Ten days ago (it feels like ten years ago), my sister arrived at my door to drop off her beloved Gidget. She and her family were going on vacation to Hawaii. I love dog sitting and have dog sat Mastiffs, Golden Retrievers, and Boxers. I love dogs so much that I do it for free! I figured Gidget would be no different, but boy was I wrong.
All was well until my sister left. As soon as she pulled out of the drive away, Gidget glued herself to the front door and began to whimper. I forget to mention that Gidget is a three-pound chihuahua with eyes that bug out like two huge marbles. She is not attractive (Dawn, if you're reading this, I'm sorry). I figured she'd mellow out eventually but at 3AM her whimpers became howls peppered by high-pitched barks. I closed my bedroom door and turned on the fan to drown out the sound. No dice. By 5AM, I was desperate and went downstairs to see what I could do. Suddenly,I was her worst enemy. She began to growl and show her small, razor-like teeth. Think Cujo. Think Satan. I thought if I took her outside she might calm down Yet, the closer I got to her, the more terrified and more vicious she became. Determined, I grabbed a piece of turkey to distract her while I clumsily and quickly attached the leash to her collar. I dragged her outside to my front yard where she continued to growl and howl. Then, in slow motion, it happened. Within seconds, I was holding a leash with an empty collar and Gidget was running full speed down the street. She ran to a neighbor's house and disappeared under his truck. Unfortunately, my neighbor was IN his truck and trying to back out of the driveway. I pounded on his window, screaming, begging him not to move. Fortunately, Gidget escaped being flattened by a Toyota Tundra. My neighbor got out to try to help. Thinking he was the Dog Whisperer, he attempted to win Gidget over. This lasted about two minutes. He quickly realized he would be fingerless if he continued. Let's just say that the next 45 minutes entailed blankets, dog crates, ham, garden gloves, and a broom. None of which resulted in capturing this demented dog. Instead, on her own volition, she high tailed it back towards my house and in through the front door. Mind you, all of this occured with me still in my pajamas!
Despite the fact that she peed on my rug and left Tootie Rolls on my carpet, I continued kill her with kindness. I used my sweet doggie voice, threw treats in her direction, and even gave her food and water. What I wanted to do was throw her off a freeway overpass. That night, things miraculously improved. She didn't sleep by the door, and she didn't howl and bark all night. Within another day she was sleeping in my bed! Then, she LICKED me! She began to follow me everywhere. She was happy to see me when I got home. I couldn't believe it. Gidget liked me! Gidget liked ME!
As I prepared for the first day of school, I thought about how much I want students to like me. Most of my students enter my room like Labrador Retrievers, but I do get occasional challenging chihuahuas. Fortunately, they don't pee on my carpet or try to bite me! Like Gidget, it may take some time to win them over. I will speak nicely to them, I will throw treats at them, and I will give them love and attention. Eventually, they will come around and realize there is no need to be afraid and that they are safe. They may even grow to like me!
All was well until my sister left. As soon as she pulled out of the drive away, Gidget glued herself to the front door and began to whimper. I forget to mention that Gidget is a three-pound chihuahua with eyes that bug out like two huge marbles. She is not attractive (Dawn, if you're reading this, I'm sorry). I figured she'd mellow out eventually but at 3AM her whimpers became howls peppered by high-pitched barks. I closed my bedroom door and turned on the fan to drown out the sound. No dice. By 5AM, I was desperate and went downstairs to see what I could do. Suddenly,I was her worst enemy. She began to growl and show her small, razor-like teeth. Think Cujo. Think Satan. I thought if I took her outside she might calm down Yet, the closer I got to her, the more terrified and more vicious she became. Determined, I grabbed a piece of turkey to distract her while I clumsily and quickly attached the leash to her collar. I dragged her outside to my front yard where she continued to growl and howl. Then, in slow motion, it happened. Within seconds, I was holding a leash with an empty collar and Gidget was running full speed down the street. She ran to a neighbor's house and disappeared under his truck. Unfortunately, my neighbor was IN his truck and trying to back out of the driveway. I pounded on his window, screaming, begging him not to move. Fortunately, Gidget escaped being flattened by a Toyota Tundra. My neighbor got out to try to help. Thinking he was the Dog Whisperer, he attempted to win Gidget over. This lasted about two minutes. He quickly realized he would be fingerless if he continued. Let's just say that the next 45 minutes entailed blankets, dog crates, ham, garden gloves, and a broom. None of which resulted in capturing this demented dog. Instead, on her own volition, she high tailed it back towards my house and in through the front door. Mind you, all of this occured with me still in my pajamas!
Despite the fact that she peed on my rug and left Tootie Rolls on my carpet, I continued kill her with kindness. I used my sweet doggie voice, threw treats in her direction, and even gave her food and water. What I wanted to do was throw her off a freeway overpass. That night, things miraculously improved. She didn't sleep by the door, and she didn't howl and bark all night. Within another day she was sleeping in my bed! Then, she LICKED me! She began to follow me everywhere. She was happy to see me when I got home. I couldn't believe it. Gidget liked me! Gidget liked ME!
As I prepared for the first day of school, I thought about how much I want students to like me. Most of my students enter my room like Labrador Retrievers, but I do get occasional challenging chihuahuas. Fortunately, they don't pee on my carpet or try to bite me! Like Gidget, it may take some time to win them over. I will speak nicely to them, I will throw treats at them, and I will give them love and attention. Eventually, they will come around and realize there is no need to be afraid and that they are safe. They may even grow to like me!
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