she just can't be chained

Springtime, and what does a young man's fancy turn to? For me, the answer should be obvious. For my brother (and his wife), the start of spring spurred the purchase of a new puppy. Her name is Ruby [see pic on left]; whether she was named for the programming language or for the Rolling Stones song, I don't know. I do know she's a four-month old Black Lab-Chow Chow mix, and came from the animal shelter near their home. Since Ruby's owners are spending a few days in central Florida, I'm currently dogsitting and housesitting for them. Watching their dog has decidedly been a learning experience for me.



The type of dog I'm used to is more like my parents' dog, Sam [see pic on right]. Sam has been with my family for eight years now. He has adapted well to country living. He loves being able to, um, "mark" several acres worth of territory. His idea of a comfortable bed is the pile of dirt out in the yard. His idea of exercise is chasing whatever varmints land in our field. His idea of a chew toy is any large bone he can find. (His current favorite is a leg bone from a deer that must have died during the winter.) His idea of a bath... well, actually, he isn't a big fan of baths. But, except for his waking up - and barking - with the sunrise, I find taking care of Sam to be quite straight-forward.

The same cannot be said of Ruby. Taking care of Ruby is a lot like taking care of a newborn baby. (For certain young newly-wed couples, the puppy-baby parallel would be a selling point. For this particular bachelor, not so much.) If me (or her owners) aren't within her line of sight -- even if seperated by only a shower curtain -- she starts to whine incessantly. She's only slightly housetrained, so leaving her unwatched in the house would mean the possibility of (smelly) surprises. As she lives smack-dab in the suburbs, running in the fields and chasing animals would not work. Instead, I get to walk Ruby several times a day. But one more parallel between babies and puppies, I have learned, holds true: the number of young and attractive women who stop and chat with me when I am walking Ruby is much higher than when I walk alone. Who would've fancied that?!