Video: Shadow vs. Moose

Another acquisition from the long lost camcorder vault: Shadow and his non-biological cousin, Moose, vie for a tennis ball in Maine. (Double-click to see it larger on YouTube)

Video: First Swim

This happened a few weeks ago... but it's still fun to watch! Check out Shadow's first swim in a river in Maine. (Double-click to see it larger on YouTube)

Country Dog Goes South

Shadow spent Saturday with his aunt and uncle on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Brooklyn, NY. Being a country dog, Shadow's curiosity was on overdrive from the moment he hopped out of the car.

This is how I imagine his thoughts during the first 20 seconds: No squirrels? No trees? What's with all this tan grainy stuff my paws keep sinking into? Where's the grass? Where do I do my business? Who's that? What's that? Ooh, another dog!

Also at my aunt's house was Casey, a seven-year-old pug. Shadow had never met a pug before, let alone a quasi-city dog. And while Shadow had it over Casey in terms of weight and teeth (they grow back really fast!)... it was 16-pound Casey that called the shots, at one point even swiping Shadow's bully stick!

As usual, by time we headed home, Shadow and Casey were as civil as at the start of the day, when Casey's curly tail was wobbling back and forth like a bobble-head and Shadow was curiously following him around with his tongue half out.

Today, Shadow is a sack of potatoes, using only enough energy to eat, poop, and move to another spot on the floor. For such a little guy, Casey sure did a number on his younger, larger "cousin."

Oh, and Shadow requested I make a special shout-out to my cousin and his new biggest fan (of course that's you, Em!), who spent the previous weekend hanging out in our neck of the woods. He's counting the days until he can jump on you again (or hopefully show you how well-behaved he's become by NOT jumping!)

Check back later for the myriad videos I just discovered sitting on my camera. (Aye, there's the rub with digital technology... I have almost unlimited space, but it's so easy to forget I filmed anything at all!)

The circle of life

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd actually yell "Slow down!" to a passing car. As a kid, I thought people looked a little funny yelling at machines, and as a teenager I thought it was a little ballsy.

But today, after nearly being hit twice on Shadow's afternoon walk by drivers speeding up to an intersection and careening a right turn while hardly slowing down, it just popped out. Or, more accurately, bellowed.

I guess that's what happens when you're responsible for a life other than your own. Especially a life that would stupidly go racing up to the thing careening towards him, tail wagging, and then watch it pass with a confused expression of "Why didn't it play with me?"

So chalk another one up to the circle of life, and how we all inevitably become our parents -- which, for the most part, is pretty okay by me. And the fact that the lady driver I chastised was about 70 years old... well that's just more food for thought.

First 'parenting' scare

Here's a scary moment for you, about which I was going to write in my journal... then realized that's pretty much what the blog is for...

I just took Shadow out for his post-breakfast walk, hoping to get in a decent distance because weather.com was predicting a storm at 10 a.m. It was a little before 9 when we stepped outside to a calm, mild morning with grey clouds. I figured we had some time.

But by the time we walked about 200 feet, those clouds had grown much darker and the wind had picked up. By the time we turned around and reached the side of the house, trees were swinging, the sky was charcoal grey, the rain had begun, and the noise that sounded like planes and lawn tools a minute earlier was undoubtedly thunder. It was clear a large storm was about to hit, and I had a metal key in my pocket and Shadow's leash, which was attached by a metal clip

We needed to get inside, asap. But Shadow had other plans, namely going absolutely mad on the leash, thrashing and jumping and pulling me this way and that. And while this is not an altogether rare occurrence, with thunder thrashing from all around us and trees as tall as buildings pitching in the wind, I was afraid he knew something I didn't... like a tornado was at the other end of the street and making its way over.

Then, amidst all the thrashing and me yelling over the wooshing leaves for him to come towards the front door, the unthinkable happened. He writhed his collar off and started sprinting. He was booking it through the yard, feet from the street. My heart stopped as the multitude of horrible things that could happen flashed through my mind in a fraction of a second. He's going to run away. He's going to be hit by a car. I'll never catch him. He'll be lost in the storm. 

The adrenaline was pumping as I raced after him. He sped toward me and away, thinking it was a game, as the clouds broke and the rain began to pour. By the time I ended up physically straddled on top of him in the front lawn, the storm was fully overhead and I wasn't sure how to get him, sans collar, to the front door. There was no way to hold onto him, and getting his collar on would require me loosening my grip and probably allow him to slip away again. My entire body was fluttering, the bones in my arms shaking.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I picked up the 45-pound thrashing little bugger, carried him across the lawn in a probably very uncomfortable position, straddled him again while I unlocked the door (any neighbor who might have been looking out a window at this time got quite a performance) and tossed him safely into the foyer.

I locked the door behind us and collapsed on the stair -- wanting to both hug and strangle him at the same time -- and let the weak, trembling feeling wash through me.

Judging from his bowed muzzle and melancholy disposition, he knows he did something wrong. If only I could know what's going on in that adorable but little head of his.

I Shall Call Him Fang

Just found Shadow's second-to-last canine fang in his bed. Poor little guy's only got one left!

Helpless?

The count is two canine fangs gone (both on the bottom), and almost no full teeth in the front half of Shadow's mouth. Poor little guy's been rendered helpless. And I can't imagine eating the sharp little things is making him feel much better. Basically, if he and Moose were to play tug today, Shadow would last barely two seconds.