Stories Part One
We're having a baby...dog
In autumn 2000, we finally decided to have a dog after a long period of
consideration. We had been considering different breeds. We wanted a small dog
which still would be "durable". I borrowed some dog books from the
library and went on-line to look and read web pages about different breeds. We finally decided on a Jack Russell Terrier.
The Jack Russell Terrier Club of Finland had a good site with lots of information. That is where I got a name of a breeder whose dog was going to have puppies. This was the beginning of a lively e-mail
correspondence.
The day I went to see the puppies arrived after a long wait. They were
really adorable. At the time of my visit there were still two male puppies for
sale. It was not difficult to decide which one I wanted.
On December 8 we finally went to pick up Roope in order to bring him to
his new home. The drive from Toijala to Kangasala went well. Roope slept in my
lap almost through the entire journey. In his new home he wandered about and looked around.
He immediately hogged my bean-bag chair to himself. Even the first night went
well. No crying at all. All and all, he felt at home here quite quickly. I had
been prepared to sleep on the floor next to little Roope, but he slept in his
own bedsite next to my bed.
At the vet
Just before the turn of the year we went to the vet for the first time.
Roope kept scratching his ears, and it turned out that he had a minor ear
infection. We have also seen the vet for the normal vaccinations, kennel coughand eyes (they were a little red). Fortunately Roope likes the vet. He
makes a terrible racket already in the yard. In the waiting room he wags his
tail and wants to go everywhere. If he does not get to the vet soon then he will
start to order the doctor about by barking. Then when we should go home
he will not come. One time I had to drag him to the car. He just kept returning
to the doctor's door. We should make a video on "How to visit the vet".
In the Dog School
During this spring Roope and I have been on the basic course in Dog
School Pikku Hukka. Roope learns quickly. Sitting, laying down, licking faces
etc. goes rather well. He can also give you a paw: he says hello with one paw, and then gives both of them to you.
He is pretty good in staying and waiting. Usually he will not go out of the car unless
he is told so. Sometimes he rushes out, but that is only when we are going
somewhere to have fun and run wildly. Following seems to be pretty difficult, however. I think
he will get the hang of it if we practise doggedly. It all depends on the
owner's perseverance. When it rains, he just cannot do what he is told. It is
bad enough to be outside and when it is wet.
Shopping
I am glad there are pet shops where the dog can shop as well. We have
been in one to shop for treats, food, and a winter coat and a harness for Roope.
Trying out the harness was quite an operation. The seller at the shop got several wet kisses. And picking out the treats.
There are just too many wonderful scents and stuff. And Roope has to taste anything
that he can reach. One time when I was at the cash desk paying for our purchases,
Roope brought still another pig snout to me. I guess I had not bought enough of
them.
Going out
Roope loves to go out. He really enjoys walks. Sometimes he gets to meet
old friends and sometimes there are new friends to meet. Roope thinks that
anyone who crosses his path must be greeted. If you scratch him, he will reward
you with kisses.
And there are just so many exciting things in the woods. If you are
really lucky, you might get real close to a squirrel or a bird. It is such a
shame (in Roope's opinion) that squirrels usually climb up a tree and birds fly
away. He would really want to make new acquaintances. And of course, there are
wonderful sticks and cones in the woods. Sometimes he manages to carry a cone
back home, inside the house.
Rainy weather makes an exception. If it starts raining in the middle of a
walk, then we must go home immediately. Sometimes it happens that Roope is
taking me for a walk, usually towards our home.
When I have a morning shift, I must take Roope out at 4.30 a.m. He really does not like
that. He almost does not budge. He would just sit and look around. Roope seems
to be a dog that is sleepy in the morning. He seems to think that there is
absolutely no reason that anyone should get up and go out at that time in the
day.
Balance in Roope's favour
This is to recount what Roope has broken or what "bad things"
he has done. Actually, Roope has been quite good. He has only ripped apart two
pillow cases and duvet covers and quite accidentally destroyed the power button of the television. Roope watched an old Finnish film a little bit
too enthusiastically.
He has chewed the bedpost and one leg of a table - but
just a bit. What "bad things" has Roope doneI must think hard to find something. He steals stuff that he can reach (actually, that's my fault). He sometimes takes shoes from the shoe shelf. But he has not yet damaged any of them. Some squeaky toys have been broken.
Rules revisited
When we decided to have a dog we agreed that the dog would not be allowed
in the bed or on the sofa. When Roope was small, he could not get up there
anyway. He just sat on the floor, looking up and hoping that we would pick him up. Every once in a while he whined in a "requesting" way.
When he grew up, he started to jump higher. We started to reconsider our rules. After a while Roope got to sleep in the bed on the mornings, but only briefly. And then he got to the sofa. He
would have jumped up there anyway when he would have been alone. And he just had
the most perfect look for asking if there would be any chance that he could get
there too.
It's Funny
What other funny things Roope has done? Roope steals stuff. One day he noticed that I had left my purse and phone on the hall table. Then he had
taken my purse and hidden it somewhere safe. He still checks the hall table in
case something has been left on it.
Then the toilet paper. There's something about toilet paper. If it is
in any way possible, he will spread toilet paper all over the place. He rips it
and chops it into pieces. He often checks the toilet to see if this would be
possible.
When he has had a shower, he will have a mad running spree. He will run around the house and try to get everything wet. You better
stay off his course to avoid a crash.
One morning I had to wash him at 4 a.m. He
had rolled around in something "undetermined" when he had been
outside. While I was drying the bathroom floor, Roope had jumped on the bed to
roll under my blanket. That was not funny at all.
Operation | Seizures | Roope's Skip | Part 3 | Part 2 | Part 1 | Dogholist