Nauset Kennels

Pecan and I visited the unofficial dog park today. Unofficial because it is just a park, but it has a great area for the dogs to run; it is not, however, fenced in. When we first arrived, I kept Pecan on a leash, just to get a feel for the place. Within moments, he was released and ran right over to the group. Some of the dogs were just his size, while others literally ran over him.

Being new to such a place, I was also trying to figure out the “lay of the land.” Is it bad etiquette to interrupt a game of fetch taking place only twenty feet away? Do I compliment the other owner’s on their dogs? I wasn’t even sure who belonged to whom, since all the dogs were busy romping with each other and their owners were all chatting. Is there a welcoming committee, greeting someone the regulars have never seen before? I suppose the frigid breeze didn’t help anyone’s mood, but I felt like the new kid at school, not knowing the rules for the dogs or the people.

Pecan ran like the wind, not sure who to play with first. First he ran with the big dogs, even straying a bit too far from me. When I called though, he looked my way and ran after the next blur that whizzed by him. Eventually, he settled on a small dog his size. They romped a bit, and eventually the other dog tired of Pecan. Pecan wanted to play more though, so he tried to engage the other dog again. And again. And again. And here’s where I needed the Etiquette Mistress or Master of the Dog Park to provide the rules of behavior.

Owning a kennel, this type of behavior does not raise an eyebrow. It’s not as if Pecan was mounting this other dog, nor was he being aggressive. Annoying? Perhaps a bit. I was very suprised and a bit taken aback when the dog’s owner scooped him up in a manner that told me she was certainly annoyed. I grabbed Pecan, apologizing to the woman. She attempted to make it seem as if nothing had happened and haltingly said, “Oh, it’s okay.” Truthfully, I don’t know why, but I snapped back at her, “Well, obviously it isn’t,” and walked off with Pecan in my arms. I didn’t really know where I was going, because I knew that Pecan would probably just head back to the large group, so I leashed him for a bit.

How strange to feel like she had insulted me by insulting my fourth child! Was she insulting him or was I just being paranoid? Other dogs seemed to be acting similarly, some a bit more aggressive, some a bit less social, etc., etc.

So, no one really talked with me, even before “the incident.” I just always assumed dog people are super friendly, particularly when they are with other dog people. Most of my friends and acquaintances would agree that I am outgoing and willing to make conversation with anyone. Did Pecan act inappropriately? Did I let him? Help! What are the rules? Are they different at different dog parks? Pecan is totally wiped from his excursion. And while he loves going to day care at the kennel, the kids and I also enjoyed getting out with him. This is something we want to do again.

Please feel free to help me with advice for next time. While I am an expert at the kennel and with doggy day care, this is a new area to me. Any help will be appreciated. Pecan and I are good students!

The other night, the news reported on a woman somewhere in the US who paid over one hundred thousand dollars to have her dog cloned. She says she was devastated when her dog died and didn’t think she would ever find another like him.

Clients often tell us that they are planning on breeding their dogs because, “I’ve never had or met a dog like this.”

We certainly get it. Kirsten and I have had a few gems along the way that we joked about cloning or breeding. Our cat, Puck, was truly one of a kind, at least in our book.

However, if we had cloned (don’t worry, our pocketbooks don’t even let us entertain such thoughts) or bred our animals looking for the same pet, we never would have found any of our other four legged kiddos that made us say, “Wow, what a great dog or cat.” Different than the previous, yet just as neat in his own way.

Gilligan first came into our lives from the kennel. Kirsten had really been a corgi person, but there he was, looking for a home. Gill was one of a kind. He was loving, protective, silly, and full of mischief. When he died unexpectedly on Christmas Day a few years ago, Kirsten was devastated. In time, she found Scout, who in many ways has filled Gill’s shoes, but has also made her own imprint in our lives. Gill’s memory isn’t diminished with Scout’s presence, and we don’t sit and wish she could be just like him. Scout makes us smile in her own way and sometimes we have that particular smile that comes from being reminded of someone or something that is no longer with us.

Sure, a lot of the dogs our clients are breeding are great dogs. But to breed or clone under the impression that your current animal is the only animal that is so special, or that no other animal could ever compare is just wrong. No other animal can compare, nor should they. Each animal brings something new to the table. And you just might find an even more amazing animal than the one you wanted to clone or breed. We already have so many animals looking for homes, and they have the potential to knock your socks off. Trust me on this one. Really.

We’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about pet insurance. To be honest, it’s something we should have done 9k dollars ago, before Scout drained our savings. Although we were thrilled with her care at CARE (Cape Animal Referral and Emergency), we were less than thrilled with our bills. Of course, CARE isn’t our problem and didn’t create the bills. Scout is her own biggest nemesis, and really should have a zipper put in her stomach. (Bull Terriers should actually be bred with zippers so the vets can easily pull out all that they ingest).

Realistically, I know that pet insurance makes sense, at least in our house. We probably won’t choose the policy that includes routine care for no other reason than I can’t fathom spending so much in insurance for two dogs. The sticker shock is unsettling. I know, you’re wondering how I can possibly have sticker shock after forking over $9,000 for Scout’s last treatment, but that was spread out over the course of a week or so and how could I say no at that particular time? Admit it, they totally had me! (I remember moments of panic thinking, “What will I do when the credit card is declined?”).

Instead, we are thinking about the emergency only policy. Our local vet is actually very reasonable for routine vaccinations and for everything else it seems like we go to CARE anyway.

A friend of mine just emailed that his labrador is actually going to have more knee surgery. I believe this is the third time for this particular dog. My friend thinks we are crazy not to have pet insurance. I think if I had a dog like his I would be a believer too. Oh wait, I do have a dog like his, don’t I? He says that the policy more than pays for itself and he wouldn’t have a dog without the insurance.

I would bet the farm, or the kennel in our case, that once this policy is in place nothing will happen to our dogs, not like I want them to use it! Maybe I shouldn’t tell the dogs though: Scout might throw caution to the wind and attempt to eat some new items she’s been eyeballing.