Roscoe Notes II

Ok here's some Roscoe notes!

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* Roscoe almost got eaten up the other day at dog park. This strange-ish lady was sitting on a bench in dog park with three big dobermans around her-- all the dobermans ears were taped up with bandages or whatever. They looked like they were sitting around guarding the gates to hell. Pretty much all the dogs in dog park were staying away from that gang. Right in front of them was a big piece of rope.

I was keeping an eye on Roscoe making sure he didn't do anything stupido around those big dogs... but of course he did something stupido. He walked by them all sly like he was going to ignore them-- then all of a sudden he made a mad dash and grabbed their piece of rope and took off running. The three dobermans chased after him barking like crazy. They totally looked like guard dogs chasing a crook. I chased after the pack of them begging at Roscoe to drop the rope. Roscoe ran as fast as he could but he was no match.  Finally the dobermans circled Roscoe growling and barking. Roscoe looked around at them and saw he was screwed so he <pleh> spit the rope out of his mouth and walked away. One doberman immediately picked it up and the three of them trotted back to the strange lady and sat there continuing to guard their precious rope.

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* Roscoe had to go to the vet the other day to get vaccinated for rabies. He's been foaming at the mouth alot and the whites of his eyes are red. He growls alot and recently he was bitten by a bat who was also foaming at the mouth and acting crazy. Ok that's not true but Roscoe did need to get his shots for a couple things. The problem is Roscoe doesn't like shots and any time he needs to be held down at the vet it's been a scene. He strains to twist and whines and flips around like all mental. Refuses to stay still. Super squirmy. We once had to give up and I brought him back later. Now every time he needs to get a shot or whatever they have to bring in like 4 other vet assistants or whatever to forcefully hold him down and he breathes super hard and looks terrored-up when we do this. I pet his head and tell him it's ok but he doesn't believe me.

But this time the vet asked me to try something new. She asked me to just tap Roscoe right between his eyes over and over again while they hold him down. So I did and Roscoe immediately stopped squirming. Tap Tap Tap. Right on his head. Tap tap tap. He went into a weird zone with a look on his face like, 'Why you tapping my head, dad? What's with the head tapping? Hey! That's my head you're tapping! Why? What's with that?' Completely ignoring the shots and staying still. And it worked! No squirming at all! Not exactly dog whisperer... but dog ummm... tapper..er. Dopey dogs.

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* Roscoe has started to get interested in watching television. I'm a bad influence I guess. He'll sit in front of the couch and stare at the TV but only for particular shows. He seems to enjoy nature shows the most. Shows about bugs pretty much hypnotize him. Some people say dogs can't see television but when the screen is moving relatively slowly like a caterpillar on a branch. Roscoe seems transfixed. I know that Roscoe is seeing something there... and liking it because he'll start smiling and panting.

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* The other weekend when I went away I had to board Roscoe at a local dog boarding place for a couple of nights. I checked out the place before he went there and it seemed clean and nice. It felt weird having him be somewhere else being taken care of by strangers. It felt dorky hugging Roscoe goodbye in front of the people there too and telling him to be good.

While I was away I was nervous about him and had to resist calling to check in on him and asking the people there to put him on the phone. When I picked him up Roscoe was all excited to see me initially. But for the next day or so he was mad at me. He refused to make eye contact or lick my face. I think he was pissed at me for not taking him with me and leaving him in a strange place.

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* I felt bad the other day because Roscoe and I were alone in a small park nearby (I can close the fence and lock us in so it's safe) and I was listening to my mp3 player on headphones. Roscoe had been busy with a stick running around with it for a while. When it was time to go I started walking to the gate and called for Roscoe to follow me. He always does when he sees me leaving.

But this time I look back and see Roscoe is still jumping around with the stick. I'm like, "Roscoe! Come!" But he keeps going with the stick. Jumping around with it. I walk a little more then turn back and say, 'Roscoe! C'mon!!' But he's still flipping around with the stick like crazy. I take off my headphones to yell for him some more and I hear he's yelping and scared. I go running over and see the stick has somehow caught onto his leg. And he couldn't get it off. That's why he was flipping around and not coming. And he got doubly scared when he saw me leaving. I felt like a bad dad. I took the stick off his foot and he was fine. But for now on I always have one ear free when listening on headphones..

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* I feed Roscoe from the table when he comes with me to outdoor restaurants. He sits nicely and waits and I'll give him a crust of bread or a piece of chicken or whatever so I think it's ok. He doesn't really drool or beg anything. I'll give a little piece of burger or whatever and when I tell him 'No more' he seems to get it and lies down and is a really good boy that way. Anyway the other day I'm sitting outside feeding Roscoe now and then and this woman at the next table tells me that I really shouldn't feed my dog from the table. I was stunned! I shot her a look like, 'Hey lady! Don't tell me how to raise my friggin kid!' And to spite her I broke off a big piece of burger and shoved it in Roscoe's face like it was christmas day come early!  Done and done, lady!

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ok bye!

tOdd