LunaStics

The problem, for me, with owning a dog is that I know (?) that I will outlive her.

I can’t stand losing ones that I love. Really can’t stand it.

We’re all different; I know people who lose a dog and truly mourn the loss then get over it and have a new puppy the next week and others who lose a dog will take years to get over the loss. And still maybe not get another dog. I think it’s because we get so close to them.

They are like our children. Luna is easily as smart and crafty as any 2 year old human I’ve ever met and can communicate better than some of them! She understands at least 200 words that I’ve been able to track and she comprehends complete sentences. Doesn’t always agree with them, nor follow them, but it’s clear she contemplates the choice and then makes her own decision.

Not at all like our last dog, Aristotle. He also was very smart, but he didn’t try to be the alpha; he was happy to do whatever I asked him to do.

Luna tries at all times to be the alpha.

She clearly shows jealously, even toward my wife, if I give someone else attention while she’s in the room. My son always used to comment that she’d make a great girlfriend with the loyalty she shows, but we now agree that she acts too jealously too often. Oh well, what to do? I just ignore her and continue to give attention to whomever I was giving it to. Luna will learn.
Like a 2 year old.

She clearly shows bossiness, even toward me. When we’re playing a game like fetch, if I’m not quick enough with the throw she’ll be right in my face “HEY! Throw that thing!” “HEY! Come ON!” HEY! Throw it!”

The word “hey” is big with her, she says that A LOT. But I just throw it at my own pace, waiting for her to patiently sit before I’ll throw it again. She knows this and understands it but still needs to shout and try to get her way before she’ll quiet down and sit. She’ll learn. Like a 2 year old

And, God willing, I’ll be here to see it.

Luna is very talkative.
In case you haven’t gotten that yet; Luna loves to talk: She barks at me all the time telling me what to do.
Once, it had been awhile since she’d been out in the car. …..and when I finally recovered from her enthusiastic acceptance of my offer I got her into the car.
So we’re driving down the city street and I’ve put the right rear window down for her (it’s the safest window for a dog) (but just enough for her head, not enough for her body) (whew, damn lawyers… anyway…..), her head is out, tongue is lolling, lips are smiling… and suddenly, she starts barking. I mean barking!
I slow down, look around, check the mirror and look at her and start laughing!

She has her head pointed up like a coyote howling, but she doesn’t know how to howl, so she’s barking! Barking mad, say I! She was having so much fun!
Soon we came upon a pedestrian, an older woman who was pushing a wire cart on wheels, apparently on her way to the local supermarket. Now, Luna likes to talk, yes. But she’s never barked at people or things from the car. I didn’t think to do anything. I really want that woman to know that we meant her no harm and if traffic flow and timing would have allowed it, I definitely would have stopped and helped her up. But things happened too fast… sorry.
We came up right alongside this woman; I’m doing about 25, in a line of traffic. Luna is out the window, quiet for the moment and enjoying the post-attempted-howling/barking. She must have just noticed the woman and decided to tell her how happy she was to be out. Cuz that is the bark she gave, “Hey! Look at me! I’m in a car!” Well, they all sound kinda like that, but you know what I mean.
This woman apparently doesn’t speak dog, as Luna really startled her. I could see that she stiffened right up like she just touched a live electric line, and her foot caught a rise in the sidewalk with the cart slipping out in front of her as she was putting some of her weight onto it, so as the cart went out in front she went down with it; all while staring at Luna with a look of incredulity, who was still sharing her joy with the woman.  Just sharing and sharing.
There was construction going on and I could not pull over to check on her and apologize, but I did keep an eye on the rearview mirror and saw that she got up and appeared to be okay.
Luna didn’t appear to care. She just kept on talking, now to the construction crew.
Just lovin’ life.
That’s Luna!

Luna loves to play Frisbee.

Just say the word and she gets all excited, mouth forming a huge grin, ears up and the tail going like a fan blade.

Frisbee.

Oh Boy! Oh Boy!

The running, the leaping, the grasping of this flying object with the teeth, the satisfaction of returning to your master that which he had just thrown away, what more could one want?

