The Dog and the Owner

     Every time I observe Rascal I find myself noticing more about him. Like the way it appears as if he is smiling when he is asleep. Or the way he stands on his feet to lean against you when your about to leave; pleading that wherever your going he wants to go too. Or the way the hair on his back stands up when he is barking at someone, tilting his head back like a coyote. My point is,I never would have expected to learn so much about him in just a short amount of time. Working on the project had drawn Rascal and I closer together. During my observations we have made many memories, and I found a poem that reminds me of Rascal. I have however come to wonder what is it that makes a human and a dogs connection so strong.
     My favorite memory that tops all  was on November 21st. He was in my sister's room and when I was going to pick him up he gave me this look that seemed to say if you get near me I will bite you. Nimsi calls it the "stink eye" I understood the message and walked away. Before leaving I said " Fine I see how it is and I don't care" with that I left. You might be wondering well why is that your favorite memory? Well when I woke up the next day I heard a strange sound. At first I thought my phone was vibrating, but that was not it. I lifted my covers and  you wouldn't guess who was there. Rascal! and that noise I was talking about was him snoring.
    

He was lost!-not a shade of doubt of that;
For he never barked at a slinking cat,
But stood in the square where the wind blew raw
With a drooping ear and a trembling paw
And a mournful look in his pleading eye
And a plaintive sniff at the passer-by
That begged as plain as a tongue could sue,
"O Mister! please may I follow you?"

A lorn wee waif of a tawny brown
Adrift in the roar of a heedless town.
Oh, the saddest of sights in a world of sin
Is a little lost pup with his tail tucked in!
He won my heart, for I set great store,
on my own Red Beaut, who is here no more.
So I whistled clear, and he trotted up,
and who so glad, as that small lost pup.

Now he shares my board and he owns my bed,
And he fairly shouts when he hears my tread;
Then, if things go wrong, as they sometimes do,
and the world is cold, and I'm feeling blue
He asserts his right to assuage my woes
With a warm, red tongue and a nice, cold nose
And a silky head on my arm or knee
And a paw as soft as a paw can be.

When we rove the woods for a league about
He's as full of pranks as a school let out;
For he romps and frisks like a three months' colt,
And he runs me down like a thunderbolt.
Oh, the blithest of sights in the world so fair
Is a gay little pup with his tail in the air!

Arthur Guiterman,
Little Lost Pup



     Since we have been looking at poems in our English class I decided to look at some that talked about dogs. Out of all the ones I read this poem by Arthur Guiterman was by far my favorite. It was as if  the light bulb in my head turned on and I thought about Rascal. The beginning reminds me of when we had first gotten Rascal and how in some ways he acted like this. Rascal seemed lonely
and seemed lost at the pet store before we had gotten him. Through his actions we began to love him and he began to earn our trust. When I am having a bad or sad stormy day Rascal is always there to make the clouds and rain go away and brings the sun back ones again. He also gets excited to see us just like where the poem says "and he runs me down like a thunderbolt". Arthur Guiterman summed up the way I feel about Rascal and this poem brought him to my thoughts.
     According to Nathalia Gjersoe,  love makes a dog and there owner have such a strong connection. like babies they get attached to there owner. For example, if you put a baby in an unknown environment they will be upset and will get happy when there mother comes back. Likewise dogs do the same.

Dogs show an almost identical pattern of responses with respect to their owners – sniffing          about, returning to the owner, pawing the door and whining when the owner leaves followed by exuberant greetings on their return. Like babies they are distrustful of strangers in the room with them and tend to show signs of increasing distress the longer their owner is away(45-49)

 

Although people say that a dog can't understand a human this is not true. Research shows that dogs  do understand language.  For example, Rico a border collie can differentiate from 200 different labels(Dogs an Uncomplicated).

     Body language, the fact that they understand us, and most importantly love makes a human and a dogs connection so strong. I know understand how Rascal and I have such a strong connection. This is not the end for we have more memories to come and we will continue to make our connection stronger.

 

Work Cited



"Dog Poems and Verse For You to Enjoy." DogQuotations.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Gjersoe, Nathalia. "Dogs: An Uncomplicated Relationship." N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

 

New Information to better Rascal's Health

As the m&m bag started to blare, Rascal's eyes never left the candy, following them precisely. I wonder what chocolate must smell like to him. All I know is that he wants to taste it purely out of curiosity. You know the saying though curiosity killed the cat. Looking into it however, I learned that choclate causes harm to dogs because it contains theobromine(which comes from cocoa beans and the caffine found in choclate). You might be wondering what is the problem with dogs consuming theobromine? The problem is they consume this slower than humans do. According to Kevin Fitzgerald, theobromine can stay in there system for up to seventeen hours! Even when dogs eat a small portion of chocolate this can cause vomiting. When large amounts of chocolate are consumed the outcomes are worse. For example, it can cause high blood pressure or rapid heart rate as well(Dogs and Chocolate).Although Rascal wants chocolate it 'something that he will not be allowed to eat because of its effects and we love him to much to put him at risk.

I have also come to notice that some people shower there dogs at least ones a week . Rascal's showers are not that consistent. I wanted to know if showering dogs to often could cause any harm. I learned that if the dog is healthy they might not need frequent showers. Also, too much showering can cause dogs to have dry skin(How Often Should).So if they are allergic or if they have skin problems than it is better to shower them more often. Showering them more often or less frequent causes no harm because like people dogs are all different.

What is the differeance between the colors human see and the colors dogs can distinguish? I have heard people say "dogs can not see in color" this is not true. Dogs can see colors but not in the same way we can. They can not tell the difference from coloros such as red, yellow, orange, and green. They can tell the difference from different shades of grey that we can not as well as the color blue and violet. Dogs can see better in dim lights and have better peripheral vision(Can Dogs See). I never expected to learn about there abilities to see certain colors.

