Going to the Dogs

Friday Doug and I went to see the movie Marley and Me. I've read the book and loved it. The sad thing is I knew how it ended and I still cried. Pathetic, I know. It got me thinking about my own dogs and how they have occasionally been the World's Worst dogs.

Ok Eden not so much. She had her moments that first year. Especially the day I came home to our apartment and found a partially eaten library book (paperback, thank goodness! Hardbacks are expensive!). She still has a thing about pens/pencils and paper. If any of these items get left within her reach she will chew them up. A couple of years ago I got home from work and found she had chewed up a blue pen. Not the ball point kind either. It was one of those fluid type that create a HUGE mess. A few cuss words and lots of glaring ("WHAT DID YOU DO???") and I was able to get most of the ink out. That and the nice new shag carpet got a bit of a trim in the places the ink wouldn't come out.

The real trouble maker in our house is Dakota (aka Dee-duh-dee). We got him when he was about 1 and I keep telling myself that any time now he's going to settle down. Any time now. Well, he's going on 5 and he is still a wild child. The dog has endless energy and is a ball-chasing, food stealing maniac that thinks he is a lap dog. My case in point:

Dakota has stolen various meats from the counter in the few seconds it takes to walk outside and light the grill. We have gotten to the point that we are putting any food left in the kitchen in the highest possible point just so that he cannot reach it (though try as he might). He ate a baby bird that had fallen in the window well and jumped through the open window while Doug was trying to rescue him (a very sad day). He also ate the corners on several of my couch pillows. He was then relegated to a crate for the times we are not at home. I have even blogged about his ritual of crashing down the door when I am in the bathroom. Much like Jennifer Aniston in the movie, I have had several episodes where I am seething mad at the dog for whatever his latest indiscretion is and seriously considered finding another home for him. Yet despite all of his "issues", I can't bring myself to do it. In my opinion, that's not how you deal with a situation with a family member. You don't just give a dog away because they're naughty. I've come to accept that a lot of his problem is a training issue and that falls on me, not him. So we strive to do better with him which ultimately means trying to give him as much exercise as possible. Hell, we even bought a treadmill for the damn dog so we could run him on it. Oh sure, I justified it by saying that it was for me but let's be honest here, the dog's seen more miles on that thing than I ever have. I'll give him this much though - that dog LOVES to play. He and Tyson are best buds and I am so thankful that they can wear each other out.

So that's my post on my very lovable, playful, and yes even sometimes unruly pair of dogs. I wouldn't have it any other way.