... It's O-S-C-A-R... (Yeah, I sing to my dogs. Judge me!) And, not unlike most dog owners I know, we have a long list of (mostly ridiculous) nicknames for Oscar and Nugget. For example, Nugget has always been my Little Nugga Thugg or McNugg or Angel Baby Love ... you get the idea. They are mostly terms of endearment.
Oscar's nicknames tend to suit his typically devious nature. For example, he's Wiggles the Dog (due to uncontrollable tail and body wagging that is dangerous to the health of anyone in a 3 foot radius); Monster (do I really need to elaborate?); Kudjo (he's a little protective of his momma); and more recently he's been affectionately referred to as Doodle Snacks. I really don't have an explanation for that last one... er, I didn't. Until Wednesday.
As per our usual routine, I dropped the kids off at doggy daycare. And though we still have some days left on our package at Dogtopia, I woke up WAY late and decided to just drop them at the Barker Lounge. I'd intended to purchase another package there anyway since it's only 5 minutes from my office, so it worked. My only real beef with the Barker Lounge is that they don't have webcams where I can watch them play and they don't offer a discount for multiple dogs. But the boys love it and it's convenient.
None of that really has anything to do with the point of this post, except to say that I usually know what the report cards from Dogtopia will look like since I can watch them online. At the Barker Lounge, it's always a crapshoot. At drop off, I always remind them that humping is unacceptable behavior... just in case they've forgotten.
Wednesday was no different. Exhausted from a long day, on my way to pick them up I mulled over whether I should even ask if they behaved that day. I'm always afraid of what I might hear... and praying the words "Oscar is expelled" never cross their lips. Much to my delight, both boys had a great day. No bad reports at all! (Not even humping!) I was excited to take my exhausted dogs home and enjoy some quiet time while they napped. They typically have just enough energy to excitedly great me in the daycare lobby. And though they try to sit up in the car to watch out the windows on our way home, I can look in the rearview and see eyes drooping and heads nodding. Yes, there are few things better than a worn out puppy!
As luck would have it, we hit a bit of traffic on the way home and our 10 minute ride ended up closer to 30. Now I know I've previously mentioned how prompt Oscar is when it comes to expecting his meals. Sometimes, you might think waiting another 5 minutes will result in his imminent starvation and death. So why would Wednesday be any different? It wouldn't...
Around about the 4th cycle sitting at the same traffic light (not having moved an inch), I began smelling a delicious aroma which I naively assumed was coming from a nearby restaurant. But the source of the scent was much closer than that... It was in my backseat! Turns out B had left a box of organic pretzel and Goldfish cracker-type mix he took along on his work trip last week. Oscar was so hungry he ate through the top of the box and began helping himself to the snack mix inside. It was merely 5 minutes past dinner time! When I asked what he was doing, he looked up at me with a beard full of crumbs. Of course traffic began moving just then, so I missed the photo opp. But I'm happy to announce he's lived up to his most recent nickname. Doodle snacks... yes. Yes he does.
I sign "Baily Beluga" a-la Rafi to Baily :)
ReplyDeleteKari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/
I have lots of nicknames for our Oscar. "Trouble" and "Monkey" are the two most common. The first is explanatory...I'm not sure about the second one, but he actually responds to it most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI love to sing to the mutts! And they also have an insane amount of nicknames. Just shows how much they are loved, right?
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I'm a nickname fiend too... Bella has way too many! :)
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