Doggie Day Care

Almost daily ever since I made their acquaintance, my across the street neighbors Jim and Michiko have looked after Dolly during the day. Michiko strongly believes that animals should not be left alone all day while you are away at work. Period. Michiko is an animal lover, a dog lover, and she will tell you to your face, oh, I like you, but I love dogs.

So, everyday, she came over to my house, changed the dog water, let Dolly out back, spent time with her. Sometimes she swept up the dog hair out of the doggie room and maybe she might shake out the dog bed. Then she would take the collar and leash off the gate outside, put it on Dolly, take her for a leisurely stroll down the street and back for exercise, and then they would amble over to Michiko's house for an afternoon of lounging in good company.

When I would come home from work, the routine was always to pick up my mail, drop off my work stuff in the house, then cross the street to fetch Dolly home.

When Sonny first came to live with me, Michiko shook her head and maintained she would not be able to handle such a young rough and tumble dog. She regretted that she would no longer be able to bring Dolly to her house in the afternoons, because she did not want Sonny to be sad to be left alone at home, and have his feelings hurt.

Michiko still came over to my house, she let the dogs out, stayed with them in the yard, watching Sonny run up and down burning his energy. She would brush Dolly and keep them company for an hour or more each day. She told me that people would stop on the street and watch Sonny run, and ask where these dogs came from. She would shake her head and say, I don’t know, they are not mine.

A couple weeks ago when I got home from work, Dolly was not in the doggie room. And then again, a couple days later. Sometimes Dolly won’t go back into my house, she will sit down and not budge an inch, insisting to go home with Michiko, and often Michiko gives in to Dolly’s stubborn refusal to go anywhere but across the street.

Dolly might not have been home waiting for me, but there was Sonny, just sitting in his kennel, waiting for somebody to come home. He wasn’t lonely or anything, he was just being patient. Michiko had been there and made sure he had time outside during the day. He was fine.

But as fate has it, finally, the turning point came.

For the past couple days, when I get home, the house is empty.

Both Dolly AND Sonny are across the street at Michiko’s.

Dolly is relieved to be back in her old routine. Sonny is thrilled to finally be allowed to accompany her. It's like for a kid, graduating to big boy underpants.

I think it has been a rite of passage for Sonny. When I brought him home last night he led the way proudly prancing ahead of Dolly and I on his leash, leading us home, with the one toy in his mouth that Michiko allowed him to bring over during his stay.

Later last night, when I was letting him back in the house from the back yard, instead of going in the back door like usual, he started to walk over to Michiko’s.

The look back over his shoulder said it all.

See you later, back in a sec.

He's a big boy now.