PROLOGUE
Dogs have always been part of my life; a love passed down from generation to generation. Protracted unemployment in the early 90s required some creativity. Thus, my pet care business was born. This is a continuing series.
(Click HERE for more chapters)
CHAPTER NINE: SCOUT
My first walking client was a giant, female Malamute named Scout.
It was a warm, sunny day in May 1994, when I first met Scout and her owner, Mary, a busy lawyer. They lived in a small cottage with a lovely fenced yard, near the lake.
Scout was three years old and had plenty of energy. She wasn’t the least bit shy and licked my face in greeting. So far, so good!
Malamutes have strong-willed, dominant personalities, and Scout was no different. According to Mary, she disliked other female dogs, and I should be wary of that. A tad stubborn myself, I was determined to fix it.
At first, we walked alone, to become better acquainted, but I felt Scout needed more exercise than that. There’s a large park at the lake where people often take their dogs to swim and romp around.
Ideal for a young Malamute to expend some energy, except for that little sociability issue. No problem! My girl Tasha, a Dalmatian around the same age, would be the perfect foil. Scout had already detected her scent on me to make the introduction easier.
As usual, Mary had put Scout in the backyard before she went to work. It was a beautiful setup, complete with large dog house, self-filling water dish and well-kept lawn.
I left Tasha loose in the car, with the window partially down. (She was well-behaved and didn’t need a leash, but I kept one handy, in case.)
With Scout on her lead, we proceeded to the vehicle, where I casually opened the passenger door. Tasha jumped out, and the two dogs met face to face.
There was no growling or gnashing of teeth. They both recognized a familiar essence! “This is going to work out well,” I thought, as we headed for the park
Scout and Tasha made excellent playmates! They ran, wrestled, played fetch and wore each other out. As I always say, a tired dog is happy, mellow and good. Most people who complain about destructive behaviour don’t provide enough opportunities for exercise.
This routine continued for the next month. There weren’t many people in the park, and the dogs enjoyed their freedom. One day, while in hot pursuit of Tasha, Scout blindsided me!
I flew into the gravel, twisting my knee going down. Everything went black for a second, and I couldn’t move. Concerned, the girls gathered around me.
What was I going to do? This was before cell phones were standard, and my car was at Mary’s house. Vainly, I tried to get up, defeated by excruciating pain.
One man was strolling through the park and, lucky for me, he did have a phone! First, he tried to help me off the ground, braving the suspicious stares of my canine bodyguards. When that didn’t work (too agonizing!), he offered to call an ambulance.
“But, what about the dogs”?, I wondered
“I’ll stay with you, and we can figure it out when they get here,” he replied.
How kind! There weren’t enough words to express my gratitude. When the ambulance arrived, I explained that Scout lived close by, and Tasha was mine. Mr. Good Samaritan offered to take Scout home and leave her in the yard.
Meanwhile, the EMTs agreed that Tasha could ride with me. They were willing to drop her off at my place because it was on the way. Tasha had other ideas…
Dalmatians are devoted to their people and highly protective. When the technicians brought the stretcher out, Tasha turned into a snapping, snarling beast! There was no reassuring her.
“Nobody takes my Mama away!”
The men backed off, and one of them said: “if we don’t resolve this quickly, we’ll have to leave.” Scout and Mr. Samaritan were still there, so I asked him to take Tasha along. Good thing, her leash was in my pocket!
He had to pull her away forcefully, but a friendly nose-bump from Scout calmed her down. They waited until I was in the ambulance, then left. My husband collected Tasha from Scout’s yard later that day, while I was still at the hospital.
How ironic, to be rendered lame, one month after starting a dog walking service! Fortunately, my husband was able to take over with Scout while I could manage other types of house calls (cats, plants, mail, etc.). My right knee, already battered from previous mishaps, was severely damaged and required arthroscopic surgery.
While I was off (about six weeks), Scout became housemates with Thunder, a jet-black Newfoundland puppy. At first, he was small enough to carry up the stairs but soon became a gentle giant. By then, Scout had outgrown her social quirks, and I started adding other dogs to the playgroup. Everyone, myself included, had a blast!
Thunder, Tasha and Scout (L-R)
with Luke (behind Scout) and little Maggie, a Jack Russell, in front.
