All week on Facebook and Twitter I’ve been “microblogging” about my week with a dog. We’re dogsitting. I won’t say who’s dog it is, but this person was an emotional wreck about going on vacation and leaving her dog. It should be noted, I’ve watched her children on several occasions – one time I even watched her children for multiple days.
At one point, I offered to set-up a doggy-cam so she could check-in at any time and see that her pooch was being well cared for, but she declined. Thank goodness …because I really don’t have the equipment to set that up. I figure I’d need at least 8 cameras to cover all areas of the house, and then I’d need a tracking element …I’m just happy she didn’t opt for that.
Instead, I told her, “get a Twitter account which is just like texting, except better.” I told her I’d post pictures and video and give her the full play by play of the week.
Oh, right. Part of her worry MIGHT be because I’ve said countless times, after I had a beagle and then didn’t have a beagle, that “I’m not a dog person” and “I hate dogs” and “no mongrel is going to sleep in my bed, sit on my furniture, or cause me to spend any of my money.” Sooooo, I suppose her worry was a tiny bit justified. And all that rhetoric might’ve just been a defense mechanism, and I might not really hate my ex-dog, but I might hate myself for my inability to train her. In my defense, however, beagles are notoriously difficult to train, and I should’ve researched that before I got that dog …either way. I don’t hate dogs.
This dog I’m dog sitting is, like, a super-awesome dog. Back 7 or 8 years ago when I got my beagle, this is what I pictured dog ownership to be. This dog is never more than 6-feet from me. He doesn’t chew on stuff. He understands English better than most 10-year-old kids. He doesn’t beg. He doesn’t eat out of the trash. When I jog with him, he runs next to me like we’re in the Westminster Dog Show. He’s great with kids. He doesn’t eat off the table the minute you turn your back. When I play fetch, he actually brings the ball to me. He doesn’t howl, rarely barks, and he laughs at all my jokes (that dang beagle never laughed).
They say it’s a catahoula, but it’s not. It’s some sorta catahoula, but mixed with something. I dunno. Be he’s one of a kind, I tells ya.
So, that’s that. We’re dog sitting through Sunday and it’s been great. For my kids, I mean. Me? Nope. It’s just a dog. Might as well be a pig, or bunny, or goldfish. I’m completely indifferent on the dog. No, seriously. I won’t cry when we have to give him back. *If* we give him back.
More updates as the week rolls on.
Follow @donkowalewski on Twitter or hashtag #dogsitting to follow along.
