplace, sleeping peacefully.
Coalie was beautiful, but I don't think he ever slept in front of the fireplace. He slept where and when he wanted and he turned my life upside down. But I loved that dog.
Having the responsibility of a animal's life is not something anyone should take lightly. So many people get a dog and tie it up out back and only interact with it when they bring a bowl of food and water. Pets are not lawn ornaments. They are members of the family.
Hopefully, Cooper knows he can always come home for a visit. Next holiday season, however, I'll restrict his access to the Christmas trees.
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