I am fascinated to learn more about dogs because I have never really looked into it. I found all this information interesting and will use it to become a better owner. Being an owner is not easy but with time it will become easier.

　
Work Cited
　

Boyles, Shaylnn. "Healthy Dogs." Dogs and Chocolate Poisoning: A Toxic Combination. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014

"How Often Should You Bathe Your Pet?" Mercola.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

Ruban, Dawn. "Can Dogs See in Color?" - Page 1. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

Nimsi and Rascal's Friendship

    

 

 

     I have never known a friendship as strong as my sisters and Rascal's. Its hard to understand but better understood once proven. They overcome challenges and share many memories. There friendship is inspirational and makes me what a friendship as strong as there's; not something that is temporary or ends in a fight without resolving anything. I came to realize that friendships like these are rare. I am glad to have a unique family and be able to share so many memories with my sister and Rascal.

     You know the saying my dog ate my homework? This occurred to my sister. Nimsi was in shock when she found her binder on the ground  chewed up as well as her homework scattered across the living room(field notes10-31-14).She was frustrated and when her emotions collided as one Racal looked hurt and upset. I was with him the entire time she ignored him. However, the second she called his name he sprinted to where she was. Leaving me in the past. I was surprised with how easily she forgave him. I was also surprised at how little convincing Rascal needed. Unlike other friends who fight about irrelevant things yet can manage to be apart for days and or weeks without any communication. It shows how Nimsi and Rascal can not stay upset at each other for long they dread being apart.

       Like friends they notice important details about each other. Rascal can not keep his eyes off of her. He notices everything she does. Likewise, one day Nimsi was sick so she stayed home.She said she felt bad for Rascal because he stayed home alone and worried he might get lonely.She came to notice that all he would do was sleep! Nimsi told me she no longer felt bad for him. I also realized these were some of the small details she pays attenition to because she cares about him.

     There friendship consists of doing unexpected things. They make there memories happen. One day Nimsi said "bang bang!" I was amused because as she would say this Rascal would find cover under his blankets. They played this until Rascal got to lazy. They also used to bump there noses together it reminds me of a fist bump. I feel like he is one of the few she can trust and it demonstrates how strong there bond is. Friendships like these should not be taken for granted but should rather be cherished.

Putting Myself in His Shoes

      As I stared at him he stared at me. I wonder what he sees and thinks. I can not imagine seeing colors in a lighter version the way he must. I also wonder what he would say if he could speak. Curiosity can get the best of people but does it do any good in wondering or assuming ? that is for you to decide.
     While watching him I noticed him wiggling his tail. What if when we saw someone we have not seen for a long time, and where happy to see them we wiggled also. Its a crazy thought but its something to ponder on. If this were to happen people would think it would be weird. That is what makes dogs great.They don't know what being normal means they live there life the way they want to. They are not afraid to express who they truly are, unlike humans who at times do not want to express themselves because they are afraid of what others will say. We can learn from objects or animals surrounding us daily. I think we just do not notice small details because we are to occupied in our daily lives.
       Putting myself in his shoes I feel as if life would be less stressful not worrying about what others think and simply expressing yourself for who you are. I also think life would not be so easy because I would want to communicate to others. It would be horrible to know that they can not communicate with you either. My perspective completely changed.

Expect the Unexpected

     When we got home he was happy to see us. I bet he can sense us from the parking lot. Once he hears the sound of the door slightly opening he starts dancing his way to the couch to greet us ( he should be on dancing with the stars).When he looks at us he makes it appear as if he is staring at someone who has so much value. It is as if someone has seen the sun for the first time. Even though we have only been gone for an hour or so. He also acts like a guard dog he sensed that my sister was outside and pulled his ears back. For those who do not know this, Rascal tends to get distracted  easily. He peeks his head out the door to see who is near. Ready to attack. He acts bigger than he actually is. The coast is clear so he keeps calm.
      The other interesting thing that occurred was when I was watching a video a car beeped loudly. Rascal heard this. He slightly tilted his head to the left like they do in Beverley Hills Chihuahuas. It was obvious he didn't understand what the noise was . I thought it was absolutely adorable. My dog also tends to stand on pillows and he acts as if he superior then everyone else. Appearing as a king sitting straight and looking forward. He always does what I never expect him to do . It leaves me speechless.  I should be expecting the unexpected also.
        I also did not expect him to be into strings music. I discovered this when my sister started playing the viola. The moment the music started playing he looked very peaceful. I found out his favorite lullaby. I was in shock when I found out that he enjoyed listening to the music my sister played. We were both surprised and did not expect what we should have expected.

The First of the Daily Observations

Rascal hanging out with his blanket.

        For our English class we are required to observe something for a certain amount of months. Throughout this project we must notice important details about the item we are observing . It will be like creating a masterpiece for an artist. Since we are painting an image in people's minds. This is not easy. However, we must overcome our struggles.Eventually we will become better at this. The more we observe our subject the more successful we will become at it.

        For my observation I chose to observe my chihuahua not only because I can see him everyday, but because he is very interesting. He is around two years old and  is quite chubby for a Chihuahua. Weighing five pounds , maybe even more. It is adorable though because he is built up like a pit bull  in a smaller version. He is a light brown shade similar to a caramel color and has large ears with dark eyes  that remind you of midnight. For one because they are beautiful like the midnight and because they appear to be dark like it as well. His name is Rascal and it suits him well  because he is mischievous.

       I thought he was easy to read like an open book. I was wrong. I am  just getting to know him  more and more everyday which is  incredible! I never know what to expect from him. One moment he can be happy and excited yet other times he can be angry or calm. Rascal reminds me of myself. Overall, I am curious to see what his habits are, what I will learn from him, and what happens along the way.