Mahschocolate

I have become an official dog walker at the Montreal SPCA.  Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, although I am not meeting any new people, but have made plenty of dog friends.  Sometimes I’ll refer to my new friends in conversation, and then remember to remind whoever I am talking to that my friends are dogs.  For example, “today I saw blood in Tonka’s stool”, MUST be followed with “Tonka is a cute dog at the SPCA”.

Walking a dog sounds very romantic for a dog-lover such as myself, but the dogs that usually end up at the SPCA are larger than my little min-pin and have so much more energy than I could possibly ever control.  After my first experience of being knocked to the ground repeatedly by 140 pound rottweiller/pitt bull/boxer/monster mix, I came home, bruised and exhausted, and immediately taped and watched every episode of the Dog Whisperer I could find.  Seems like I need more training to be a pack leader — such as this guy:

Do you see what he is doing to that pittbull???  Part of my job is to put a choker over the dogs head before taking him out, and let me tell you, my hand were shaking putting a choker around a pitt bull’s mouth.  (side note — pitt bulls are by far the coolest animals I get to walk.  they are sweet and obedient and have a undeserved reputation.  On another note, german shepards are crazy)

So I returned to the SPCA again, repeating to myself — calm, assertive energy, calm, assertive energy.  Basically I need to project this, and the dogs will be putty in my hands.  It worked!!  Except, then the dog would test my energy a few times, and I’d failed miserably, and then I’d spend the next 15 minutes being tackled by incredibly intimidating dogs.  But whenever I was able to fool them (and myself) that I was the pack leader, I’d make them sit, and take a picture of them.

I am almost positive that the only reason we don’t have 10 dogs living at our house right now is that I am oblige to pick up doggy doo doo.  And since I do the relief walk in the mornings, the dogs basically wait for me to open their kennel door, then drag me outside to relieve themselves and then watch me pick up their gigantic poop.  I’d like you to see you try to maintain that you are the pack leader while carrying around a dog’s feces.

Almost every dog I walk I fall in love with.  It is so easy, eventhough they are not puppies and some are not even that cute — but they are all so eager for love and attention and a little stimulation.  Most of the dogs are trained, very affectionate and would make a great companion.  They have been evaluated by vets, have been receiving basic training, and need a home.  I am almost more sad to see the same dogs week after week than to see them leave.  And there are SO many cats as well.  I would recommend anyone who is looking for a dog or cat to visit their local humane society…there are just too many good animals out there looking for a home.