Roscoe Notes

Here's some things about my dog:

- Turns out Roscoe has a pretty amazing sense of direction. When we walk around, once in a while will pull me in a certain direction. If we're close to the pet store or to the bar where he gets to eat crusts of bread, I know that's where he wants to go. But sometimes he'll start pulling and I'll have no idea where he wants to go (and although I like feeling like the master) I'll let him lead because I'm curious and will give him the benefit of the doubt. Usually he actually is going somewhere. He'll pull to some obscure street and I won't know why at first. And then I'll notice him heading straight toward the deli where I remember he got a biscuit once like three months ago. Or he'll pull toward a friends house that he's been to only once. Or to the corner where we usually get a cab. It seems like he has a weirdly sharp memory when it comes to direction--- and it's the personality trait that we differ on the most.

- I finally am over my allergies. It took close to a month but I'm off the allegra crap and all the junk that clouds up my brain. I feel like I've been in a fog for weeks. Anyway, a couple weeks ago I notice Roscoe is chewing at his foot like a maniac. Not in pain. And not necessary that small teeth bitey flea stuff. Just sort of all over his foot with his mouth. Slobber-like. When I first noticed him doing it I checked out his paw and it seemed totally fine. It didn't seem to hurt. I didn't see anything bad. It just seemed like a habit. So I googled it around about it and apparently sometimes when dogs chew their paws it's because they have allergies. Grass, pollen. Who knows. But chewing the foot is like sneezing for dogs. I was like, 'Yo! You have allergies too?' He was like, 'Yeah'. When my allergies went away he stopped chewing his foot. Weird.

- Every morning Roscoe and I do a thing which I like. He's taken to usually sleeping next to the toilet again because it's warmer out and he likes the tile- but he'll come into the bed in the morning and wake me up. The head of my bed is up against the window sill so what I'll do is open the window, and kind of put my chin on my hands on the sill and look out on the world. And Roscoe will commando crawl up and put his chin next to me and look out too. He'll notice the birds. I'll notice the birds. He'll hear some chick clomping up the street in big heels and I'll look too. But generally we'll both stare out the window together for no reason. I know this sounds all too cute or whatever but it's what we do. We stare out. Wondering what the world we'll bring. (In his case, it's friggin the same dog food for breakfast and dinner and being dragged around town on a leash and pooping in public. But every morning he seems to forget that. He looks out like it's all new. Everyday.)

- I took Roscoe to the dog park yesterday. We've been cooped up because it's been raining for a while. I get a little worried about bringing Roscoe anywhere after it rains because he loves the mud and puddles. But he was hyped up and we had to go. We get to the dog park and I see one decent sized right in the middle. As soon as I saw it I knew at some point, he was going in there. Sure enough, after running around for a bit....  he headed straight for it. I was like, 'Roscoe! No!!!' but he ignored me and jumped right in. He does this thing where he snorts around in there for 5 seconds (like he's on some sort of dog game show where you only have 5 seconds to find the biscuit hidden in the mud.) After the five seconds are up he goes running off. But after a minute he goes straight back in <splash> and snorts around. I tried to get him out before he got too filthy but it was too late. I'd yell NO! but once he lies down in there it's all over. Yesterday's spectacle had everyone in the whole dog park laughing at us. Because Roscoe was the only dog dopey enough to jump in the mud. I was embarrassed but proud.

- Bath time. When Roscoe is filthy I bring him in my shower stall and hose him down with the nozzle hose showerhead thing that I have. He actually tolerates it pretty well. I rinse him off and lather him up (I have dog shampoo) and then hose him off. Always amazed by how dirty the water is. He stands there with a look on his face that only says, 'I am tolerating this!' After he's clean, I'll open the bathroom door and back away. That's when he explodes all over the apartment. Running like a big spaz, legs flying in like every direction and shaking off water like crazy. Doing weird stuff like pushing his face along the edge of the couch then running crazy again. Legs flying. If I go near him with a towel it makes him more crazy. Like the towel is the enemy. So I'll close my bedroom door and pile stuff on the couch to keep him off them- and just let him burn it off. I do let him go on the beanbag chair when he's in his mania. He's usually in such a frenzy on the bean bag that it's like he's trying to dig to China with his whole body.

- Roscoe is sometimes jerky at dog park. Once in a while, he'll focus on one dog and it's often a dog that has no interest in playing. He'll run up to it and jump around in its face then run off. Then he'll run straight at it at push it or slap his paws on the dog's face or whatever. Like annoying the dog. The dog will bark him off or away. But Roscoe will keep coming back for more. I usually check with the owner to see if it's ok that Roscoe being a jerk. If they don't mind I just let him go. It's almost like Roscoe is double daring the dog to play. Doing the thing sticking his butt up in the air. Then double dog daring. Running in its face. Then triple double dog daring. Jumping and pushing and bumping until the dog finally thoroughly annoyed goes to play and starts chasing Roscoe around. The dog seems half-pissed about playing at first but then forgets it was trying not to and they become friends.

- Roscoe likes eating styrofoam peanuts whenever he gets his hand on them. I can see in his face that he's stunned they don't taste like anything. Also the other day I pulled something Roscoe scooped up off the street out of his mouth and it was a chicken wing bone covered in ants. He felt stupid after that.

- Roscoe had pink eye last week and the vet told me I had to put this goop right on his eyeball to clear it up (it's now cleared up). But the process was difficult. As soon as Roscoe would see the little medicine tube he'd run away from me. If I grabbed him he'd struggle like a nut. I usually had to pin him against the couch in a headlock to get the goop in. Right on the eyeball! Not easy! But after it was done he'd feel dopey because it so wasn't a big deal. He'd look at me like, 'We did all that running around for the last 15 minutes for that?' I'd be like, 'Yeah! Try to remember that next time!' .. but he never did. Always a code red situation when it come to pink eye.

That's that with that. I'll try to do roscoe notes once a month for now on...

ok bye!

tOdd