"Bring On the Scarlet 'D'"

A week or so ago my new daughter in law Angela called. She wanted me to know she and JJ (my son) were thinking about getting a dog. I reacted with less than overbounding enthusiasm though I think I did manage a "That's great!"

The next day JJ called and said it looked pretty definite they were going to get a dog. This time I did tell him I thought that was great and I knew they would love it, and things like that. I told him he is an adult with his own place and when you are, you can have animals if you want them. I then added, "but leave the dog there when you come home to Perry."

His response was something like; "You aren't a dog person are you?" I don't think I responded. But I did think about it later and decided I am not a dog hater in any sense. I just don't want a dog in my house. And this dog they have gotten is a housedog. It has to be. They live in a third story apartment and don't have a yard.

That means if they bring the dog it will have to stay in our house and that I do not want. My wife and I are at age and stage of life that we don't want to have to cope with animal hairs and scratched up furniture. When we were younger and first married it probably would not have bothered us. Now it would.

As for not being a dog person, that is not true. I had dogs when I was growing up. We had cocker spaniels. My first one was called "Ginger." The second was "Ginger 2." After her we had "Madam" and when she had puppies we kept one and called her "Lady." Madam and Lady lived in a fenced in backyard. They never traveled with us. When we went to visit relatives they stayed home.

After Terry and I married we got a cat that we named "Fluff." Fluff was a housecat. She rarely if ever went outside. And if people came to see us they had to accept the fact that Fluff was one of the family. My poor mother in law is allergic and she and my father in law started staying at a motel rather than submit her to Fluff's hair in our home.

Whenever we traveled we boarded Fluff at the vets. We never took her with us, not that she would have wanted to go. She preferred her routine and life inside our house.

I now feel about pet owners the way I feel about smokers. If I go to their house and they are smoking I do not have the right to tell them to please abstain. It is their home and their rights. However if they come to my house I will ask them to step outside to smoke. I once smoked. I don't now and I don't want smoke in my house.

JJ and Angela are going to love their dog. I am sure of that. And they will be good dog owners. They are both loving people who will be good and kind to this pet. When Terry and I go to see them I am sure we will find the little dog loveable too.

But for now I will just love it from a distance. I guess I am not a dog person now. Just bring on the scarlet "D" for "dog-hater" and pin it to my shirt. Then the animal lovers will know to throw rocks at me. I guess this is what is known as "being in the doghouse."

 

 

 

 

 

©2005 Jackie K. Cooper

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