For you folks who have kept up with my stories on my pup Ollie, I thought you might get a kick out of his latest shenanigans.
This little dog is by far the busiest dog I have ever had. If there’s trouble, he will find it. Maybe it is because I’m older and slower, but Ollie sure keeps me on my toes. When we are outside together the neighbors are probably tired of hearing me yell, “Ollie, no! Come back here. You know better. Ollie, you’d better mind me.”
He still does not mind me very well, maybe because I’m his human. He does mind my husband very well. Ollie has mastered “sit” and he says “please,” although you may get a face full of spit because it comes out like he’s blowing out a candle.
Ollie is very scheduled in certain things, mainly his bedtime routine. My husband is the first one in bed, and when this happens Ollie rushes to the bedroom to do his “mule kicks.” Once his dad is lying down, Ollie spins and all 27 pounds of him land on my husband’s stomach and then he slides around to kick out his back legs with a gut punch. It’s funny to watch. He gets belly rubs and that makes him kick more, and then his dad tells him go get a drink of water. Panting and tongue hanging out, he jumps off the bed and runs to his water bowl.
When I go to bed after a few hours, Ollie goes to a canister with treats in it and sits until I take out a treat. Then he jumps on the bed for a couple more small treats, then a goodnight kiss and it’s bedtime. This is his ritual every night. And yes, he is super spoiled.
Ollie is a protector; he doesn’t want anything in his yard that shouldn’t be there and will chase it, especially squirrels in the bird feeder. Most recently Ollie has had a few encounters with wildlife. We live in the country, so it is bound to happen.
One late afternoon a few weeks ago, my husband had just come in the house and I was heading in when I looked up the driveway and saw a skunk crossing across the lawn. My first thought was, “Where’s Ollie?” I no more than said that to myself when Ollie spotted the skunk and off he went, with me yelling “No, no!” after him. One big jump off the porch and off into the tall grass he ran, then another big jump on the skunk’s tail.
My husband came running, wondering why I was yelling. “He has a skunk,” I said. So my husband called to him and out came Ollie, wiping his face on the grass. Yup, he got it, right in the face, eyes and mouth. I grabbed the Dawn and sprayer and gave the little guy a good rubdown — Ollie wasn’t enjoying this much — then it was off to the bathtub.
The groomer recommended to rub him down with white vinegar and another layer of Dawn soap. There still is a faint skunk smell, especially when he gets wet, but we can live with it now. Do I think this will deter him from chasing another stinker? Sadly, no. I think he is the kind of dog that will venture back for seconds and thirds. Ollie has also had encounters with a bear and a groundhog, but that will be for another story.
Life with my Ollie is not boring, and even after all that, I love this little guy and know he loves me.
If you have a chance take a drive by our new shelter building, it is just down the road from our current building. It is coming along nicely. We board members and staff are so excited about this new adventure. It will be so much better for the staff and animals.
If you are interested in donating to the new building fund or have already donated, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Gail Wieder is on the Central Aroostook Humane Society board of directors.
