I am sitting here at my computer looking at all of my things I’ve partially written about my adventures with Charley Waffle, and I have almost 43 drafts started, and looking through I remember what I was writing about and my excitement started up and I sat down to finish what I started writing. HOwever, every time I get on the computer she will start edging closer to me, sighing, flipping her body over, scooch closer, sigh, stare, stare, whine a bit, wag her tail, do a little cute roll over and “aren’t I cute” move until I get so irritated I just shut my computer down and do chores or something else like that trying to ignore her until I get so upset with her that I vow to take her out and run her out until she will pass out for 2 days. That’s what I do. She never passes out for two days though. And I don’t have the energy to even try to figure out what it takes to run her out so she’ll even sleep for a day. So, ultimately, she has basically won.
And I can’t stand it when other people tell me to just ignore her. Don’t let it get to you. Don’t you think I have tried that? She is such a demanding breed, as someone put it to me, that it is hard to ignore their wants and desires. She just irks me.
I think I’ve fallen into that group of humans that have re-centered all scheduling around their dog, and, hating to even admit this, a bit co-dependent. I always put a lot of work and effort with her because I know what kind of dog she is, and she needs at least 5 hours of activity, and I work part time in the morning so I realized this when I would get ready to go for our morning walk, and she’d back away and go into her room. At first I would wait for a bit, and we’d do the whole process over and over. I would tell her :whatever, I am going to go online and start my day minus the walk. I could get some writing in. I actually started liking it when she did that because I’d get into what I was doing. I got her down to if she backs away once we will not go at all, and she has realized that. I would feel bad because I would be thinking she’s scared of something, and I wasn’t being a tender, loving pet animal owner and I would watch all these YouTube videos getting mixed messages on how to train your animal. I get mixed messages from other dog owners as well.
That’s when I started watching Cesar Milan. The dog whisperer or whatever we used to call him when he first hit the scene. He makes it look so easy and common sense. And when I put into practice what he says it is like almost fairy dust landed on both of us and relief and rainbows exalt and I think, “wow. why didn’t i think of that?”
My biggest bad thing i wish I could have not done is every time I take her out i would bring some sort of toy. Sometimes ( a lot) of the times it was easier for me to entertain her. Plus, it would be fun for me. But now I am stuck with a dog who does not want to go out without any toy anytime. I say to her, “why don’t we just go for a walk?” Nope. She makes it a true mental head butt game then. I’ve even told her at times that walking her is not fun. It is not fun at all. I think sometimes she may get the hint when I stall and stall with her all saddled up and making excuses to not walk out that door. Because I knew it was going to be a battle.
I look at these people who are able to bring their dogs to him to have him train and get put on t.v. I see some and I think I am doing a better job, but then cut myself down because I don’t have a big place or a car like everyone else. I keep telling myself at least I am concerned about making sure she is getting all the exercise she needs. She is a cattle dog. There are no cattle in downtown Seattle. I am trying to make up for that factor. Damn it gets hard sometimes.
I was sitting the other day on a bench outside of Bartells, just soaking the sun up when I witnessed this guy with his massively large mastiff/pit bull/terrier, not quite sure, but a very large one. He caught my eye and started muttering to his dog, and sat across the street just staring at me, and occasionally engaging with his dog. The dog had this huge huge smile on him as the man told him to sit! No, he said, “fucking sit! I said fucking sit! What the f are you doing? Go ahead and sit!” He would glance up and look my way in between his “f’ing sit” display, then finally pushed the dog’s rump down. The dog got very serious for a moment and I heard the guy say, “Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. I tell you to sit you better sit.”
Tired of watching this because I really wanted to just go and talk to the dog but didn’t feel he’d welcome that to much, I pulled out a book and started half reading it and half keeping a watch on the two.
About 5 minutes I sensed he’d crossed the street, crossed right in front of me, and I heard him asking the dog, “What are you looking at? Uh? What are you doing? Uh? You gonna listen to me? Uh?” Then he opened his water bottle and threw some water on the unsuspecting dog. The dog was surprised and just kinda shook it off but started looking around nervously and his pace started quickening. The guy said, “Yeah, that’s right? What are you doing man? Uh?” Water splash again on the dog.
I wanted to puke.
The dog’s tail was still wagging the whole time. Even after he got the slight waterboard.
I got up and went home. I felt real sad. The rest of the day I ended up catering to my Charley Waffle. Who is now nose to knee with me looking at me and wagging her tail. I told her she has no idea how well she has it. She has no idea what I am saying. Good.
Ok. Here we go. I guess I’ll put off going to the library this morning. Ha. ha.
Love your dog, love your local pitbull. Educate, don’t hate.
CHARLEY WAFFLE 