A couple days ago, I had to run back to the house to grab my checkbook. It’s not far from work, so I wasn’t really delaying the training we had to go to that day. I didn’t get back to the job for awhile, though, because of a dog.
As I was pulling up near my house, a puppyish dog bounded across the street and right up to a woman walking a baby carriage with her three year old daughter in tow. The dog was pretty big and shaggy, and probably twice the mass of her older daughter. She looked pretty concerned, trying to push the carriage, pick up her daughter, and shoo the dog off at the same time, so I grabbed a leash from the house and got the dog under control. At first the woman started yelling at me, thinking it was my dog, but then sort of walked off in a huff when she realized I was simply helping her out. I think she was embarrassed, and maybe a little annoyed she didn’t have an easy target to yell at.
The big puppy was just that: a big puppy. Specifically, a St. Bernard pup about four months old. Let me tell you: I can completely believe that these dogs can pull guys out of avalanche snow. STRONG. Nice dog. A little headstrong.
I called the St. Bernard rescue tag on her collar and got the address of the neighbors who’d just picked her out a few days ago and walked her back over. The owner was a little befuddled (partly because I’d woken him up), but glad to see the dog: it’s always good to see the big breeds going to good homes — they have the hardest time finding a place, and the highest abandonment rate. Her name was Sasha.
[sigh] I want another dog. I think two is really the optimum number, and I’d like to get the other one into the house before Jake’s Great Dane breed kicks in and turns him into a couch potato so that he doesn’t want to play anymore; dogs are pack animals, they should have friends to play with. I know it’s not really feasible right now: we’d have to have another kennel somewhere, and go through house training again… it’s just not a great time to do it.
Don’t blame me, honey: You bought me the first one — the floodgates are open now.
