Tales of Josh

Last week I made some references about Josh the Wonderdog. Well I thought it was time to pass along some particular nuances about this over-zealous family member. As you might realize from the photo, Josh is not a small dog. We think he's a mix between a Chow and Retriever. At ten years old, he's starting to show some age, he sleeps a lot and moves pretty slow as he gets up on all-fours because of arthritis. Josh might be just playing us on this aging thing, because if the neighborhood black cat shows up outside the fence he turns into a six month old guard dog who can't get to the fence fast enough.

Josh's size factor brings up the next personality trait. Now this dog puts fear into the heart of the guy who cuts my grass. If somebody comes to the door, and Vicki answers it, Josh will force himself between Vicki and whoever is standing outside the door. Howwwwever....if a thunderstorm comes up, he mutates from Wonderdog into a whimpering mass of K-9 jelly. If I'm watching TV during a thunderstorm, he would prefer I'm sitting in a love seat, so he can occupy the second position. If I'm at my desk, during a storm, he insists on proving there's enough room under the desk for my two legs, the surge protector, and him. If we're trying to sleep during an overnight storm, it's like having a newborn in the house. I find myself babbling"Yes Josh, it's only a storm."

Sleeping at night, has a few other Josh factors. He's not allowed on the furniture or the bed, but he is in the room, sleeping on the floor. Awareness on the way to the bathroom is important. And then there is his K-9 hearing, he hasn't lost it. I have to be aware of what dangles over the edge of the bed at night. If he hears something, he wants to immediately check it out. It's that fear of the cold nose on my hand or foot that has made me a light sleeper over the years.

This brings us to Saturday morning. The window in our bedroom is near floor level. We're trying to sleep in. Josh upon hearing a noise outside has pushed aside the curtain to have a look. By this time, our paranoia has kicked in and we think he's barking out to the neighbors: "See, see what my humans are doing on a Saturday morning. See what there doing...they're...sleeping in, while all of you are awake." Like I said, it's like having a child in the house again.

But, like any family member, we'll continue to love him.

Finally, my son deserves partial credit for the title of this posting. Vicki decided to start her own blog. Ted came up with the title: "Tails from Josh's Mom". She'll be writing about family and grandchildren. I look forward to it. It can be found at: vlbacho.blogspot.com.

See You Next Time