Thursday, March 25, 2010

Dogged

If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, you must be a cat. ~Author Unknown

It's been raining and/or ugly for two day, which in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. But when you have a young dog who is a bundle of energy and you can't expend some of that energy? Then things get a little crazy.

One day, she can deal with, but we hit day two yesterday (not really raining, but gale force winds and COLD, so we couldn't walk) and I knew I had to do something. So we piled the dog into the car and headed out to her favorite places.

We started with Agway, where we got grass fertilizer and she got lots of love and dog bones (and where I argued with the head helper about whether you catch and drown rodents, or catch and release -- she was telling our shared FedEx guy how to deal with a rat in his woodpile. I got a bit... *ahem*... vehement, but no blows were exchanged).

Next, we opted to take the time to go way the heck out of our way and hit Petco. Now, it used to be that the Petco employees spoiled Dakota rotten. It used to be they walked around with a bag of treats hooked to their pants so they could treat and pet all the dogs. She loved going there. But the last couple of times, things haven't been as much fun for her. In fact, the last time, she went through the check out line, sat pretty and waited for the treat they ALWAYS give her (and I even said something about her waiting for her treat) and they guy looked at her and then turned back, took my money and helped the next person, totally ignoring the dog.

Could YOU ignore this face?



Yesterday we saw no fewer than four employees who passed close enough to pat the dog, one even had to step out of our way to avoid her, and not one (NOT ONE) even acknowledged her presence, let alone patted her.

Worse, the three people there who had dogs wanted nothing to do with letting their dogs interact with her. One even seemed as though they though Dakota was going to eat their little shitz tsu (as if... please) and would yank the dog violently away whenever we were in view. Sadly, THEIR dog seemed very interested in playing.

I left without buying anything, even though I will typically get something for the dog when we go... treats, a chewy, a toy.

But DD and I were so angry by the time we left, we were spitting nails. Maybe a stupid thing to get upset about, but it's like taking your kid to a party and having them treated like a pariah.

I emailed Petco when I got home. And, I most likely won't be back to their store -- that's the third time in a row we haven't had a good experience.

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I talked to the lady whose Border Collie was attacked last week. He was so sad... slithered into agility class and then wrapped himself around my legs and just shook. I told her I was sorry about butting in with her dog, and she said, "NO. Don't be. I just froze." So, phew. It's all good.

We spent agility class trying to get him to be a little less cowed. He wanted to stay hiding under the chairs -- the room has a bad memory for him, and he was fine outside of it, but not in. Poor thing.

We also discussed the Great Dane with the instructor -- my complaint was that they never correct the dog, and the Border Collie's mom was frustrated that they didn't seem to be taking responsibility for their dog's bad behavior. They never even went to her to apologize that night last week.

The thing is, he's not a bad-tempered dog. Most Great Danes are just HUGE pussycats, and he's no exception. His problem is two-fold: he's not altered and he's not being told what is proper behavior.

The Border Collie's mom is on vacation the next two Thursdays, so won't be in the beginning class. Hopefully things will settle down by the time she's back.

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Did some writing on the sequel to "Kitchen Matches" yesterday (tentatively entitled "Now and Forever"). I've been struggling because it's not as funny on paper as it is in my head and every word I write has been an ordeal. But I decided to just push on through and then submit the first chapter to my writing group (who are going to think I'm schizophrenic, because I keep submitting things from different WIPs!) and see what they think. If they think it's dry as dirt, I'll go from there. Sometimes I think we can't judge our own work very well.

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I just realized I forgot to plant my seeds yesterday!! OH NO. That's first on my agenda this morning. Oh happy days, gardening season has begun.

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You Are Chocolate Chip Cookies



You are all American and down to earth. You tend to stick to the classics ... you can't go wrong with them.

You have an eye for quality, and you are probably an accomplished baker. And you never skimp on real butter and eggs.

Your friends can always count on you to be consistent and loyal. You are true to the end.

You are sweet because you take time to do things right. You are thoughtful in all of your actions.



Hmmm... mostly right.

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7 comments:

Dru said...

I wonder why the store employees are now suddenly not petting the pets. Poor Dakota, I'll pet her.

I hope things work out for the Border Collie.

You Are Cinnamon Rolls

You are kind hearted and even a little bit shy. You appreciate home comforts more than the average person.

You are hard to get to know at first, but once someone gets to know you, they can really appreciate your subtle charm.

Your friends can always count on your wit and wisdom. You may not say a lot, but what you have to say matters.

You are sweet because you are sensitive. You tread lightly and do your best not to ever hurt anyone.

These things are scary when the reply is accurate.

Have a good Thursday.

MomJane said...

People just are not nice any more. Poor doggie.


You Are Brownies
You are outgoing and friendly. You don't let yourself stress too much - there's too much life to be enjoyed!
You are easy on yourself and those around you. Even if you eat the whole pan of brownies, it's really not a big deal.

Your friends can always count on you for a smile or a laugh. You rarely judge or criticize.
You are sweet because you realize not everyone's perfect. You don't try to be perfect, and you love yourself even more for it.

J.A. Saare / Aline Hunter said...

I don't know how anyone could deny that face. ;-( Sorry you had another bad experience at Petco.

Tori Lennox said...

If part of your philosophy is having pets come to the store, then you darn well better acknowledge them! What a bunch of jerks. I hope you were vehement in your email.

And the Great Dane owners need some smacks upside their collective heads.

Brandy said...

Poor Dakota! She deserves to be petted! If you are ever down my way my kids would spoil her rotten. *G*
I don't blame you for writing the company.
It' sad to hear that the collie is so scared. Poor baby. And those Great Dane owners need to be held responsible!

I am Cinnamon Rolls: You are kind hearted and even a little bit shy. You appreciate home comforts more than the average person.
You are hard to get to know at first, but once someone gets to know you, they can really appreciate your subtle charm.
Your friends can always count on your wit and wisdom. You may not say a lot, but what you have to say matters.
You are sweet because you are sensitive. You tread lightly and do your best not to ever hurt anyone.

WOW! That's pretty accurate.

I hope you're having a better day today and please give Dakota a pat from me!

Andrea Allison said...

Had a little dog until recently who was full of energy but he hating going out in the rain. Always scared of it. Don't know why. But who could resist petting Dakota. That's just not right.

Maria Zannini said...

Petsmart has always been good about petting our dogs, but I've never been to Petco with the dogs. The few times I was there I notice 1)very few pets and 2)no one was being petted or offered treats.

I wonder if their policy changed.

Poor Dakota. Give her a hug for me.