I left the navy in 1974 and we headed back to Missouri. I bought a little 4.5 acre farmette. There we were away from town and plenty of space for a nice garden. We were there for less than a month when we got a dog. A week later there was another dog and then another dog. Then there was a cat and another dog. So we had 4 dogs and 1 cat to feed. The dogs had plenty of open space to do what dogs do at our place and the surrounding open areas. The cat stayed close to home so he could annoy me. Cats are attracted to me for some reason. Maybe it’s because they sense that I do not like them. That cat would always jump up on my lap and dig its claws into my thighs. That produced welts and swelling on me. The dogs mainly roamed around. At times when strangers would come around to ask directions or to bring things for me to repair, the dogs never barked and never had a problem with people.
Years later we moved to San Diego, spent 10 years there before moving back to Missouri. Once here I bought another larger farm. We had a small dog and somehow another cat that just showed up. The dog roamed all over, while the cat spent its time annoying me. Just as the other cat did, it would jump on me and dig in its claws. The cat finally roamed off and did not return and the dog died. I was adamant at that point, no more cats or dogs. That held for a year or so until one day when I came home and there was an old border collie sitting on the back deck all wet from a recent rain and shivering. I couldn’t run her off. I got some towels and dried her off and then fed her. Well that was it, she was there to stay. She turned out to be a good dog. She followed me everywhere and unlike the other dogs and cats she never wanted to be in the house. If I went to the garage, she would never go in there. I went to the barn and she followed, but waited outside. We loved that dog. She was good at warning us if someone came onto the property. She would bark one time and then leave the area. She finally had hip problems so bad that she couldn’t get off the ground. I had to do the most difficult thing ever. I took her to the vet so he could put her down. I cried all the way there, cried in the office as I waited and cried all the way home. That is one reason I will never have another dog.
Now here in the apartment complex, everyone seems to have a dog or two. I think that is cruel for the animal. They only get to spend a few minutes a day when owners take them out to do the business dogs do outside. I don’t know if this is what makes them crazy, but the fact is they are crazy! They continually bark at anything and everything. I walk outside every day I can and every time a dog sees me they bark, growl and tug on their leash to get at me. I do not understand why this happens, but it happens without fail. I have grown tired of this. I am tired of crazy dogs. I have to carry my cane or my walking stick to protect myself. New neighbors across the hall from me have 2 German Shepherds that are ready to attack any and everybody they see and they tried a few days ago and nearly got to a young man in the hallway. It seems apparent that apartment living makes dogs crazy!
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