Baby-sitting Riccardo
I am not sure our house is the first choice for my son when he needs to find a place for his dog, but nevertheless, it is us to whom Riccardo has been entrusted for the last four days. The reason we are not the first choice is that we are surrounded by wandering dogs here, so much so, that passing through our deck is part of the route that two of these dogs take for their twice-daily walks, while a third and fourth dog come from two other directions to visit as well. The problem here is that Riccardo joins them, then disappears – they come back into sight when called but he doesn’t. Or at least that is what has happened in the past. We are keeping a far stricter watch on Riccardo this visit. He is accompanied around the section for his morning ablutions, led on the chain for his beach walks until all other dogs are out of sight, and generally kept indoors for the rest of the time, though we have left the doors open a few times. He has left the section, but only briefly – a far better behaved boy than in the past.
Despite his wandering ways, Riccardo is a joy to have around. Night time he nestles between Stephen and me, even though he has his very own doggie bed set up in the sitting room. Like a lot of pets, he likes company. Mornings his jaws become animated as he snaps at our fingers, though he has mellowed his bite to a softish hold. When outdoors, he has a super amount of energy, rushing excitedly up and down the beach once off the leash, then when back in the house, he falls asleep quickly.
It is great having Riccardo for other reasons too. We have walked every morning since we have had him. A dog is certainly a good motivator. I think a dog would be nice to have as a pet, if only our section was fenced. It was a bit like that when the children were little too. Without a fence, one could never relax, however, once they were contained and thus safe, one was able to leave them playing happily in the yard.
I have only ever had farm dogs. I was always a cat person as far as pets went. Farm dogs certainly didn’t sleep on one’s bed. Most of the time they would be either out working or in their kennels, though once I was given an old huntaway who used to sleep in the porch. He’d served his time as a working dog and his elderly owner thought he would be perfect for the lighter jobs I would be doing. He was too old to cause any mischief and would happily hang around the house until he was needed – not inside though, just inconveniently on the mat at the front of the door – a heavenly place for a working dog.
I wonder if dogs choose what kind of life they are going to have before being incarnated. I would assume that dogs do incarnate as we do, though I haven’t been given any information one way or another on this aspect. And in a dog’s eyes, I wonder what life would be preferable, one where they have a purpose such as a working dog, or one where they are indulged. Now there is food for thought.