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I hate this year.

As if the pandemic wasn't enough, now we have a hurricane bearing down on our place in Florida.

The last one was Irma in 2017 and it did a lot of damage. But at least I was able to go down there and make repairs. Now we can't even go there.

Looks like the storm has weakened considerably. You may escape unscathed.

It still doesn't diminish the awfulness of 2020.

We lost another canine friend this week. Last spring it was Riley, the yellow lab from down the street. They moved away.

But we still had Mercedes, the German Shepard next door. Then Mercedes hips went bad and she had to be put down. Mercedes owner then got a Border Collie puppy. She named her Covid. A real sweet heart. We loved her and she was always welcome to visit here. The owner told us yesterday she's giving her up. At five months the dog was becoming too aggressive, snapping and nipping at her.

I was shocked. She never displayed any kind of aggressive behavior with us. She's just a sweet affectionate dog. If we could have a dog we'd have taken her in a minute.

The new owner came and took her away today.

Shame. I probably could have fixed that behavior in two weeks. (Training both the dog and the owner)

Why can't you have a dog?

Bryce wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:40 pm

Shame. I probably could have fixed that behavior in two weeks. (Training both the dog and the owner)

Why can't you have a dog?

I think it was the owner who needed training. The dog was never aggressive with us.

I think part of the problem was that she got the pup when she was working at home. After she returned to working at the office she left the dog shut up in the house all day. Border collies need to run around. She has a big fenced in yard. The dog would have been happy to be left out all day, chasing squirrels.


We could have a dog this year. But normally we go away for the winter. The place we stay has a no pets rule.

Turkeytop wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:05 pm

Bryce wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:40 pm

Shame. I probably could have fixed that behavior in two weeks. (Training both the dog and the owner)

Why can't you have a dog?

I think it was the owner who needed training. The dog was never aggressive with us.

I think part of the problem was that she got the pup when she was working at home. After she returned to working at the office she left the dog shut up in the house all day. Border collies need to run around. She has a big fenced in yard. The dog would have been happy to be left out all day, chasing squirrels.


We could have a dog this year. But normally we go away for the winter. The place we stay has a no pets rule.

You are absolutely correct about Border Collies. If they are cooped up all day they will be miserable and develop behavioral problems.

Responsible breeders won't sell one to people without substantial property. They also need a job to do. Daily. Chasing squirrels counts.

Me, I wouldn't stay at a place that doesn't allow dogs. Life isn't truly complete without a dog.

A lot of our owners get around the rule by getting a phony Dr's note saying they need a comfort animal or support animal. But I don't play those kind of games.

But you do need a service dog. Some day, it will be difficult for you to go to the fridge and get a beer. You need to get the dog now so it can be trained and ready to go when you need it.

These dogs are usually the tiny breeds. Fragile little mutts.

To my mind, they aren't real dogs. I like big dogs you can play rough with.

Tis a shame. Gretta would have been a great dog for you. She is going to her new family on Friday. They begged me to leave her the night I did a home check/visit with her.

We have a 12 year-old Field Spaniel named Ellie. She was about a year old when she wandered into our neighborhood. The neighbor girls found her with a collar and no identification. They brought her to my wife as she was working for another vet at the time. We took her in, got her updated on shots and attempted to track down the owner. We called Animal Control to see if any dogs had been reported missing, and took out ads in the Lansing State Journal and Clinton County News. Nobody claimed her, so she joined our family. We figure somebody just dropped her off in town, which would be a total shame except that their loss was our gain. She has been the sweetest dog in the world, and we can't imagine not having her in the family! She even snuggles with our two cats, making for some Norman Rockwell moments.

Needless to say Ellie has slowed down with age. She's not as spry as she was in her youth, and these days she's pretty content to lay on the couch and observe life while we scratch behind her ears. We get her out for walks to give her exercise, and she takes it at a leisurely pace. She'll sit on our back deck in the warm months and watch rabbits dart around the yard (no desire to chase 'em anymore). Hopefully we still have a few good years left with her.

Dogs are amazingly intuitive animals. I remember a few years back when a good friend passed away. I was sitting in the recliner pondering my grief. Ellie walked over, put her chin on my knee and gave me the most empathetic, comforting look, as if she knew exactly what I was feeling and wanted to let me know things were gonna be okay. I've read a few studies indicating people with pets live longer and healthier, and I absolutely believe it!

When 2020 goes away on a Thursday at midnight and 2021 kicks in on Friday what's going to magically change except the last digit in the year?

craig11152 wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 12, 2020 9:21 am

When 2020 goes away on a Thursday at midnight and 2021 kicks in on Friday what's going to magically change except the last digit in the year?

Hopefully the sense that things are gonna get better will sink in. It’s been a rough year.

Will anyone ever look back on 2020 as a good year?

Turkeytop wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 12, 2020 10:16 am

Will anyone ever look back on 2020 as a good year?

Nobody that I know.