Dog talk (edited)

If you’re not a dog lover, this blog entry may bore you. Only dog lovers would understand.

<sigh> My new dog life.

My ideal dog type would be something like a Golden Retriever or Lab.  I learned my lesson with experience owning a bigger dog in an apartment 8 years ago. Back then, young and wild, I made horrible choices and I bought a dog from a a local petstore, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a very smart but I didn’t know he was going to grow big, I was an irresponsible dog owner. Fast forward 8 years later to today and who would of thought I would like small dogs.

But as you get older, most times you get wiser and know better. Some people never seem to get it nor care.

Keeping a large dog in an apartment is like keeping a bear in a cage for the rest of it’s life. The apartments in my building are larger than average for an apartment in Toronto (my 1 bedroom is around 800 sq feet, average one bedroom apartment in Toronto is 560 yo 650 sq ft) but something about bigger dogs in small spaces seems wrong, in my opinion. One tenant in my building owns a Rottweiller and a Husky, and you wonder why dogs have behaviour problems. I’ve seen the owner walk the dogs and they’re very aggressive which would explain why they’re muzzled. It’s a form of animal cruelty. And if I were working for animal creulty I would seize the dogs.

The small dogs at the shelters get adopted the quickest. Within minutes they’re taken. And I’ve been searching their website daily and for awhile now and yesterday I spotted a 2 yr old female Lhasa Apso mix. I’ve been wanting a female because I already have a male and I think its best to have one of each. And I planned to get a 2nd dog because my current dog loves to play with other dogs so I thought he needed a dog friend.

So as soon as I saw the listing I hurried over to the shelter knowing how quick these types of dogs get adopted, litterally in seconds, and when I got there the dog has already been spoken for. One of the employee’s came up to me and said that they have a dog that will soon be available for adoption as soon as the vet checks him out. He was surrendered because his previous owner had health issues. Top three excuses reasons owners surrender their dogs; Allergies, moving, and too busy to care for an animal.

Idiots usually adopt dogs because of a spur of the moment thing, they rarely plan it out and they treat dogs as if they’re stuffed animals. They just house them, feed them and that’s just about it. Some are so evil and big shitheads that they just leave the dog on the balcony. And they tend to adopt on special occasions; Christmas, ThanksGiving, Birthdays etc. people need to realize that Toys R US is a better option for birthday gifts. Yah, believe it or not animals have feelings too, and being thrown around from owner to shelter to owner to another owner to shelter etc takes a toll on these animals who can’t speak for themselves. And like children or infants who are abused and can’t speak for themselves, people abuse dogs the same way.

 Anytime you keep a child or dog isolated and boxed it will become mentally ill. They will inhibit behavior problems such has anti-social, aggression, and be destructive.” It’s the same for dogs that don’t get the proper amount of exercise and then you have dog owners that think their dogs are a meat sandwich, there’s a dog down the hall from me and it’s name is Schnitzel.

Isn’t Schnitzel is a breaded chicken sandwich?

So back to the adoption… I told them sure let me see him, so she brought him out and I instantly liked him. He’s a bit smaller than I wanted but he’s very well behaved and  he’ so sweet. He’s about  2 years old and from what they know he’s Shitz Tzu/ Min Poodle. Which would explain why he’s intelligent. Poodle’s have been classified the 2nd most intelligent dog, after Border Collie and before German Shepherds. He’s a small boy, Osker (my 1st dog) is a bigger pure breed Lhasa Apso. But oddly enough they’re both very quiet dogs, sometimes I wonder if I have to take their pulse. I should read up on dog psychology.

So since the shelter did not techincally put him up for adoption, I couldn’t complete the adoption process. The vet would be checking him out later that day. But I was very interested and eager to adopt him. I am one of those determined people that if I want something I’ll do anything to get it, so I called them a couple of times after I left and they finally gave in and took my number, they said they couldn’t reserve dogs becaue a lot of times people don’t come back. A few hours later they called back and said he’ll be available for adoption tomorrow morning (today) and to be at the shelter at 10:30am sharp because that’s when they’ll put him up for adoption. They have to follow protocols. Again, these types of dogs are taken literally in seconds.

I suddenly had that illusion of being on ‘Amazing Race’. To be first in line at a cartain time at a certain place whoever is there first wins the leg of the race or in my situation, the dog.  I arrived there exactly at 10:30AM, and a woman with her kids were waiting outside. I said to myself, too bad he’s mine..lol..so I waited at front doors and noticed a box sitting on floor. I didn’t put much thought to it I thought it was some delivery dropped off. But then I heard a cat meowing and I thought it was coming from inside the shelter because the cat play area was right there. But Osker was sniffing the box and that’s when I looked down and saw a note on top of the box with holes cut through and the note said “Sorry, found him in a field”.   And whoever found the kitten couldn’t wait til the shelter openedand give the poor kitten to them, the poor thing was a little baby. It’s one of those people who probably thought ”at least I didn’t let the kitten roam around to fend for itself.”.

Anyway, after waiting for an hour I became a new dog owner and the dog was mine. I had to bring Osker with me so they can meet and greet and Osker didn’t mind him but he wasn’t crazy about him. I can tell when he really likes a dog, he gets very excited by wagging his tail and cries to play. Osker is very picky (just like his owner), if a dog is too big he doesn’t care for it, if the dog is too small he doesn’t care for it either. And I think the new dog is too small for his taste.

I gotta say, after picking out these two dogs from the shelter, I’m good at picking out decent dogs. The new dog (still thinking of a name, Benji is an option) is quiet, obedient, trained and is affectionate. He’s very respectful. And I’ve seen badly behaved and disrespectful dogs.

So later on a friend of mine and I went on a long walk to the park and the new dog is just awesome. He walks at my side and walks right beside my leg and doesn’t pull on the leash. I even took him off leash at the park which I was hesitant to do because I don’t trust him yet. But this I know, he seems distressed with all the changes that’s been happening with him.

It’s going to take a while for Osker to realize that I didn’t get the new dog to replace him, he’s jealous whenever I hold the other dog, which is understandable. They’re like kids when a newborn arrives. I know dogs doesn’t understand but I guess it made me feel better telling him “don’t worry, you’ll never get replaced” and he licks me, but not quite later keeps giving me the eye, “how dare you!”.

The new little dog is trying to adapt into his new home, he even goes up to Osker and licks him, and tries to fit in. Osker looks at him and if he could talk he would say “Move it, bitch!”. But only if dogs would remember their experiences. Because when I first got Osker I was babysitting my mother’s Min Pin and Osker was in the same position as this new dog. Osker was trying to get the likings of the Min Pin, wanted to play with him but the Min Pin was acting just like how Osker is now, snotty. It’s like you’re trespassing and I don’t like it.

Call me crazy but I’m planning on getting dog #3, I want a female.

I am sure people will mistake me for being a dog walker, but that’s ok.

Anyway, they both were due for a good bath and now they smell and look doglicious.

As I spend more time with the new dog there signs that he was neglected and abused. He’s afraid of outside surroundings and is scared to do his thing when outside. That tells me he was rarely walked outside, also when I want to pet him he backs away thinking I’m going to hit him. Anyone who abuses children and animals are cowards, evil and inhumane. Basically, they’re scum. They need to be kept in a controlled mental institution for a long time, because there is no cure for them types.

It’s okay, I’ll change his life around for the better.

Something about rescuing an unfortunate, neglected dog that gives me