I Guess I'm Not Really a Dog Person

We're taking care of a Shih-tzu right now for a couple in the squadron. At first request, I told Jeff to say "no" (for various reasons, all of which were valid thankyouverymuch) but he took that as "we'll do it if they can't find someone else." Well, you guessed it, they couldn't find anyone else. Don't get me wrong, she's darling to look at, all cute and little and perfectly groomed with her little hot pink Coach collar.

But she's not my dog so it has been a long week. Let's see, she's wet in the house twice and pooped in here once (all of which was done while we were present), she pooped on the back doormat once and I told Jeff about it while he was out working in the garage. He, apparently, thought that meant I cleaned it up but I meant it as "you got us into this, please go pick up the steaming pile" and he didn't see it in the dark that night before he stepped in it. Barefoot. I felt bad about not having clarified the fact that I wasn't cleaning it so I took him an anti-bacterial wet wipe for his foot. Big of me, right?

She has awakened every morning before my two-year old, barks at anything that moves (including us if we come in from a different room) and doesn't stop when you say her name; she has slept on every piece of our new furniture (something even Millie hasn't dared to do), and just puked on my living room carpet. Did I mention the carpet was new when we purchased the house? Six months ago, in case you're keeping track. Am I painting a picture for you? This little Shih-tzu (and oh, how I'd rather call her S*%t Sue) is not on my favorable list.

And that collar? I took it off of her a few nights ago so she would stop. the. freaking. jingling. and she came all the way back downstairs to sit and look at it, whining. As if she knows its value! Wow. That's a no-win. Wyatt thinks she's fantastic and is actually more interactive with her than he is with our own low-maintenance, high-on-my-list sweet Millie. Jeff keeps threatening that she's "four minutes away from a trip through the microwave" and I'm just here, cleaning up all the messes.

Tomorrow's Friday, though, which means she'll return to her own loving parents for whom, I'm sure, she's a great dog. It cannot come soon enough. And as a side benefit, Jeff & I are now clear that for me, "no, I'd rather not watch another dog this week" means "no, I'd rather not watch another dog this week." Yay! At least we all learned something.