The rule in our house is dogs don't sleep in the bed. It works out great because Stella knows that occasionally I'll invite her to lie on my bed during the day or under certain circumstances but when night falls, her bed is hers.
When we went to Baltimore and Atlantic City last month I didn't even take her bed along with us so all bets were off and we shared the bed. One day we hiked (not very far, I think it was a mile and a half) up to the home of Edgar Allen Poe. It was hot as Hell and included buses, construction, big noise and hordes of people going to and from work, not to mention at some point, all the accoutrements of ghetto sidewalks (broken glass, syringes, beer cans, used condoms and the like). I doubt Stella even noticed any of this but without so much as a band-aid on me, I certainly did. It was a tough three miles brightened only by the fact that we made it back without injury or dognapping. I don't know how many of you (goofy-ass white women) have strolled through the ghetto lately with your pit bull but the locals, though extremely friendly, had a look of disbelief on their faces usually reserved for things like mirages - or ghosts. Had it not been for the dog, I would've spent a lot more time up there and made pictures of them all but it was clear early on that we were in dog fighting country. I felt at the time, it was best to keep moving so we pressed on. Unfortunately, the Poe House was closed when we finally got there but I did take a photo of it. I'll put it in the next post.
When we returned to the hotel I left Stella for a bit to go and get something to eat. I made a point of getting back as soon as possible thinking she'd be pacing the floor and feeling abandoned in this new strange place.
Uh - negative. When I returned this (above) is how I found her. She didn't even notice I was gone.
On the morning of our departure we took a vote and decided that the beds in Heaven couldn't possibly be any better than the ones at Hotel Monaco.
9 comments:
It's rare to catch a dog sleeping so soundly they don't even move. So after she got a taste of "bed", did she think it was ok to be in the bed at home? When we were Bachelorettes and I was scared of strange noises in the apartment, I would sometimes let Miss M in the bed. But then she would be so sneaky and sleep in the bed when I wasn't home and slink away when she heard me coming home.
Yes she absolutely did. Now she'll walk in and put her head on the bed and push with her chest against it, while she gives me "the look". I don't mind saying, it's hard to resist too. I haven't caved yet though :)
Oh bless your heart..both of you..
Stella looks sooo realxed and thast room? Lovely. So glad you made it through the bad neighborhood together..you are each other's guardians..it's plain to see :-0
Stella's perked-up ear tells me she heard you come in but didn't feel the need to get up and greet you. I guess all the excitement had her "plumb tuckered out."
When I had my rescued PB for a couple months, I encountered that "gleam in the eye" of a few guys who envied my possession of a potential fighting dog. One young man was leaning out the window of a Burger King drive through, trying to get a good look at her and asking if she was for sale.
I'm glad y'all made it safely through the 'hood and back.
We've encountered plenty of those looks and had several inquires. We aren't in the ghetto per say, but if you walk the opposite way of our normal walk you hit some rougher complexes and that look starts coming.
I'm ashamed to say Princess knows all too well she gets to start the night off at the foot of our bed, but she'll quickly get down if we bother her sleep too much and hardly ever lasts more than an hour.
i don't know why those guys who're interested in fighting dogs don't get that we goofy- assed white women, as we lavish our pups with snuggles and attention, take the fight right out of those dogs! glad you two made it back in time for stella's nap unscathed.
In our old loft condo, our brindle was very respectful of the bed boundaries and our red nose followed suit when she came along. Something about our new digs, though, apparently comes with an open invitation to the furniture when we are away...but at least now we have a bedroom door to close on the bed (the couch is left to fend for itself).
I know how you felt taking Stella through dog fighting country - it's scary as hell. I take our red nose into some Chicago grade schools for anti-fighting education. In addition to shady staff members who offer to take her "when I'm done with her," I once had to be locked into a classroom until security could remove the eighth grader who was trying to break into the class to see "the f***ing pit bull." I was petrified to walk out to the car when we were finished, though eventually we made it out drama-free.
Ha! I'm betting Stella was hoping if she didn't move you wouldn't notice her on the bed!
Goofy-assed white woman? Moi????
i really enjoyed this post, especially in the way your perfectly reflect my own self-image as a "goofy-ass white woman" with a very spoiled and very beautiful pit bull. i live in a very income-diverse area of DC, and we get a lot of reactions. Our resident beauty, Chick, is especially popular with bus drivers, who regularly stop the bus while doing their route (sometimes in the middle of the road with a busful of passengers) to ask me what kind of dog he is, how old he is, and does he have any puppies.
Sadly, dog fighting is still a big problem in DC and Baltimore, as are other forms of cruelty. Through a variety of good anti-cruelty programs and awareness campaigns the problem shows signs of easing a little, but there is still such a long way to go. It's heartbreaking.
Aleksandra
follow our foster: http://loveandaleash.wordpress.com
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