10 Pieces of Dog Related Minutae

In keeping with the theme of my week you get 10 dog things.

1. I've been getting up at 6 and going straight out in my sweats with the dogs and walking the neighborhood for an hour.

2. Weirdly I like #1. It's quiet and the dogs are mostly well-behaved and we usually don't run across other dogs so it's pretty tame and nice. Too bad 6am has to come so freaking early.

3. Why is it always the exception that proves the rule? Why can't it just be here's a rule, boom, done? It being 6 I wasn't thinking all clear and whatnot. I saw a woman with a dog on our side of the street about a block away. I saw her turn and we were far enough back so I thought we had leeway. As we came to the corner where she turned I saw a woman cross in front of us with coffee from the deli across the street. She looked really familiar but I couldn't make a connection. We hit the corner and it's all "Release the Hounds!" She'd tied her dog just around that corner so she could get a cup of coffee at the deli. Oops.

4. There was a lot of snapping and growling but I was able to hold everyone in check and get us across the street. Emily came away with a limp and the woman waited to be sure we were OK, which was very nice of her and doesn't always happen.

5. Not surprisingly the limp went away with a quick rub and about a thousand repetitions of, "Good Girl, you're OK, you're totally fine." Bobby? Blissfully oblivious throughout.

6. I don't think I've ever talked to this many of my neighbors before. "Hey, that's not your dog." "New dog?" "What kind of dog is that?" "Oh, I thought so! 'Cause I heard barking and your dog doesn't bark so I wondered." "That's a puppy!" "Are you babysitting?" "Lady! Hold. Those. Dogs!"

7. Not totally sure that the neighbors are appreciating the sound of a dog sliding full speed into my front door at 7am. Over and over again.

8. I am simultaneously relieved and annoyed that when I come home the Bobster jumps all over me but when the dog walker comes he's totally fine. It's both, "Whew, I don't have to worry while I'm at work." and "Dude, what the fuck? Stop flinging your 70 pound self at my delicate body for the love of kibble!"

9. I've been teaching Bobby to sit. OK, he came with the ability but I'm trying to teach him to use it as the all purpose command. Intersection? Sit first. Time to go out? Sit for the leash to go on. Back from out? Sit to get your shirt off. It's going pretty well. He's even sitting when I snap my fingers instead of having to verbally command. Weirdly, though, he's better at following instructions at the beginning of the walk than at the end. Aren't you usually supposed to have to get the ya yas out before the dog listens to you?

10. Too bad I didn't decide to teach him not to jump, isn't it?