Village Squire, 1978-04, Page 50P.S.
It's not just grass that's coming up
BY KEITH ROULSTON
It's the time of the year that gave Muddy
Lane Manor its name. The snow gradually
fades away (and boy has it been gradual
this year) and the mud comes up. And
more than the mud has come up this year.
We've got a new dog. (Those of you who
remember Jack our fearless mousehunting
dog will be sad to know he mysteriously
disappeared last fall).
Sheba is a beautiful black Labrador still
quite young and frisky. She is becoming a
major problem in one area, how major is
only becoming evident as the snow
recedes. Sheba has picked on a favourite
place to go when nature calls: the lawn
right beside the kitche>: window which is
also right beside the driveway which is also
right beside the walk which every visitor to
our house uses. She's very faithful about it.
If she's away back at the back of the place,
near the chicken house and feels the urge,
she'll trot all the way up to the house so
she can do it on the grass. If you think it's
bad having the kids go out to play and get
all muddy in the spring, think how much
worse things could be around our place.
Dogs are marvellous animals, if you can
stand them. It took some getting used to
with Sheba. We got her when she was
about six months old and she was starved
for attention. She would hardly leave you
alone for more than 30 seconds always
seeking a stroke here or a pat on the head
there. Naturally at night this wasn't so
easy since we're not the kind of family that
likes a dog sleeping across the foot of the
bed, especially when she's a monster like
this and would cut off the circulation to
your big toe if she sleep there.
Anyway, the natural place for Sheba
seemed to be out in the summer kitchen.
She didn't like this though and kept
throwing herself against the kitchen door
trying to get in, and sometimes with the
cool autumn breeze blowing, she managed
to jar the door open and soon it would feel
like we were camping out, not sleeping all.
snug in our beds.
We were also at the time beginning the
long process Of turning the summer kitchen
into an office (it's still going on). The
wiring was in, the insulation was partly
installed and there was all kind of junk
lying around. First of all Sheba decided she
liked the taste of electric cords. She
chewed through the cord of my jigsaw
which, I admit, I had left carelessly on the
floor overnight. From then on I took
extreme care to make sure things were put
up out of reach. But have you ever tried to
find a place that was out of a reach of a
Lab? About the only place I can think of
that would be really safe would be the attic,
or the top of a tree. Certainly that proved to
be the case with Sheba. She'd reach high
PG. 48. VILLAGE SQUIRE/APRIL 1978.
up on any shelf or table in the room and
pull down something to keep her occupied
through the long hours of ,the night. In
doing so, she chewed through the cord of
my tape recorder, chewed up the handle of
a hammer left there by a carpenter working
on the building. nearly chewed through an
electrical cable in one of the walls, and
made a habit of tearing insulation batts out
of the wall and to tiny little pieces.
In desperation we finally decided that we
had been soft hearted (or headed) too long
and that if she was locked outside on the
porch at least she couldn't devour
everything in sight. She didn't, but she did
take out her frustrations on the new door
we'd put on the one that cost S137.95 and
now has some beautiful deep claw marks
all down the right side.
The poor thing jumped right from
puppyhood to adult hood in a matter of
weeks, however. It seemed she had just
begun to act sensibly when she began to
act strangely again one day in mid -winter.
Then a husky big German Shepherd
showed up outside the door and just sat
there waiting. We took one look and knew
what he was waiting for. Maybe she was
ready for it, but we weren't sure that we
were. Still, you couldn't keep the darn dog
in the house for 10 days and that dog
outside didn't look like he was going to
leave even for a minute.
Eventually we gave in and let nature
take its course. Soon our skinny little Sheba
was like a balloon. Then came another
morning when she was acting funny
wanting in and out the door every other
minute. Everyone .was too busy to take
much notice. I had to be at a meeting at
8:30 in the morning and rushed through
breakfast to get away. 1 walked out the
back door and heard a funning little
squeaking noise, looked over in the corner
and saw the first of the little puppies.
"Dear," 1 yelled to my wife, "Sheba's
having her puppies. Goodbye."
And so Jill played midwife to the dog all
day while 1 was off at the meeting. She'd
never done it before. but frankly the dog
couldn't have cared less. She just lay down
and did it...and did it again, and did it
eight times in all before she was finished.
They're still small enough that they sit in
the corner of the kitchen drinking. sleeping
and whimpering but they're growing fast.
And man if one dog could do that to a lawn;
what will nine do?
Bride's
and
Bridesmaid's
Dresses
by Diana
Diana Scott does
custom sewing from her
own house in Goderich.
whether it's formal or casual,
Diana will make it --
beautifully.
84 Waterloo St. S.
Goderich, 524-9394
Please call for appointment.
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