Well, it has been a week since Lucy the Chocolate Lab wondered on to my carport and decided to stay. We are both very happy and although I have already began the training process, I do believe she has taught me more than I have taught her.
One of the first things we did together is play fetch. I bought her one of those knotted ropes and took her outside to show her how to run after it once I threw it and then bring it back to me. (simple enough right?)
Well, I had prepared this training speech I was going to give her and then a demonstration of how it should be done. The thing is, I have never really worked with a dog other than to teach them not to pee in place where I might be walking, laying or eating. That seemed the most important anyway.
However, after Lucy came along and I read where they were suppose to be easy to train, I had visions of her balancing a ball on her nose while standing on her hind legs (wait, that's a walrus trick..) Maybe teach her to stand on a ball while bouncing up and down and barking the National Anthem... now that would be fun...
I had tried to teach some of my dogs to fetch in the past, going as far back as when I was 8 or 9 trying to teach my dog and actually getting on my hands and knees to demonstrate how to go fetch and bring back. I always thought I did a pretty good demo....and even tried this method with Desi, my Chihuahua but he wasn't amused.....he just turned and ran back to the house.
My Chocolate Labrador....should be easy. So we began, much to my surprise, the first time I threw the rope, she ran and got it, brought it back to me and stood in anticipation of the next throw....Hmm, interesting... I may not have to demonstrate after all, which is a good thing because I'm not as young as I use to be and the thought of crabbing my way across the yard on my hands and knees just wasn't as cool as it was when I was 9. I threw it again....and again she fetch, returned, waited....Wow, this Lab is smart!
Then it hit me... She isn't just a Lab, she is a Labrador "RETRIEVER," which I suppose explains her natural willingness to go chasing after something and return it to me. So then I wondered, is it that she is that much smarter than my Chihuahua or is she actually the stupid one? It is 100 degrees outside and she would fetch that rope until she fell over and went into respiratory arrest which is alarming to me because I am not sure I could give mouth to mouth to a dog (is it even physiologically possible?)
Lucy has taught me that:
* having a clean house is over rated.
* I am glad I have a king size bed.
* getting 6 or more hours of sleep in a row is not gonna happen anytime soon.
* Toddler? Child proofing the house? I thought I was done with that after my 3rd child, but now I have another Toddler, the only difference is my wife can't breast feed this one so I have to actually buy special food. There is nothing placed lower than 36.5 inches from the floor and it took Lucy chewing up my Dutch wooden shoes that I bought in Holland 20 years ago to wake me up to the reality of Dog proofing the house.
* Life is too short to worry about pretty much anything...Dogs don't worry so why should I? Of course, Lucy doesn't have to pay bills or pay taxes.
Lucy is happy, I am happy....my wife is happy, Desi is ...well, Desi is still trying to get use to the new girl and has a few more bumps and bruises than she did this time last week due to Lucy showing him how the big dogs play.
BTW, I had not mentioned it in my first two posts, but I also have a Maltese named April, however, she lives with my Mom in Oklahoma. She is pictured in my sig. We didn't bring her to Alabama when we moved because she had been staying with my mom who owns her sister (muffy) so we let her stay. I miss her though. Maltese' are so cool. No shedding, soft and cuddly and very lovable. The only hard time I had with her was trying to keep her looking like a Maltese.
Every time I would bring her to my house from my moms, she looked like a science experiment gone wrong when I returned her. "They have to be brushed and groomed daily," My mom would tell me. What she really meant is that I needed to hire a personal Maltese stylist and have them come by daily. When I make it big in Hollywood, maybe. Until then, I'll stick with the Chihuahua and Lab. At least when they have a bad hair day the neighbors don't call the Humane society to report dog cruelty.
I guess some man-dog relationships were meant for humans with more patience and hair styling skills than I have. I still miss April though.
