A three-legged step too far

Last night Hank and I tidied up to host a Superbowl party.  I got the vacuum cleaner out for the first time since Tock arrived.  Tock seemed not very bothered but as I moved towards his crate, he did move behind Hank (Tock always likes to be in front) and then when Hank went upstairs, Tock disappeared into the downstairs loo.  This surprised me, so I wandered towards him.  Relieved to see he was no longer in the loo, I began to turn away but then something caught my eye.  Tock was standing on three legs and the raised leg was up above the coffee table.  Could he be ...?  I got closer.  NO NO NO!!!  Right on the coffee table, the rug (again!) and worst of all, Hank's beautiful leather and canvas-bound photography books!

Hank was really, really upset about his books (many of which were gifts) although he hid it well from the dog.  We cleaned up the pee and sprayed the area with disinfectant and a lemon scented spray to discourage Tock from remembering that this was a potty site for him.  Then I resprayed the table with  bitter yuck as the last thing we want is Tock licking the place he pee'd on.

Tock went into the yard while I finished the vacuuming. He didn't resume his interrupted toilet routine out there. Nor was he apologetic, which is unlike him when he has done something wrong.  I think this means it was my fault, not his  Even a big stud does get scared sometimes, and it is my job to look out for the signs.  When a dog owner scares a 6-year old dog so much he wets himself indoors, that is bad dog ownership.

For every challenging behaviour Tock demonstrates, he brings something else wonderful.  Yesterday morning at 9:30, Hank ran Tock to the Washington Memorial while I biked alongside them. It was a perfect spring day and the Mall was nearly empty.  Usually on a Sunday morning, Hank and I would be sleeping in.  At the risk of being cheesy, yesterday it felt like we were in a movie.  Later we took a now exhausted Tock for his second introduction to Kosmo and it went very well,  the two alpha males getting almost nose to nose without lunging at each other.  But most surprisingly, when the guests arrived for Superbowl (go Packers!) Tock sniffed around in the kitchen before lying down by the front door, showing no interest in the chicken wings, nachos, devilled eggs or American Football.  He was wonderfully well-behaved and did not even try to squeeze out the door as the guests departed.  We were so happy that we we took him for an extra night-time walk even though we were exhausted.  As we returned Hank pointed to one of our flower beds and I saw a tiny crocus had popped its head through the earth.  It is the beginning of a beautiful spring in DC and I couldn't be happier.

Yesterday Hank ordered Tock a dog tag with our address on.   Of course, Tock just pee'd in our front room so the tag is just in case we decide to keep him, it doesn't mean anything.  It's just in case, ok?

We are also registering Tock with a vet and getting him some insurance.  Just in case we keep him.

The photography books are staying on the book shelf though.  And that is definitely just in case.

The husky diet - lose weight the fast way!

The new husky exhausted us yesterday.  I mean, totally wiped us out.  I took him for a run and two walks, totalling over five hours of exercise and he still strained not to go back indoors.  We walked and ran over seven miles along the National Mall and back.  I don't begrudge him, because it was a stunning blue-skied Groundhog day (traditionally the start of spring in the USA),  I was just despairing that Tock's appetite for outdoor exercise was insatiable anywhere outside of a farm environment.  And perhaps that would force us to return him to Celtic Acres.  But that all changed when Hank got home.

Hank pounded the husky's paws with an hour-long Capitol Hill run.  The dog came home exhausted and has slept pretty much non-stop ever since.  Our dog-savvy friends Brandon and Dennis popped round to meet Tock last night and advised us to withhold dinner until the dog is hungry enough to sit on command.  They were absolutely right.  Tock bounded out of his crate this morning, acting all macho but then "sat" to cue for a snack -  the first time yet.   He's not just tired, he's now also hungry enough to do what he is told. 

Not so hyperactive now!
It took six hours of exercise to do this to our new Husky.

Tock showed off his wonderful friendly temperament to Brandon and Dennis.  He clearly utterly adores Hank, probably because Hank pets him with the grip of a seasoned wrestler which Tock prefers to my tickles and scratching behind his ears.

