Totally off-topic Monday

I didn't really stitch this weekend. I had to work all day Saturday and there was just not time to stitch. Came home Saturday night to find SO had hurt his back; it wasn't surprising, since he put the driveway in this week, and was fixing stuff around the house, in addition to his regular work. But he actually hurt it doing laundry while I was at work on Saturday. I feel bad, but maybe he'll start letting me do some of the laundry now, so it doesn't pile up to the point he hurts himself. We were supposed to go to an art show at a tattoo studio in Dupont Circle, but, being hurt, he wasn't in any shape to drive an hour and a half, risk life and limb on the Metro, then walk around Dupont Circle, so we stayed home.

Yesterday, we were going to do to his sister's birthday party, but he still didn't feel good, so I went. I left the house at noon, and went over to Mom's to spend some time with the twins. We went to the dog park; frankly, they were more enthused about going buh-byes than actually having to go spend time with other dogs, but they were good sports about it.

I realized that my dogs really don't like to positively interact with other dogs. I am torn as to whether they just don't want to, or if it's because they don't think they're dogs and, therefore, don't know they're supposed to want to. I kept running around the dog park, so they'd at least have a chance to run, and Chancey would bolt off her own way, but her brother wanted none of that. He clung to me. He just didn't want to play, and he didn't want any of the other dogs to come over to me. It was like he didn't want to share HIS mummy. I told him to cut it out, and he did chill out.

And I can't even say he was intimidated, because the big dogs who were there started barking and growling and chasing each other, and, everytime they ran by, he wanted to go run at them and growl; he's a bit over-protective of me, and I guess he figured they were too close with their hijinx. However, he weighs 22 pounds and he was mouthing off at dogs much bigger than him. I told him his mouth was writing checks his body couldn't cash. Then, of course, the mob ran really close by and were actually bickering, and both of them started mouthing off. I had to grab collars (well, his collar, I put my arm around Chance because pulling on her throat would be a really bad idea--she walks on a harness for a reason), and hope that the big dogs wouldn't take offense to whatever smack they were talking. After that, I just kept Robbie on my lap; he wanted up there anyway, and I was getting a little worried about the rowdy level.


But I was really proud of Chance. She's had some very bad experiences at the dog park with dogs that shouldn't have been there in the first place, and, for her to go, and actually play a little and not be scared she would get hurt, is a big thing for her. She's very funny, though; she actively looks for my parents when we're there. I have to tell her that just because some lady has white hair, they're not necessarily her gramma. LOL.

Please don't think my dog is a bad dog. He just is what he is. I am who I am, so I understand him. The funny thing is, he isn't so snippy about other black dogs being around me (just like he treats the black cat differently from the other two cats). It's almost like he doesn't mind sharing me with another Schipperke (or what might be a Schipperke, he just can't be sure and wants to err on the side of caution), but if it's not something black, he's pretty sure it's not one of his people, and therefore he wants nothing to do with it, and it should not be around his mother. Chancey isn't like this, but then again, she spent the first two years of her life convinced she was either a cat or a person, so she is probably not the best example. She prefers to not associate with other dogs, but she spent enough time with other non-Schipperkes to figure out they can be of use to her. It just confuses her when they hurt her, because she is such a happy little dog in general.