In 1996, Mary and her furkids moved to Vancouver.
My gimpy knee is a permanent reminder of Scout, but I never held it against her.
Dogs will be dogs!
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
27 thoughts on “ADVENTURES IN DOGSITTING; CHAPTER NINE”
Such beautiful dogs!!
They definitely were! 🙂 Thanks for coming by, Alan. I have a Skywatch post as well. Click HERE► to view.
So sorry about your injury, but glad that there were bystanders willing to help. I have a Yorkie mix who was not socialized much when we got him, but he gets along great with my brother’s rottweiler- but not so great with other dogs-especially other males and others his size. Have a terrific weekend.
Lovely story. I am glad though that they got along, or there would have been… chaos.
Thanks! 🙂 I was 90% sure they would hit it off, as they had already “met” through scents.
What a magnificent story… You are the only dog whisperer I have ever know. I enjoy hearing about your exploits.
I’m glad you liked it, Myke. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
OUCH!!! I’m so happy those two dogs got along! Can you imagine the chaos if they hadn’t? I’m happy you’re still happily dog sitting but sorry about the pain.
Ouch is right! ? I was pretty sure Tasha and Scout would get along, because of the scents. They already “knew” each other to some extent. Thanks for reading my story. 🙂
What a great story about a beautiful dog…2 beautiful dogs. I have a permanent small lump, like some pimple caused by my dog Katie. I look at it fondly now because it reminds me of her
Thanks, Birgit. 🙂 The good memories remain, despite all.
That story warmed my heart, and was just what I needed today. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Awww, just another day walking the dog(s).
You did a good job doing team building – I guess both dogs assumed if the other dog liked you, their mutual friend, the dog must be OK.
What a friendly man taking such good care of you and your dogs. I always love a good “strangers can be nice people” story!
Yes, the familiarity of scents was the key. 🙂 There was no perceived threat from an unknown source. I was so lucky there was a good samaritan in the park that day – and he had a phone! Can’t imagine what would have happened, otherwise. We would have been stuck there until my husband came looking for us. 😮
Ouch. What an awful thing to happy right after you open up your new business. Yikes. You can’t blame the pups though and I wouldn’t have either. Your angel was most wonderful. That was a wonderful thing.
Have a fabulous day, Debbie. Big hug. ♥
It was a painful injury and my knee has never been the same, but, such is life. Occupational hazard. 🙂 Tasha was my protector, always. I miss her a lot, even though she’s been gone for 13 years. ?
What a great story, Debbie, and so glad you are writing a book! I look forward to its completion.
Thanks, Eugenia. Hope I can stick with it. 🙂
So glad you’re writing a book. Mine is finished, just can’t get myself together to publish.
Thanks; it’s been kicking around for years and it may take a few more to finish. 😛 Congrats on finishing your book, Paul. The whole self-publishing thing has me completely flummoxed. Getting around to publishing is definitely not so easy. One of these days, though! Right?
Fabulous Debbie and so pleased you are writing this book and look forward to showcasing when published.. It will be much enjoyed I am sure.. in the blogger daily later today.. hugs
Thank you so much, Sally. 🙂 I’ll be sure to check out your newsletter.
Hi Deb, do you still walk dogs for a living? Wow, what a story, I hope your knee is fully recovered today, I have wondered about doing that as I take my own Poxer Hunter for walks daily.
Hi Lisa; No, I stopped the walking service (as well as the other house calls) in 2006 to concentrate on home boarding. It wasn’t because of my knee, but another condition called Raynaud’s Syndrome, which makes prolonged exposure to cold painful. I used to be out there four or more hours at a stretch and just couldn’t take it, anymore, during the winter. My knee is arthritic; stairs and hills are uncomfortable, but otherwise, it’s okay. It might need to be replaced in the future, though. Dog walking can be lucrative and fun, but it’s also a lot of work, especially when it’s raining and muddy, or, if you have several at once. The different personalities come into play and you have to be careful, there. Not all dogs get along with others. I wrote a short article you might enjoy: http://thedogladysden.com/pet-sitting-ii-be-a-pet-sitter-dog-walker/
Thanks for reading my story. 🙂 There’s a link to previous chapters, above, if you’re interested.