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mararupners

Fun fact about Ogle. She likes rocks. Like, REALLY likes rocks. Actually, more than likes. She likes them – likes them. She loves them. She is completely and utterly obsessed with rocks.

It’s sort of hard to explain if you haven’t seen it, and I’m not really sure how it began.

I think it might have been back when we were still dog park people. There was this large rock at the dog park that she was really attracted to. She sort of lost interest in playing with other dogs, and just wanted to be with her rock. She would push it around with nose, flip it over and around, and lick it. Alot. To the point where she had so much drool frothing on the rock and around her mouth that she looked utterly insane. It was weird. She was sort of famous for it. Hey, there’s that dog that licks the rock…

And then, in our yard, we have these flower beds, and the edging is rock. (Or maybe stone? What actually is the difference?) At any rate, the beds have these flat rocks around the edges and one day Ogle realized they were kind of like her beloved dog park rock. So she would pull one of the rocks away from garden beds and into the lawn. And she would push it around with her nose, flip it over and around, and lick it. Alot. To the point where she had so much drool frothing on the rock and around her mouth that she looked utterly insane. It was weird. And it demolished our lawn.

At this point we were starting to realize we’d lost control of the rock situation. Kind of like when you give a toddler your iPhone to buy a minute of peace and quiet even though you know it probably isn’t great for them but – peace and quiet. And then the phone becomes THE THING THAT THEY MUST HAVE. And there is no more peace and quiet. The rock was like that. She was entertaining herself. She was tiring herself out. There was peace and quiet. Until there wasn’t. The lawn was a mess, and, even worse, she was completely tuning us out when she was with the rock. This was not just bratty teenager stuff. This was a rock addiction.

We probably should have nipped the whole thing in the bud right there and then and taken all the rocks away. Except there are so many. (We live in Rockland County, NY. It is called that for a reason.) And they make her so happy. So we sort of compromised. The rock is still a thing but we have established rules. No rock on the big patch of mulch and mud formerly known as our lawn. No rock on the deck. Rock on the driveway only. We own the rock, not her. The rock licking game is now part of an interactive ball-throwing-recall-stop-drop training session thing we do. For what feels like hours. Twice a day. I like to think we’ve regained a bit of control. Put the rock into perspective for her.

But I’m pretty sure I’m kidding myself here. Girlfriend is still a rock addict. We’re meeting with a new trainer on Friday and I can’t wait to get his take on The Rock situation. Stay tuned.

Our Story

Some days are just ordinary days, and some days are the kinds of days on which, without warning, everything tilts.

Friday, January 6, 2023 was one of those kinds of days.

I was working from home. My husband Aini took our two-year old dog Ogle to the dog park. It’s their thing. She gets a bunch of exercise and he gets to chit chat with his dog peeps.

They were gone for a long time. And when he got home, he came into my office. Pale. Shaky. He sat down. And proceeded to tell me that Ogle had chased down and brutally attacked another dog. There were multiple deep bites; the other dog was taken to the emergency vet. Ogle didn’t have a scratch.

The next few days were a blur of tears and severe anxiety and text message exchanges with the other owner. The other dog recovered. We drained our savings and borrowed money to pay the vet bills.

We looked at our dog with new eyes. We looked at ourselves with new eyes. What the hell had just happened? And what the hell do we do now?

True confession. After much soul-searching and research, we did try to rehome her. We had visions of her living with more competent owners, on a couple of acres of land, with fewer stressors. A place where she could be who she is. But…an adult dog with a bite history. Who would want to take her? Turns out, nobody.

So here she still is. And here we still are. And this blog is a reflection on our continued journey with this intense, wonderful, complicated, smart, anxious, beautiful and incredibly challenging dog.