This morning we discovered a new dog park, three blocks from home, with a large grass area and digging sites.  I'd never even walked in that direction before so the dog is already getting me out and about more.  I sprinted Tock up and down the grass until he was visibly tired.  (Fortunately this didn't take long; I hate sprinting!) When I got him home, he passed out on the carpet.  Yep, even huskies have their limits.  And it seems possible that maybe, just about, between me and Hank we can keep this wolf happy.

A dog joins the Blog Family

"Can I poop on this rug, too?"

If you've been wondering where I was over the past week, I was arranging for a Siberian Husky to join our life on what I call a "temp-to-perm" basis.  Toklat, or "Tock" as Hank calls him is a six-year old retired stud from the Celtic Acres breeder in Maryland.  Tock was once a domestic dog before he moved to Celtic Acres and, now that he's retired, he is apparently seeking domestic bliss again.  We agreed to try a week or so with him to see how he fits in our home.

So far, you can see, he is gorgeous!  Terrifying-looking, but gorgeous.  Yesterday we took him to the local hardware store (for some stuff for us, not for him - let's be clear, Tock is not very handy with a screw driver).  In the lumber yard, a little girl and her mum walked by and the mum said: "oh look at that lovely dog!"  The little girl looked at her mum as if to say you're nuts, and replied "that's not a dog, that's a wolf!"

Yes, Tock is a wolf.  Our neighbours eyed him suspiciously when he bounded out of the Zipcar yesterday afternoon, tongue hanging out of his mouth and teeth bared with excitement.  Once in his new home, he circled the house and then:

1. Eyed all the escape routes in the house and looked for gaps under the 6-ft tall patio fence. (There are none.)
2. Sniffed every floor surface for traces of food.  (There are none.)

We wanted to feed Tock at his habitual dinner time of 5pm.  He eats a raw meat diet (bones included -apparently safe because uncooked).  Preparing such a dinner was not pleasant for an ex-veggie! We tried to get Tock to sit before eating (he knows the "sit" command) but being a typical husky, he refused.  He turned down treats and raw meat morsels around ten times before we gave up and decided he just wasn't hungry enough.  At that point, I went upstairs to talk to Hank for a second and Tock dropped a very runny turd on our lovely new rug.

We weren't angry - Tock has been a farm dog for four years so domestic accidents will happen - and Hank managed to cut Tock off halfway by clapping hands loudly and calling his name.  But that was 5.30pm yesterday and no BM (as my mum, an ex-nurse would say) ever since.  I can't believe I'm blogging about my dog's bowel movements but really, it is quite concerning having a non-potty trained former stud in your house who has eaten a pound of raw flesh and not taken a dump in 24 hours.

So, rewind to the rug incident.  I cleaned up the rug and replaced it with an older one Hank's parents had donated to us (pictured), already damaged by Audrey & the other Princeton cats.  Tock sniffed this rug a lot, rolled around on it to show the absent Audrey who's boss (that's my boy!) and then, finally, when I'd given up asking him to sit, he sidled up beside my armchair, looked me in the eye, and sat.

Tock got his pound of flesh and we took him out for a walk to the National Mall.   He is very different from Kosmo: he pulls forward, never back, and growls at things he doesn't like, preferring to run towards other dogs, terrorising them, rather than make a Kosmo-style dash for safety.  Tock doesn't guard his food and has no interest in eating street trash.  Yesterday evening he walked straight past a chocolate eclair and a frozen strawberry without even registering them. The strawberry looked so perfect, even I thought about eating it (macrobiotic, no?).  I attribute this focus to his strict diet of raw meat - he has never acquired a taste for human food.  He doesn't beg in the kitchen and is not a pest at the table.  His breath smells better than most dogs.  He often turns down treats just because he doesn't want to sit or make eye contact.   He went willingly into his crate last night.  He fears nothing.

If, like my mum, you are now wondering if he is aggressive, the answer is not so far.  Unlike Kosmo, kids do not cross the street to try to pet Tock.  Adult strangers don't get too close either, so socialising him will be hard, although he himself seems to have no problems with humans of any size.  He will chase cats and yesterday he nipped at another male dog who was off his leash in the park, but that dog got out of the way and then just stood there looking at Tock.  So perhaps Tock just needs to learn how to play nicely.  I am not sure where I will get volunteer dogs to help him learn that lesson, though.

If you have a small or medium-sized dog you no longer need, please send him to my house for dinner.

Thank you.