March 28, 2024

Summer’s More Fun with a Furry Friend

Rehoboth Ramblings

Posted

“Isn’t she cute?” This is the usual comment we hear when people first meet our dog Lucy. Yes, she is cute and loveable, but this friendly and frisky little spaniel harbors a dark secret. When we got her, I had no idea that this sweet dog exhibits what the French call “nostalgie de la boue”-- literally, “longing for the mud”. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says it refers to “an attraction to the depraved, crude or degrading”.

Would that it were only mud she longed for. Many creatures love to play in the mud, but Lucy craves whatever stinks or is disgusting. We have occasionally resorted to washing her mouth out, that is, pouring mouthwash on a paper towel and wiping inside her mouth when she’s gotten into something nasty. Yuck.

She celebrated a beautiful spring day by blissfully rolling on her back in the grass until I came over to see what was going on. She was rolling around on a dead snake, a very dead snake. Not only that, but the snake was apparently deceased because it had swallowed a frog that was too big for it. This revolting scene was a mini version of that lurid photo making the rounds last year, of a python in the Everglades that swallowed an alligator. Let’s just say that it did not turn out well for either animal. Ain’t nature grand?

This brings me to one of my pet peeves, if you’ll forgive the pun, where people insist on being called pet parents. So I’m the dog’s mother? The name for a female dog takes a turn for the worse when applied to a human. I always think that it’s odd that the “b” word is used for a mean and nasty woman, when so many female dogs are such nice creatures. You’d think the word should be a compliment, not an insult.

I see no offense in the old-fashioned term “pet owner”. It’s not like the animal can understand the phrase anyway. Of course many people say that their pets own them. I’ve also heard it said that dogs may have owners but cats have staff. At our house, the elderly cat has made it plain that she wants nothing to do with the dog and has retreated upstairs. We block off the stairs and keep the dog on the first floor. So now we have an upstairs pet and a downstairs pet. Whatever works, though I wish the two got along better.

Then, there is the phrase you hear about pets being “little people in fur coats”. I beg to differ. Please see the description of dog behavior above. If a human was seen rolling around on a dead snake in the yard, the authorities would undoubtedly be called. When out walking, a human is drawn to pleasant scents like flowers, while dogs are drawn to fragrances best described as “Eau de Carrion”. But they sure can follow a trail, at least Lucy can. It’s fun to watch.

Pets are indeed family members but they aren’t children. Let’s enjoy them for the loveable animals they are and laugh at their antics, within reason anyway. Thanks also to Lucy for getting me to walk more. It’s more fun walking with a dog. So, who’s a good dog, Lucy? You are! (Sometimes).

On a more serious note, I’ve also heard it said that if you aren’t smart enough to realize that dogs do not belong in hot cars in the summer, you should not have a dog. Please leave your dog home when you run errands in hot weather and remind others to do the same. A car can get dangerously hot much faster than you might think and no, just leaving the windows down a bit will not help. I’ll keep repeating this every summer. As I like to say, if it’s necessary to repeat something, it’s not nagging.

I’ve also neglected my seasonal tirade about litter until now, however little good it does. So insert usual rant here. A big thank-you to all the folks out there who also pick up roadside trash. Your efforts are appreciated.

As for my other summer annoyances (caterpillars, mosquitoes, ticks, poison ivy – have I left anything out?) I can only say, “Make it stop!” We keep thinking of our trip to England a couple of years ago in June. It was so nice to take a walk at dusk down a heavily wooded trail in the Wiltshire countryside, a walk free from the above nuisances. Don’t try this at home this time of year, unless you enjoy itching. Still, bugs and all, it’s our New England and we love it, especially in summer.

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