Monday, November 28, 2005

Jaded canines

After months of construction unrest they've finally completed work on Phase One. Phase Two begins after we get the CF for the building which should be approximately a month to two from now, which gives me enough time to kick back and relax and now worry about anything.

Which is pretty much how it is like every year. I like Decembers for its relatively laid back holiday mood. But of course being laid back has its drawbacks. Especially if there is real work to be done.

What I don't like about Decembers is the fact that its the season where the bills seem to exceed the income. I hate that. Every year its the same thing. The season of merriment has its price, and we love to be merry.

My two dogs of different characteristics are funny, though. Freida is an excited dog, a show off, a howler. Asta is the uglier, realistic, daring one, and recently I noticed she's picked up on something I didn't even teach her, its a command called 'jaded', and you don't even have to tell her that.

'Sit!' I say. She looks at you with a puzzled look. She's got that 'what does that really accomplish?'

Then you begin to think, yes that is quite true. Apart from our dictator-like satisfaction of being able to tell her what you want her to do, it really doesn't accomplish anything. The real question would be, why should I sit?

I recently taught them the command called 'Quiet!' or 'Shut up!' or sometimes 'Shut your mouth!' but of course when they're really worked up they really can't be bothered to listen to you. So I remembered this technique of giving treats. The theory is that if they do something right when told you have to give them a treat so it registers in their head that if they do that particular something, then they get treated. Of course they dont respond to their dog food (yes, the jaded thing comes up, its like, 'I eat this everyday...so?') so the other day I tried beer.

And they like beer.

So everytime they shut their mouth, they get some beer.

Problem is everytime they look at me now they have this lip-smacking look on them. Perhaps I should've kept to canine products.