Neighbourly Neighbours: Part II
I could keep this post really short and just sum up my thoughts with our neighbors are judgmental scum and I’m gullible and in too much of a hurry.
But where’s the fun in that?
Suffice to say, what I perceived as “oooh’ing and aaaah’ing at Harley’s wiggly nature” was actually them thinking “Wow, that dog is crazy hyper.”
This train of thought led to, “These people don’t know what they’re doing. Let us help them. They need a book…yes, a book. A book about dog behaviour. With a section on crazy, hyperactive, unhappy dogs. Aw, shucks - that section is toward the back…we should bookmark it with a paperclip so they don’t miss it. Make sure it’s a red and white candycane stripped paperclip! There. Now that ought to do it. Happy Holidays!”
For anyone who knows “little dogs”, they tend to have lots of energy. So much so, that on a continuum of little dog energy, I’d say Harley falls more in the half asleep category than the head-is-going-to-explode-with-energy end. We had just come home, the pup was anxious to get outside, and his exuberance usually lasts for about 20 minutes, depending on how many people are around. He wiggles, he plays hard to get ’catch me’ games (Thanks, Tadpole!), and he likes to think that he’s bigger and more impressive than he actually is (again…little dog, people) but he’s also barely over a year old and petite.
It disappoints me that what seemed like a generous, thoughtful gift turned into preachy judgement (I really can’t think of a better word to describe it than that). I’ve been around dogs, cats, horses, you name it, my entire life. I’ve known happy, sad, energetic, and sorely depressed animals. Harley may be quirky, but it seems unfair to label him a headcase after one (ONE!!) encounter.
So now…I’m unimpressed and looking forward to ignoring my new neighbors (sigh…life in a large apartment building goes on…).
December 28th, 2006 at 12:11 am
Yes, the x-mas colored paperclip was too much to handle.
Damn, old, stinky neighbors. They truly do suck if they don’t think Harley is cute, and we need some silly-ass book to “manage” him according to their standards.
Old people — tsk, tsk — they still smell like mothballs even though they are across the hall.
December 28th, 2006 at 12:23 am
I love how they’ve gone from cute-hope-they-invite-us-to-tea to “evil smelly arseholes” in less than a week.
Upon re-reading my entry…wow, I sound like a crazed parent defending their child. You know you humanize your dog when…