Thursday, July 16, 2009

Visiting Dignitary

Meet Lang, a giant among (my) dogs.

My crew and I are dogsitting this big ole sweetheart ‘til the 2nd. His name is Lang (Chinese for “Wolf”), which I mispronounce horribly (good thing Lang responds to “Lawn”!) and he’s just about the most gorgeous German Shephard I’ve ever laid eyes on. Instead of black and tan he’s black and red (these pictures do not do him justice) … never saw quite this coloring before, but oooooh! Pretty!

And what a lovable fellow! Once Boogie and Kaia got over their nerves, all three started running and jumping and generally romping around chewing on one another like a box of puppies. I have to keep in mind Lang’s age and repeatedly reign in their shenanigans before someone (namely our houseguest) gets hurt. I’d hate to return him to his regular people in a bad way. I work with Lang’s “mom”, and she and his “dad” are overseas on vacation.

Lang is 9, and he’s a bit stiff and definitely has some hip dysplasia going on … so he requires a little extra care in that he can’t go up or down the deck stairs outside; to that effect we’ve been traipsing down the carpeted inside stairs (where he has some purchase) to the basement and using the ground floor door (this has required significant gutting up on my part, as the black hole betwixt the house door and the storm door is the Domain of the Big Honkin’ Lisa Eatin’ Spyderz).

Lang also gets 4 pills at supper, and three are huge, but I just drop them into his bowl and he eats everything (Lang’s eating habits have thrown a slight curveball, because I can’t leave the girl’s food out like I regularly do … he’d eat himself sick on it ... so they only get to eat when they’re outside, which right now is overnight due to the heat ... although the next 3-4 days they should be able to stay out all day, so they’ll be happy).

I was nervous at first, but he’s doing well … doesn’t know a gate signifies “no trespassing”, though, so walked right over it while I was at work today (and down to the bedroom where he ate the bowl of cat food that was out; I’ll have to shut Maddie & Joey in there tomorrow), then happily greeted me at the door when I got home this afternoon, sweeping his tail back and forth in a lazy arc… and repeatedly goes to the front door with his stuffy (green blob in pic) waiting on his people to return.

Last night was Lang’s first with us, and I was afraid he’d cause trouble at bedtime (he’s been shadowing me around the house like a giant cat ... Lang is much, much bigger than 88lb Boogie), when I gated him out of the bedroom so Maddie and Joey wouldn’t flip out … but he actually went out to the kitchen and lay down in front of the oven (not even on his bed) and slept through the night (as far I know). Didn’t even twitch at 4:30am when Boogie & Kaia went off full volume at my leaving-early-for-work-and-setting-out-the-trash neighbor.

The biggest change in my (non-existant) dog-care routine is that Lang is on a set schedule … the girls just generally do what they want, when they want … Lang has a breakfast time, a snack time, and a supper time. Plus three specific bathroom break times.

I’ve just discovered, for about the umpteenth time, that my girls spoil me with how low-maintenance they are. Heh, good girls!

2 comments:

Alaskan Dave Down Under said...

It's a shame German Shepherds get old so quickly. They are so pretty and smart.

la isla d'lisa said...

Well, Lang certainly is! He's the first GS I've had personal contact with. He's terrific.

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