With Compliments to the Dog

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]trangers are generous with their compliments to Harley the Dog. They flatter his looks, commenting on his Holstein cow patterned coat, his solid posture, or just his cuteness. I’ve found him kind of funny looking from day one, so it surprises me when someone fawns over him — though it will never cease to crack me up when some badass looking big dude sees Harley and coos, “Oooooh! Puppy!”

I will say something like, “Thanks, I like him okay.” Or “Yeah, I guess he IS pretty cute.” I do think he’s adorable — after all, I went to meet him because of his Petfinder profile picture. There was something about his pink nose pointed into the air, his little white whiskers, that made me get in my car and drive to where he was sheltered so he could choose me as his adopted human.

Sometimes I say, “Oh, your critter is cute too!” It’s polite. But I’m more interested in how your dog is behaving. If she is patiently watching the baby in the car carrier or minding everything you say. “He might be cute,” I may say, “but if only he were also as well behaved as yours…”

After Harley has been praised for his looks, I must answer how old he is, what kind of dog he is, and how long I’ve had him. In order: Three or four years old, not sure really. He’s some kind of chihuahua mix, I call him a chihuerrier because he’s likely got some terrier in him. I got him last year at Thanksgiving. (Oh my, it’s nearly our anniversary.)

“He’s a rescue? God bless you for giving him a home.”

Have you ever seen the fog roll in, a low wall of gray creeping towards where you are? You know it’s going to surround you, you can smell it, you can see it inching closer. A few years ago I suffered a bout of depression; it had me sick and sad for months. When I saw the shadow of that feeling on the horizon. I went and got a dog.

Harley is not the best possible dog, but he’s far from the worst dog. In the year I’ve had him, he’s had three indoor “accidents” and one of them was my fault — I really should have walked him when we got out of the car rather than taking him right inside. He doesn’t chew my things and he doesn’t bark or howl when he’s left alone. He’s stayed in a few vacation rentals and each time, our hosts have said, “Wow, he was so quiet, if you hadn’t told us, we wouldn’t have known you had a dog.” Win.

His biggest issue is what’s called “leash reactivity” — that’s when you’ve got a dog on a leash who’s just losing it at the sight of another dog. I’m gradually training him out of that. And he’s a “resource guarder,” but only if that resource is me. That means he thinks I’m his. God forbid someone try to get near me while I’m in a position that he’s decided is vulnerable. Please do not come in to the bedroom when I’m napping. Harley will ruin everyone’s chill with his barking.

But as four legged anti-depressants go, he is a pro. He has done a mighty job of keeping the fog at bay, an impressive bit of work for twelve and a half pounds of dog. When people say, “Bless you for rescuing a dog,” I think the blessings are misdirected, they should go to Harley.

Last night I was out late to play a show. On top of my general “I’m too old to rock like this” fatigue, I’ve been keeping close watch on the horizon for the fog. Fall is here and things have been rough. This afternoon I hauled my weary self outside for a nap in the hammock. Harley decided this would be a good time for him to nap, too. When I dozed off, he was lying on his side near the back porch. When I woke up, he had moved much closer to me. He was on his back, his hind legs splayed. When he heard me move, he turned his amber eyes toward me and smiled.

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• I’m reading Inside of a Dog* and enjoying it tremendously. It’s full of science about dogs, but also, the author doesn’t let science get in the way of slobbering emotion about how much she loves her pooch.
• I also liked The Loved Dog*; it helped me work with Harley in new, effective ways.
• If you’re in Seattle and training a dog, Dog’s Day Out in Georgetown is great. Harley’s teacher was kind and patient and when we had her out to work with us on some Harley-specific challenges, she confirmed that he’s a bit of weirdo. I’m so proud.

*Amazon affiliate links, I get a little something, you pay the same price. Go shop, please, your spare change helps keep Harley in treats and cute sweaters.