Between the Schnauzer and the English Cocker



What do you guys think I should do?

 There are times in the park when I feel as though there are really three dogs out there with me; my dog, a good dog, and a bad dog. Cadie is the neutral dog, and by neutral I mean easily swayed, the schnauzer is the bad dog, and by that I mean easily tempted to go it's own way; the English Cocker is the good dog, and by that I mean, most likely to obey commands. Before the Schnauzer people get all upset, I don't mean that schnauzers are bad dogs, but they have a strong independent streak, like all Terriers. The English Cocker on the other hand, seems to have no other purpose in life except to try to please it's owner. You know I love Terriers, but sometimes their independence is a bit of a liability. Let me explain.

In the past 2 weeks Cadie and I have been forced to eliminate 2 neighborhood parks from the list of parks we frequent, why? because without warning she'll take off after a squirrel; in the worst case, she nearly ended up underneath the tires of a big, white van. So I eliminated that park right off the bat, it's just too close to the road, and the squirrels are dare devils.

This last weekend Cadie showed greater restraint. The squirrels tempted her, but she stayed where she was, earning her a big mouthful of liver. I know that Cadie will follow her natural instincts, but again, this park is just too close to the street, so it's a no go.

The thing I find funny, in a scary way, is in that moment before Cadie's natural instincts take over she's completely conflicted. She does a couple of false starts, she hesitates, and even seems to turn her head from side to side, as if she's listening to two people talk. It reminds me of those old time cartoons where the devil sits on the left shoulder and the angel sits on the right, and they compete for the chance to guide the poor, lost soul's behaviour. Instead of angels and devils I see Cadie being torn between the natural instincts of two of her base breeds.



What did you say? I can go chase the squirrels?

 The Schnauzer, as we said, is independent, and likes to do things it's own way, so if a squirrel dares to run past it's path, the squirrel better be quick, because the schnauzer is unlikely to allow them to pass in peace. Also Schnauzers are very barky, Cadie is not a barky dog generally, but at the park, she has been known to be more vocal.

English Cockers on the other hand, are less independent, and tend to be more trainable, and follow commands more quickly. They were bred to work with people, and as a result they want to do their best to make their people happy. Cadie is very much a people pleaser.

So the scene at the park goes like this:

Me: Cadie come
Cadie shuffles her feet, looks from side to side, and back at me.
Cadie: ruff ruff
Me: shrugs. Cadie come.
Cadie shakes her head back and forth rapidly, the shaking moves back to the front legs, then shudders down her body, at one point every muscle is shaking back and forth. The shaking gradually stops, the front stops shaking first, until only the tail is still moving.
Me: Cadie. Right here! pointing at the spot on the ground between my feet
Cadie stares at me.
English Cocker: We have to go, that was a command. We have to go!
Schnauzer: you don't have to go, she already loves you, you don't have to do anything she says now.
EC: Yes we do, if we don't go, bad things might happen. Besides she has liver, I like liver.
Sch: yeah, liver's good, but not as good as catching one of those squirrels. Look at them, all smug, thinking they can get away from you. You should go and show them that you're the boss.
Cadie turns her head from side to side
EC: No. No. We should go, we were called.
Me: inching forward slowly so that I can put my foot on her leash. Cadie I said NOW!
Cadie dances a little and chooses either:

Option A: to come to me, get her liver, be a good girl, and stay longer in the park;

or

Option B: to ignore me and go after the squirrels.

Why are we leaving the park? What did I do?

I can't complain too much, she chooses Option A most often, but every now and then, she is lured by the persuasive Schnauzer, and takes off after those pesky squirrels. The outcome is a couple of very tense and frightening moments for me, and that, if I'm lucky enough to catch her alive, we leave the park as soon as I possible. She's always surprised by this turn of events. Oh Cadie, listening to that Schnauzer voice won't lead you to anything good.

Happy Friday!

Today is the most beautiful day of the week for a couple of reasons:

1) it is cool, with a wonderful, bright blue sky and not a cloud in sight (a big change from the rest of the cloud filled week)
2) it's Friday!

I had a tough time getting started this morning, I also had another rough night; I woke up ever hour pretty regularly stare at the clock and try to figure out what the numbers meant. The combination of these things means that I am cranky from lack of sleep, and from a desire be out in the world, not trapped behind a desk. Yes I know I am living for the weekends, and that's not a good way to live, but I don't care, the weekend is where the fun is.

happy Friday everyone

A Dog's Life

Having a dog makes for a busy social calendar. Cadie and I were totally in-demand and on the move this weekend. First we were invited to Toby’s house, where we ate hotdogs and chewy sticks. Then we were invited to Salt’s house for pizza and grooming. All in all it was a great weekend, though a tiring one.

Friday night saw an epic battle between Cadie and Toby for possession of the chewy sticks. There were lots of chewy sticks for both dogs, but they just don’t share well. Toby’s mother and I tried to stay up and see this battle to its conclusion, but at 12:20 we had to pack it in and head to bed. The problem was that Cadie was three or four very satisfying chews away from finishing hers. The fact that I pulled her away before she was finished meant that she did not sleep that night, and if she doesn’t sleep, I don’t sleep. She spent most of the night sitting by the door hoping that I would let her out so that she could go and get her treasure. First thing in the morning, she ran out of the guest room and into the living room, where she looked frantically for her chewy stick. In the end my friend and I gave the dogs another 2 chewy sticks to keep them quiet. It didn’t work, the battle immediately started up again. Oh well, at least it was entertaining.

After a good long nap Cadie and I headed over to see Salt, it was much more subdued there on Saturday night. The dogs did share a treat, and then they both crashed out. It made for a very peaceful and pleasant evening.

Today was all about us, we had a good 2 hours out in the morning, a nice run around the park, and a good long street walk. The sunshine was so bright and invited that I really couldn’t face a day of sitting inside, so in the late afternoon we headed out for Yonge and York Mills, a good 3-hour walk tonight. And now it’s time for a nice snuggle before heading to work tomorrow.