My Dog Doog

It was almost twelve years ago that we bought Doog. He's what the pet store called a "Chin Poo", part Japanese Chin, part poodle. Actually chin-poo translates into expensive mutt. He's small, about 15 pounds, black with some white patches and whiskers. His distinguishing characteristic is a front canine tooth that hangs out over his lip. Sometimes all his teeth on one side of his mouth hang out over his lip, what my boys call "showing the row." It doesn't make him look fierce or anything. He's one laid back dog.

The only time he loses his temper is when the phone rings and somebody rushes to answer it. Then he attacks like a pit bull defending a bone. Otherwise, he just chills. Burglars could be attacking our home and engaging us in a hand-to-hand fight. Doog would sit and stare. Or go behind the couch if he thought he was in the way.

Doog is short for Doogie. Remember Doogie Howser from the TV show? Well Doogie is short for Doogie Bowser. I wanted to call him beggar since he's done that from the day we brought him home as a puppy. Must be in his genes. He wants whatever I'm having. Pizza is his favorite. If we phone out for pizza, he understands. He'll watch for the delivery guy out the front window and barks when he gets to our house.

But he's not a good watchdog. He barks for no reason at night. And if there is a noise inside our house, he'll go under our bed and bark there. Maybe he thinks that if it is a burglar, if barking doesn't scare him off, at least the burglar won't find him under the bed. My wife and I used to sleep with the bedroom door closed. Then one night Doogie jumped off our bed and scratched at the door. We thought he wanted to go downstairs to get a drink or something. But when I opened the door, he jumped back on the bed. He just wanted the bedroom door open, not shut. Maybe his hearing is going since he's pretty old and it's easier to hear house noises with the door open. Who knows?

All in all, Doog is a good dog. He doesn't bite. Even the squirrels seem to know that since they'll let him catch them. No respect he gets from the fauna in the neighborhood. And the only time Doogie will scatter the trash is when we put Kentucky Fried Chicken bones in the garbage. Doogie can't resist then, even though he knows getting into the trash is bad. It's like opening a box of chocolates in an office full of women. Most of them know that chocolates are fattening, but they can't resist anyhow.

My wife says she doesn't want any more dogs after Doogie. So he might be our one and only. I wouldn't mind a cat, but my wife doesn't like those either. And of course no hamsters, mice or gerbils. I guess that leaves fish. She hasn't ruled that out yet. But I don't want to get ahead of myself here. Doog is still king of the house for now.