…”But You Pull Me So Hard!”

4:10 PM: I’m sitting, in my car, waiting for my daughter to finish walking the dogs at our local animal shelter.  Dixie, our pit-bull, came with me today.  I’m contemplating giving her a 20-minute walk, and then relaxing back in the car.

Dixie. Always ready to go!

4:15 PM: Dixie is whining to be taken out. I hear several shelter dogs barking. She is getting excited hearing all the barking.  (This was her home before.) I leash her up and out we go.

That mighty speed pulls me hard!

4:16 PM: “STOP PULLING GIRL,” I say loudly to her.  But she keeps on it.  And, she is not a small dog…she is strong, about 45 pounds.  “DON’T PULL, Dixie girl,” I say again.  No change.  The would-be-20-minute-walk is abruptly halted by me.  Dixie turns and looks at me… her big brown eyes asking, “WHY DID YOU STOP?”  Completely out of breath, I angrily said, “…BUT YOU PULL ME SO HARD!”

4:19 PM:  I’m back in the car with Dixie.  I decided the pulling was just too much for me to handle.   Now she is looking out the window, whining.  I feel bad but I’ve decided not to get her out anymore.

Whining while looking out the window.

4:30 PM:  “P-U-L-L-E-E-E-E-E-E-Z-E take me out mommy,”  is what I hear from Dixie’s whining.  I keep playing on my phone pretending not to hear her.  Several minutes go by, and the whining sounds more like a cry, now.  And, this crying cannot be ignored.  It’s making me sad and I’ve started feeling guilty.  (And, I thought I was going to relax).

4:45 PM: “If I take you out, NO pulling Dixie,” I say firmly as I pick up the leash.  Her tail, now wagging full-speed…(I can’t even see the tail clearly…looks like a Chinese fan, it’s quite a speed!)  That made me smile. What a sweet creature!  I kiss her on her head as I hooked her.

4:46 PM: I open the back door, and she takes off!  “DIXIE STOP,” I scream.  She stops – not by the fence, inside of which are shelter dogs – but by one of the shelter windows.  She stands on her two, and pierces inside. (She probably sees familiar faces.)

First opportunity I get, I grab Dixie’s leash.  I take her to the fenced area.  The dogs, behind the fence are in their cages, and they start barking when they see Dixie.  She barks back.  Then suddenly she sits by the fence and watches them.  They keep barking, but Dixie keeps watching.  (Watching her old friends.)

4:55 PM:  “Dixie come.”  “DIXIE come.”  “DIXIE!”  “COME-ON!”  Dixie did not budge.  I could see in her big brown eyes, a spark of hope for her friends.  My heart aches.  I love Dixie…even if she pulls me hard!

5:00 PM: My daughter, muddy from playing and running with some of Dixie’s friends, is finished for today.  Dixie runs to her, licks her to no end. My daughter takes her lease, and they walk back to the car.  (Dixie does not pull her!)  What?  How come? Then I realize – Dixie is 2 in dog years…a teen in human years…of course, she is supposed to give her mother a hard time!  🙂

…thank you for visiting my blog…until next time:)

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