By MAGGIE ISHINO
I saw four incidents regarding dogs that I would like to share with you.
You may think the first one was something I made up, but I actually saw it, honest!
1. On March 11 as I was walking toward the bus stop, I observed something that made me laugh out loud. It just tickled me to see a dog walking, carrying a plastic bag with his own you-know-what in his mouth. The owner of the dog was a lady who appeared to be in her early 30s, smiling and walking behind the dog, holding the leash. It was really a sight to behold.
It must have taken quite an effort to teach the dog such a trick. It takes patience, consistency and a close relationship to teach a pet a trick. I taught my cat to “shake hands.” It took me two weeks before he put his paw in my hand when we shook hands.
2. There was another incident I saw as I was walking toward the intersection. A man was holding the leash on a Chihuahua and a lady was holding the leash of a big dog, it looked like a golden retriever. They were waiting for the signal to change and suddenly the Chihuahua jumped on the back of the golden retriever.
The big dog just rolled over and gave the small dog the privilege of having a “romp” on him. They seemed to be having such fun that the owners of the dogs ignored the change of the signal.
I thought that was good of the owners to let their pets enjoy each other. It was interesting to note, too, why such a big man would have such a small dog and the lady with such a big dog. Oh well.
3. As I was walking on one side of the street, I saw a man holding the leash of a Boston terrier across the street. They were almost to the corner of the block when the dog decided to sit down. The owner wanted to cross the street and tugged on the leash two times, but the dog refused to get up, so the owner hit the dog with the leash.
I wanted to go across the street and give the man a piece of my mind. The humane thing for the owner to do was to pick up the dog and carry it. I cannot tell what happened since I had to catch my bus, but my thoughts were on the owner and what a cruel thing he did.
4. There is a man who lives in my neighborhood who has a Pomeranian dog. She is a beautiful white dog and so friendly. I love the way when she sees me, she comes running to me and lifts up both front paws to greet me with a “Good morning” or “Good evening” with her tail happily swinging back and forth. Unfortunately, I do not see them as frequently as I wish, but it is always a joy to have her greet me.
5. Last Tuesday on the way to the doctor’s office while nearing the corner of the block, I saw a man with a basket on the handle of his bicycle carrying a small dog. I had to laugh because the dog was wearing sunglasses. It gave the dog such a “sophisticated” appearance.
The dog attracted others who were at the corner and they began shaking hands with the dog. I would have liked to have shaken hands with the dog, but the man had already crossed the street before I could reach the corner.
You may not believe this, but I am a dog lover as well as a cat lover. One good thing, however — one doesn’t have to walk a cat.
Amen and Bow Wow!
—
Maggie Ishino is a Rafu typist and can be reached at mishino@rafu.com. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.
