It's Always An Adventure

We moved all the way to New York City, the urban jungle, the concrete playground, the mecca for tall buildings so that Dopey dog could finally discover wildlife. This is not a joke. Back in the suburban hood life of Findlay Creek, the only other animal that he was exposed to was the neighbour’s cat. Not so here. He has a new obsession, the common squirrel. In the Creek, the trees were not large enough for the fluffy tailed critters. Here, in NYC, lots of big old trees equal lots of fast moving friends to be chased. And chase he does. You are probably thinking to yourself “so what?”. I mean what could possibly go wrong with a 100 pound dog trying to reach a squirrel up a tree on a Manhattan sidewalk crowded with people? Starting to get the picture? Yep, it isn’t pretty. Especially when I am also trying to hang on to the old man (Bogie- dog) and usually a large bag of freshly picked up dog turd. I can often be heard saying out loud to no one in particular, “Now Dopey, stop chasing the squirrels, they don’t want to play” as I am firmly planting my two feet, trying not to be pulled off the ground, while horrified Nannies give me scathing looks as they are sure Dopey is about to eat the children they are in charge of. I feel like telling them “Don’t worry, he only goes after squirrels, pigeons, rats and the occasional cockroach that crosses his path on the sidewalk”. Somehow I don’t think this will reassure them. All the while Bogie stands there looking horribly embarrassed and disgusted by the behaviour of his dog brother.

Yesterday, in a move resembling nothing short of brilliance, I decided to take Dopey with me when my mother and I went for a walk in Central Park. I guess I had forgotten how many trees there are in the park and well, you know, squirrels. It was a battle of wills and sheer strength but in the end I think I made my point. I was the human dammit, and he would listen or not…

On the hunt...

Success! Squirrel!

We survived. My shoulder is a bit sore today and Central Park squirrels remained safe. Dopey dog seems to be tired out. It is hard being the Dopey Dog in the City. People stop to admire him, want to play with him, ask about his fashionable Canadian leash and sometimes the occasional paparazzi (tourist) wants a photo with him. It’s a dog’s life!