There’s no question that dogs are a man’s best friend, but even the best of them can test the strongest of ties. Whether they have a penchant for tearing into your favorite shoes, or they use a corner of your kitchen floor for a toilet from time to time, dogs can, indeed, test your patience.
I have a hard time finding anything wrong with my dog Soup. I think she’s smart, obedient, funny and pretty darned cute. But even she is not infallible.
Soup rides shotgun every time I come to work, and on Thursday’s she’s with me for the first half of my paper delivery. She likes to ride in my Jeep as much as she likes vet visits.
This is a fidgety dog who likes, no, craves, no needs, no, demands, no expects attention. Most dogs share the same trait, but Soup takes it to another level, especially in a vehicle. As I drive, she stands — stands, not sits — on her seat staring at me like she’s trying to figure out first, who I am, and second, why I’m not petting or scratching her.
After a short time, she’ll rest her chin on my shoulder to get some pets. If that doesn’t work, it’s on to Plan B where she sticks her nose under my armpit and tries to lift my right arm. If that doesn’t work, it’s Plan C where she lifts her right front foot and tries to pull my hand to her body.
She’s a persistent little one.
Last Saturday, she was really put to the test when I drove her out to Watertown, SD, to pay a visit to Olivia. I wasn’t keen on going on a nearly two-hour drive with her, but I suspect my daughter was more excited to see her then me (my suspicion was later confirmed).
I had a plan for this trip. On our way out, we stopped at Balaton One Stop for some Funyuns, our favorite snack. Soup eats these things up, so I thought this would work despite her trepidation about eating in a moving vehicle. But these are Funyuns for crying out loud! No way she would pass. No way this wouldn’t work.
It didn’t work. I offered her a Funyun and she just turned her head like it was a well-used diaper. Fail.
So, for the rest of the trip to Watertown, she was typical Soup, always looking for attention, wondering how I could have the audacity to ignore her. The visit was a good one, and I was glad I was able to take a day off to visit my daughter. Soup had a good time with a lot of running around, and it was my hope/plan that she would get worn out and crash on the way home. Nope. She did lay down for the first 5 miles on the interstate, but sure enough, her restless dog syndrome kicked in, and we were back to square one.
What to do. Eventually, we stopped at the gas station between Elkton, SD, and Lake Benton so she could relieve herself — her whimpering tipped me off. I went in to get some water, and then it dawned on me. Maybe she didn’t want a Funyun, but there was no way in hell she would turn down meat.
She turned down meat. I bought a little pack of meat and cheese sticks assuming it would do the trick, but once again, she turned away when it was presented to her. I almost wanted to force feed her, but I chose to just put the chunk of meat on the seat. Maybe she would get the hint and grab it? Not exactly. She did lay down again, but just stared at the yummy treat. When she got up, she kicked it onto the floor. I didn’t see if it was intentional, but with this dog, you never know.
I love this dog, but for the life of me, I can’t understand why she acts like a 4-year-old human being.
Are we there yet?
