Every dog owner I know thinks they have the best dogs in the world, including me. Actually, I don't have the best dogs in the world as far as well behaved dogs go. They're good, but not perfect. They would rather not heel, have selective hearing, bark at people, dogs in other cars, small children on bikes, bury slippers and other valuables in our yard and occasionally leave only to find themselves stuck in the local shelter for two days while we look for them. So no, they're not perfect, but they are pretty awesome. Shuksan is a mountain biking machine; he always sticks right to one of our back wheels, he gets out of the way on the downhills and is always to be found (Gretta's greatest attribute is not her biking skills). He's a pretty serious guy- serious about where we are, where he is going, he takes his life seriously, as he should as I think he's on his 9th. Gretta is such a character and in all reality she's the cuddler, although she usually starts snoring loud enough to keep us awake. I admit (and often wonder if parents of multiple children do this) that Shuksan is my favorite. He's my dog and I am his girl. While I picked Gretta out at the shelter and was encouraged to NOT bring her home, I assured Jarred that I would take care of her, that she would be mine, but she's more Jarred's dog. Funny how that works.
Since moving Shuksan has acquired a new habit: garbage scrounging. I've seen him check out other people's garbage cans before. He's even gone so far as to reach up into the can to further investigate. Both dogs spent a lot of time in our trashy neighbors yard in North Bonneville as they had a dumpster (too many kids) and never closed the lid so their garbage would blow all over their yard. But neither had ever been very interested in our own kitchen garbage until recently. Last night I woke up to sounds from the kitchen. After listening intently for a few moments, I heard Shuksan's collar jingle and plastic crinkle. I got up to find Shuksan gingerly holding a plastic bag that. previously held pork steaks. While I'm sure this was the reason for the scrounge, Shukusan had also pulled out a banana peel, fruit snack wrapper and ripped bread bag. I wondered what instigated this midnight "snack." This was the first time I actually caught Shuksan in the act although we'd previously come home to find the odd piece of trash strewn about.
I wonder if Shuksan has been in contact with Coco and Mavis, my friend Meghan's dogs. They are the king and queen of garbage scrounging, the will go so far to scrounge if the can is even empty.
3 comments:
I too think I have the best dogs in the world. But, I know your dogs, and they are a close 2nd.
Cocoa and Mavis have started teaching webinars for other dogs who want to improve their scrounging skills. Mavis is super marketable because of her abandoned in the desert backstory. Cocoa is mostly just a pretty face. Recent topics have included Rubbermaid Access, How to Handle a Foot Pedal Opened Garbage Can, and What to Scrounge Outside When the Inside Can Has Been Emptied (Subtitle: Seasonal Eating).
Meg- I'll let Shuksan know about the available classes...he's looking for some new activities, perhaps the craft of scrounging is right up his ally. Today's focus was the shit- ie half burnt cheese that has spent the last year sitting on the bottom of my bbq.
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