Stinky Butt

This afternoon when I went outside to put something in our mailbox, Presley and Diesel made a beeline for my neighbor, Bob, who was standing on his front lawn out near his mailbox, which is near the street. Bob is a retiree who has lived on our street since day one when the houses were built in the 1950s.

Bob has scooped up Diesel many times from the neighborhood when she escaped from the yard or the house. And he is always helping other neighbors with various projects.

As I chatted with Bob for awhile, Presley kept running up to him, leaning up against him, offering her butt to him, and looking lovingly up at him. At one point, she even started "talking" to him to pay attention to her. In general, he likes animals, but he's not overly affectionate or attentive toward them. So it's funny to see Presley try to charm him because the more he ignores her, the more she tries to get his attention.

Bob is originally from southern rural Ohio and thinks all dogs are boys. Although Bob loves his yellow lab, he keeps Harley outside in the backyard. They go for at least three walks a day, rain or shine, but Harley isn't exactly part of the family. Bob has a little different mentality toward his pet than we do. Don't get me wrong. He takes good care of him but I hate that Harley has to stay outside all the time. I think a pet should be in the house with the people.

I told Bob about us looking to adopt another dog and I mentioned that there are so many pit bulls up for adoption. We both agreed they can be great dogs, but that they need the proper training. Just like Rottweilers, or any dog for that matter.

Bob told me a story of when he lived on the family farm when he was a young boy, they used to put unwanted litters of puppies in a burlap sack, tie a rock to it, then throw it in the lake. Their family couldn't afford to get their dogs spayed or neutered, and they definitely couldn't afford any more mouths to feed. Bob knows now this isn't the right thing to do, but at the time, his family did what it had to do.

It's amazing how attitudes toward pets have evolved over time. We as a society still have a long way to go, but thankfully, attitudes are changing for the better. One day, I hope we never have to euthanize adoptable animals because we can't find homes for them. And we don't fight animals for sport. And we no longer tether our dogs in the yard, throw them scraps of food and think we are responsible pet owners.

Bob mentioned that he hasn't gotten Harley neutered yet because he might want to breed him so he can have another dog, just like him. Harley has a big head, is very deep-chested, and has a small waist, which is not the current standard for a yellow lab. I think Harley represents what the breed originally looked like years ago.

As I visited with Bob, the girls wrestled in his plant beds and Presley pooped all over his lawn. It's so embarrassing when she does that, but he didn't care one bit. He didn't even want me to pick it up, but I did because I certainly don't want anyone to leave their dog crap in my yard.

After visiting with Bob, I wanted to go to PetSmart to check out their specials on Natural Choice dog food. Presley has been eating a can a day and I only had one left.

Before leaving for the store with Diesel, I left Presley at home with a special bone from her Aunt Nikki. When we got home from the store, Presley was still working on the bone but she eventually ate the whole thing. Now we've been suffering the wrath of the stinkin' Rottweiler butt all night.

But she is still cute as hell. Earlier in the evening, we were playing with another bone that I hid in one hand and asked, "Which hand is it?"

I thought she would nudge the correct hand with her head or muzzle, but no. She surprised me by raising up on her back legs and using her one front paw to select the correct hand where the bone was hidden. When I praised her excitedly, she looked so happy and proud of herself. I just had to show Papa. So I called Scott into the room and sure enough, she did it again.

She has been acting so cute lately, doing things like this. She seems to enjoy making me laugh. And she really enjoys visiting with people. Scott thinks she seems nicer since the surgery. I think she's happier without that painful tumor in her shoulder.

It just occurred to me today that according to the statistics, Presley only has until April to live -- six months after surgery without chemotherapy. I'm not sure why this hasn't occurred to me before. I guess I've been in denial or so focused on the surgery and therapy. This was kind of a wake up call to relish and enjoy each moment, because in reality we don't know when her time will be up.