No paws up on my side of the bed this morning. No licks and kisses to wake me up. No fetch/walk along the beach before breakfast. No watching my dog jump up on his hind legs with excitement as I pour kibble into his bowl, and fill his other dish with ice water. (Not just plain old water; water with a ton of ice cubes for my boy.)
Yes, Kemba’s off having fun at “sleep-away camp.” That’s the way I described it to him in the run-up to his adventure. It’s actually a two-week board-and-train program to
smooth out the edges on a few of Kemba’s “overzealous” behaviors — like tackling visitors when they come in the door, and howling at hikers we encounter who happen to be carrying “strange” objects . . . like walking sticks or backpacks.
You’d think maybe by now I could have made these “corrections” myself. But the thing is, after I finish scolding him, he tilts his head and looks up at me . . . and I say, “Okay, fine, whatever.” I think it’s pretty clear after 15 years (11 with Ricky, 4 with Kemba) that I’ve earned the title World’s Worst Dog Trainer.
Kemba had already met Marlon, his “counselor,” once before the start of the program, and they hit it off great. When Marlon came for him last Thursday afternoon, Kemba happily jumped right into his car. (Though, truth be told, Kemba will happily do just about anything with anyone.) We’d heard about Marlon from our friend Annie, who sent her dog Clyde to him. Clyde’s about 5x more nuts
than Kemba, and he came back civilized, so we’ll see.
Carol and I took off for a wedding in New Hope, PA Friday morning, and didn’t get back until last night, so today’s really my first full day without my boy. Sure, I was able to bike to Jack’s Coffee nice and early this morning. And, yes, I’ll have a couple of extra discretionary hours during the day, hours usually devoted to exercise for my hyperactive and extremely athletic Duck Toller. But still . . . where are those big, bright, black eyes that follow my every move, as my handsome boy eagerly hopes for our next activity? Friends said that when Robby, our youngest, went off to college, we were officially empty nesters.
No. This is empty nest.
But it’s okay. By the Thursday after Labor Day, I’ll have my dog right back at my side again.
And Kemba, my sweet boy — you can behave any way you want.
LOOK FOR A NEW BEAGLE MAN POST EVERY THURSDAY. OR PRETTY CLOSE TO THURSDAY. COULD BE WEDNESDAY. OR FRIDAY. LET’S NOT GET TOO OBSESSIVE HERE . . . 🙂 OH, AND BTW, YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
Leave a Reply