Doggone Etiquette —

A Winner!

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:                           

All your VIPeople voted, and guess what? You WON! You were named the best dog ever. Obviously, they were remembering all the times you were very, very good, and probably overlooked those few times when you were not quite that good. You must have campaigned amazingly well. There is no way to know how long your elected term will be, so celebrate calmly and quietly. Your best bet is to be your people’s very good dog as much of the time as you can manage – just as you normally are. They’ll let you know if you get out of line.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:            

Apart from that bit of nonsense, and a lot more important, how did you get through the pre-winter storm and power outage that created havoc in our state? How did your whole family, including the dogs, cats, and kids cope with it all? Sixteen inches of wet snow was definitely not the “fun time in the snow with Rufus” that I have often referred to. With so many trees, branches, and wires down everywhere, no doubt some of you probably also had the dog’s fencing damaged or demolished by those trees. Then there are the electric fences which were inoperable, causing many dogs to wait it out indoors for the power to come back on.                     

If any of this applies to you, it might be a good idea to consider alternative safety for Rufus should we undergo another such storm. After all, winter doesn’t normally start in October around here! You might think about a small safely fenced area with easy access, perhaps alongside the garage, or by a back door; or even a free-standing kennel. It only needs be big enough for Rufus to use as his personal outhouse. Getting about for dog walks when roads are blocked by downed trees and wires (as well as snow and ice underfoot) can be impossible. Winter has barely begun, so, as you clean up the current mess, you might plan now to be better prepared for what lies ahead.                           

Providing indoor exercise for Rufus sometimes becomes a necessity, not just an alternative, so also consider where to play active games. An empty garage, or up and down a long hallway, for example, offer a lot more freedom for toss-and-retrieve games – if you are lucky enough to have such space. But games in the den or living room should be limited to toys that won’t bounce. One bouncing ball crashing down on a collection of prized china ornaments will put a speedy end to all indoor games. Don’t blame Rufus! Check out the pet supply store for new things that come on the market constantly to fill our dogs’ needs. It is also possible to teach old dogs new tricks. There are books and tapes to teach you how to do it.   

Congratulations to all the dogs that have been elected to remain in their home “office” for an extended future! Any that came in second or third may just need a bit of brush-up training – and that, dear dog owner, is your responsibility, not the dogs’!

Until next time – BE SAFE - & GOOD!

- Bardi