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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The Mad Dash

When we first moved in, Milo was wary of the main gate. It's this lumbering thing that rolls itself aside when the car needs to go out... and Milo stayed far away from our cars too. But familiarity breeds contempt. It wasn't long before Milo lost all fear of both metallic beasts, and dashed out for a frolic in the copse of trees nearby.

There is a biggish patch of grass and jungle just 200m from our house, and Milo being the smart fellow he is, knows that it is Dog Heaven. Some of our neighbours grow fruit trees and vegetables there because it seems that the earth around our place is quite fertile. We have papaya trees and all sorts of gourd plants and lady's fingers, which I don't dare to pluck because a short squat neighbour planted himself in front of me whilst I was admiring the plants, and announced that they belonged to him.

He smiled. But I could still feel the bristle. So I retreated back up to my 2nd storey roof garden to admire my own lady finger and brinjal plants in pots. Now back to Milo.

Sometime last week, Milo waited till the big gate had almost closed before he dashed outside and made a beeline for the copse of trees and patch of grass. He had a good time yelling at a stray dog who retreated and came back with 3 other dogs. Fear gripped my heart. I mentally saw our Milo lying there with his throat ripped out whilst the gang of 4 bloodied dogs slipped away into the darkness of the jungle patch.

I tried my best to explain to Milo, my big wimpy dog, who eats pistachios and carrots, that those are Mafia Dogs who will kill him, eat him and then gnaw at his bones. But he just hung his tongue out and me and panted, thrilled that he had gotten his way and had had a forbidden frolic.

On Monday this week, he dashed out even before The Husband's car had stretched itself for its morning run. The Husband, The Daughter and Little Boy managed to get him back before the Gang of 4 saw him. Later that morning, as I reached for my bag, Milo dashed out front and skipped about me. You know how little children skip as they alternate between one foot and the other. Milo was doing that but he looked really silly because he has four feet. I took one look at his happy face and knew exactly what he was planning to do. So I tied him up.

We decided to tie him up every morning. The first day we did that, he was most indignant. The idiot COULD NOT BELIEVE we were doing that to him. He launched into a symphony of howls and plaintive squeals. "Mooooooooom! You caaaaan't be doing this to meeeeeeee! Pleeeeeeeez! Moooooooom! Trust me! I will be safe!Pleeeeeez Mom, let me gooooooooooo!"

Milo is 2+ years. That is about 15 or 16 in human years. He is a teenager alright, and we are like the typical mom, putting constraints on him so that he would stay safe... and he doesn't like that.

I knew the ways and means to get through human adolescence with little stress. But dog adolescence is beyond my ken. Milo gets on my nerves.

17 comments:

Fresh Fry aka 福星 said...

hmmm....i heard dog bones soup is very good for human health..... *WIDE GRIN*

Blur Ting said...

LOL, he's just a teenager who wants to go party!

It's wise for you to keep him out of trouble. Those 4 gangster dogs will chew him up. It has happened to Rusty before.

Open Kitchen Concept said...

oh.. Milo is young and boisterous... don't be upset with him.. :D

Wen-ai said...

Haha... Hmmm, You gotta watch Dog Whisperer on Nat Geo channel. ;)

Petunia Lee said...

Fry - Yeah... I used to threaten Milo with "Do you want me to make Roast Dog for lunch tomorrow?!" After that, we realized that he was far more afraid of the garbage truck, so now, I threaten him with that.

Petunia Lee said...

Ting - Yeah... he knows he is not allowed to run out like that so he does a Mad Dash and then he dashes home and looks all contrite. Hypocrite!!

Petunia Lee said...

OKC - I'm old. Dun much like young and boisterous people...

Petunia Lee said...

Wen-Ai: You can't whisper at Milo. Ya gotta YELL!

Fresh Fry aka 福星 said...

rotan him?

Malar said...

You all are so fast! If not stray dogs might have bitten him!
I have seen before dogs fight where 4-5 dogs attack a single dog! Very scary!

Petunia Lee said...

Malar - Yeah! It's a dog eat dog world out there!!

Petunia Lee said...

Fry - He is a smart one, my dog. He pushes the enveloppe. We rotan him for coming into the house BUT he'll come in IF there is a guest... or if the Garbage Truck comes by. He seems to know the concept of "extenuating circumstances" or "special situations" or "exceptions to the rule".

Fresh Fry aka 福星 said...

OMG....tis is not good news.....

Petunia Lee said...

Fry - I know! Would you perchance wanna adopt my dog? Maybe I SHOULD let him go get himself killed by the Gang of 4.

Fresh Fry aka 福星 said...

wouldn't dare to have him! nononono.....

Malar said...

I have posted the thosai recipe!

Petunia Lee said...

Malar - Thanks soooooooo much!!