Come On! Hurry Up! Throw That Frisbee!

She can be real bossy at times. The problem is that when she shouts at you it makes your ears ring.

Literally makes your ears ring.

After about 5 times the ringing becomes permanent….. I’ve tried to explain to her that she doesn’t need to coach me so zealously. But it’s hard for her to listen to me when she’s trying to get me to listen to her (hmmm, reminds me of talking with most humans)!

When I throw it just right she comes running up under it and jumps up to meet it, bouncing it off her nose, making it ‘stall’ in the air and then letting it fall to the right height and just sort of picks it out of the air.

She then gives it a good, spine-cracking shake from side to side and runs it back to me.

Only to drop it at my feet so that I have to bend over to pick it up. And, just as my head is at her head height she has to remind me again:
Come On! Hurry Up! Throw That Frisbee!

Ringgggggg.

Thanks, Luna

Luna loves to ride.

Every time.

Just grab the keys.

Bang! She’s there.

Slight grin on her face, the head slightly tilted with the obvious question.
But at the same time, she’s sitting patiently. She knows she can’t go all the time.

“All right” I start to say, but she knows it before I form the first word – it’s amazing how well they can read our mind er, body language. Simply amazing.
Out to the leash she runs. And I mean runs. It’s only in the next room. We live in a small house.

Doesn’t matter to her, she runs!
Yes, we’ve learned to re-position the furniture and to “do without” certain items as they haven’t survived her puppyhood. But it was a good puppyhood and that’s another story.

Here, it’s all about the ride.

Luna LOVES to ride. Like a lot of dogs, I know. We see them out with their masters, basking in all that is Dogs Riding In Cars. Canine Nirvana. Caring only about what is right there, right then. Not worrying about yesterday, this morning or tomorrow. Just enjoying right now for what it is.

We should try to do the same in our lives. As you go through the mundane of your day, take a moment and try to lose yourself in the task- simply enjoy being there at that time doing the thing that you’re doing.

It makes you feel better to look at things like a dog every now and then.

Although I can attest to the fact that it is not better to act like a dog every now and then; sticking your head out the car window while you’re driving just gets you stared at; barking uncontrollably just gets you arrested and evaluated; sniffing around before you go just gets you a dirty nose at best…..;

Alright, alright! I might have gone too far there. But you get the idea.

Emulate. Don’t imitate.

Luna joined our family when she was 8 weeks old and we were too many weeks to count old.

Our only child was off to college and we had not owned a dog in 5 years. I was enjoying time with my wife and to myself and the freedom to go wherever, whenever.

Clearly, I was blind to the signs of ‘empty nest syndrome’ and my wife was tired of throwing subtle hints my way. Things like “I want a dog.” Or “wouldn’t it be nice to have a dog?” were responded to with an “uh huh.”
Yeah, I’m a typical husband. I thought she meant “wouldn’t it be nice to consider the concept of owning a dog again?” I didn’t know, I wasn’t so sure myself.

So, on a beautifully clear mid-summer, July day, she announced that she was off to the local shelter to rescue a dog: I could join her or not. My first thought: I had just prior to that decided the golf course was calling me. Mmmmmm, golf.

Well, we are married. I have learned a thing or two over the years; I had many options but only one response; “I’ll get the car.”

Our local shelter, in Corinth, NY does a wonderful job rescuing animals of all species and ages. We can’t say enough about the good that they and that all the no-kill shelters do for our partners on this journey we’re all on. Please support your local no-kill shelter.

Luna was one of a litter of 8 mixed breed dogs whose mother had been put down before our shelter could get there. -Please re-read the previous paragraph-. We looked over many litters, many breeds, varied aged dogs and eventually came to this litter of mixed breed pups that shouldn’t have been separated from their mother yet. But they were. They were all huddled in a group in the middle of a pen. All were clearly flea-ridden and obviously suffering from some intestinal malady.

When we came up and leaned over the pen, some of the pups moved away, some of them stayed; one looked up, cocked her large, gremlin-like ears, tilted her head to the side, looked right into my eyes and said “What do you want me to do?” So intelligent. And cute.

That pup was Luna.