Watch Dogs 8/3/00

Watch Dogs

8/3/00
Copyright © 2001 Ray Hebert

Howdy all,

Shaq and Shasta often double as watch dogs. This is in addition to their duties of retrieving dogs, swimming dogs, face cleaning dog (Shasta only), belly rubbing dogs and caning dog (Shaq with his lethal tail) among other duties.

Shaq and Shasta have divided the watching responsibilities based upon their general interest and acumen. Each one has specific talents that make their watching duties tailored to them. Shaq has a menacing look (even though we all know he is very gentle) Shasta is the caring one.

Shaq is an outwardly watching dog. He likes to keep an eye on what is going on outside the house. As such his position of vantage is either on the hill in the backyard so that he can see traffic on the sidewalk or street or at the front door where he can view the street and sidewalk from the full-length window by the door.

Shaq takes the job of alerting the family of any activity outside the boundaries of the house very seriously. He lets us know when a cat crosses the street, when there is another dog wandering around or when a house is being robbed. This last activity happened last year when at 3am Shaq went ballistic. He started barking, came running into the bedroom at full speed jumped from the door to the bed in one bound and continued barking at me. Sort of a get up now type of bark. I got up and he ran right to the front door where I could see a neighbors garage open and a van backed up to with people putting things in it. We quickly called the Police who nabbed the culprits. Shaq got a big thank you from the elderly lady who owns the house.

Shasta on the other hand has the duties of inwardly watching. This primarily means watching me. She wants to be there for whatever need I may have. You never know, I may need my face cleaned or I may need a Lap Lab or I may need to rub a belly. She wants to be there to provide whatever service she can. Thus her perch is where ever I am. If I am sitting in the living room she is right by the chair it I'm in bed she is either right there in bed next to me or on the floor by the bed. If I move a muscle she is immediately up to see what I am going to do and if I need help.

One of Shasta's favorite watching duties is being the designated Lap Lab. Every now and then she feels that she needs to watch me from up close thus she will leap into the chair and sprawl out on my lap. Hence the term Lap Lab. This move is usually (but not always) preceded by the traditional staring at you with Big Brown Eyes look with accompanied head on knee pose. Then all in one motion she jumps, curls up in a ball and lands on my lap. When she lands she does it in such a way that her weight (70 lbs.) is distributed evenly so you don't feel crushed. But as soon as she is on your lap she then becomes the immovable object. You would think that she weighed a ton.

Right now both are outside. Shaq is on the hill looking out at the street and Shasta is on the retaining wall looking into the back window. So even though they are both outside they are still working hard.

Well those are our watch dogs. I am lucky to have to such devoted and hard working kids.

Cheers
Ray & Shaq & Shasta